Materials Needed & Measurements:
- Suggested Yarn: Lion Brand Yarn’s Wool-Ease Thick & Quick, 3 skeins. (Colors: “Wheat” and “Grey Marble”)
- Yarn Measurements: Hold two strands of yarn together. Divide the third skein into two equal balls.
- Hook Size:
- 8 mm Clover Amour hook (for base and body)
- 7 mm Clover Amour hook (for edging)
- Gauge: 4.75″ (12 cm) across for the first 3 rounds with 8 mm hook.
- Finished Pattern Size:
- Height: 7″
- Diameter: 8.5″
- Circumference: 27″
Other Tools:
- Clover Felting Needle Tool & Foam Mat (optional)
- Leather handles, waxed braided cord, diamond punch, rubber mallet (optional)
- Ultraleather garment tag by Brickbubble (optional)
Abbreviations Used:
- Ch: Chain
- Csc: Center Single Crochet (also called Waistcoat Stitch)
- Hdc: Half Double Crochet
- Inc: Increase (work 2 stitches in the same stitch)
- Rsc: Reverse Single Crochet (also called Crab Stitch)
- Sc: Single Crochet
- Sl st: Slip Stitch
Stitching Instructions for Making the Waistcoat Crochet Basket Pattern:
Base of the Basket (Worked in Joined Rounds)
- Round 1: Ch 2, make 10 hdc (half double crochet) into a magic ring. Sl st (slip stitch) to the first hdc. (10 sts)
- Round 2: Ch 2. Inc (increase, which means to work 2 hdc in the next stitch), repeat 10 times. Sl st to the first hdc. (20 sts)
- Round 3: Ch 2. Hdc 1, Inc, repeat 10 times. Sl st to the first hdc. (30 sts)
- Round 4: Ch 2. Hdc 2, Inc, repeat 10 times. Sl st to the first hdc. (40 sts)
- Round 5: Ch 2. Hdc 3, Inc, repeat 10 times. Sl st to the first hdc. (50 sts)
Body of the Basket (Worked in Continuous, Unjoined Rounds)
From here, we switch to the waistcoat stitch (also called the center single crochet), which gives the basket its distinctive texture. The body of the basket will be crocheted in continuous rounds, meaning you won’t join the rounds with a slip stitch, but instead, work in a continuous spiral.
- Round 6: Ch 1. Sc (single crochet) into the third loops created by the hdc from the previous round. Continue this pattern around, ensuring you work into the third loop of each hdc from Round 5. (50 sts)
- Rounds 7-20: Continue working the waistcoat stitch (or csc – center single crochet) around for the next 14 rounds. In each round, insert your hook into the middle of the V from the previous row, rather than the front or back loops, to create a ridged texture. (50 sts)
Adding Handles (Optional)
In this step, we introduce the handle openings for a more functional design. You’ll create spaces where the handles will go by chaining and skipping stitches.
- Round 21: Csc (center single crochet) 10, then Ch 8, skip 6 stitches, Csc 19, Ch 8, skip 6 stitches, and then Csc 9. (54 sts)
Creating the Edging (Reverse Single Crochet or Crab Stitch)
The next step involves switching to a smaller hook to create the decorative edge. You’ll use reverse single crochet (Rsc), also known as the crab stitch, which works in the opposite direction of typical crochet rounds.
- Round 22: Switch to a 7 mm hook. Begin Rsc in the stitch where you ended Round 21. Work Rsc 9 times. Then, Rsc 10 times into the chain gap, Rsc 19, Rsc 10 into the next chain gap, and finally, Rsc 10. (58 sts)
- To perform reverse single crochet, insert the hook from front to back (opposite of the usual direction), yarn over, pull up a loop, yarn over again, and pull through both loops on the hook.
Finishing
- Fasten off the yarn and weave in any loose ends. Slip the ends through the top of the first Rsc. If you like, you can wrap the yarn ends around the edge to mimic the Rsc stitch for a seamless look.
Optional: Adding Leather Handles
For a more sophisticated finish, you can add leather handles to your basket:
- Cut two 26 cm x 3 cm strips of leather.
- Use a diamond punch (2 mm) and rubber mallet to create small holes at the bottom of the leather straps.
- Use waxed braided cord to sew the leather straps onto the crochet basket. Position the bottom of the straps between Rounds 19 and 20, spacing them about 6 stitches apart.
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