Make Craft Game

After realizing that I wasn’t crocheting correctly, I wanted to do a project using the proper method. I wanted the project to be of medium complexity so I could learn the basics, but it was still interesting to make. That’s how I landed on making a crocheted basket!

I really like having baskets around the house.  They are great for organizing and sorting. I find them great for holding the yarn I am actively using. Making a basket also allows me to practice making a “magic circle” and knitting in the round, which is something I find intriguing.

This project was more on the “unplanned” side. I didn’t really have a pattern because I didn’t want to make it too complex. I just wanted to stay in the realm of single crochet stitches. But I also didn’t plan out how much yarn I would need either. And, while I do adore color blocking, the change in yarn led to some… other complications that I had to adjust to.

Explore the Craft section of MCG for exciting patterns in knits & knots or unique creations in the stitchery. Don’t miss the extensive collection of bullet journal designs to inspire your creativity!

This is a minimum supplies project. I used a US6 crochet hook, yarn, a yarn needle, and scissors. Really, it was just one material and some tools to manipulate it. I decided to go with size 6 since it’s one of my go-to sizes for knitting. Since they are both 4 mm, it felt like using a somewhat familiar tool. I also wasn’t particular about my yarn. The one I chose looked pretty and was more on the sturdy side. A crocheted basket is a great way to use yarns that are not so soft.

When I first started crocheting, I did not look up how to start a project in the round. I would make a small chain and connect the ends. While it technically accomplished its function, it didn’t really look the neatest. And since I stopped being stubborn about looking for help, I decided to look up some ways that are more classic starts for the craft.

To make a magic circle, you make a loop around two fingers. The loop starts at the top, goes around the bottom, and then crosses over the top again. Then, using the crochet needle, bring the top thread under the bottom thread, twist, and then pull the top thread through the loop (going over the bottom thread this time.

This method creates a slip knot with a loop attached to it. And that loop is the base for the magic circle. The next step is to add stitches onto the base loop. I like to hold the loop and the yarn in place while doing this to help prevent twisting or anything weird from happening.

With the loop on the left and the new yarn on the right, I pulled the right string under the left. Then, take the needle over the left string and pull the right string through the loop that was created in the first step. Repeating this action is considered casting on to the magic circle.

When it came to making the base of the crochet basket, I was a little worried about the pattern. Adding too many stitches too soon will cause the bottom to pucker, while not adding enough will cause it to cave in (kind of like a bowl). As I started to feel out of the project, I ended up getting into repeating patterns of:

Odd Row: (INC, SCX) x 6

Even Row: (X/2, INC, X/2) x 6

Where X is the row number.

It’s wild to watch the circle grow. This project provided an immediate sense of accomplishment. And it went much faster than I was expecting. It wasn’t long before I had to move to the sides of the crochet basket.

The sides of the basket were really simple. Just crochet in a circle. Then do it again. And again. I decided the number of rows that I would do based on the height of the side rather than a set number of stitches. Halfway up, I ran out of yarn. I decided to make a hard switch to a solid color to give a stark contrast to the base.

The finishing touches for the side of the crochet basket were the handles. I don’t know why, but I really wanted handles. Starting at the beginning of the row, I did seven stitches before turning the project and going up a row. I followed this until the piece coming off the basket was twelve inches long.

Then I used the single stitch to connect to the basket (about 5 inches away from where the handle started on the interior). Finally, I did the same process on the other side of the basket.

I love the way this turned out. The color blocking turned out a bit starker than I would have liked, but I do think the colors are very fun. It does get my mind racing about other design patterns and options. I wonder if a third stripe breaking up the two colors and acting as an edging would provide an even more striking effect. Or perhaps leaving ahold for the handles would be better than having the straps attached. There’s a surprising amount of customization for such a simple design.

When working with knitting or crochet projects, I often find myself using the same yarn (buying multiple of the same skein) for the whole project. This leaves little room for issues in terms of adjustment for thickness. When I switched the yarns during the crocheted basket project, I didn’t really think about it and continued on my way.

Several rows deep, I realized something wasn’t right. The new yarn was thicker than the first, which caused it to create a larger circle. This caused a sort of puckering effect with the second half swelling out before going up. To prevent this, I had to do some strategically placed decreases in order to match the gauges between the two yarns. I don’t often use yarn gauges, but it is important to be able to see the difference in size of the project or, more specifically, the number of stitches needed to make a piece cohesive.

This crochet basket is an easy and functional project that is perfect for the yarns that are not so soft!

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Crochet Basket

This crochet basket is an easy and functional project that is perfect for the yarns that are not so soft!

Materials

• 2 skeins yarn
• 1 US6 Crochet Needle

Instructions

Basket

• CO6 using a Magic Circle [6]
• Setup Row: INC 6 [12]
• Row 01. (SC, INC 1) * 6 [18]
• Row 02. (SC, INC 1, SC] * 6 [24]
• Row 03: (SC3, INC) * 6 [30]
• Row 04: (SC2, INC, SC2 ) * 6 [36]
• Row 05: (SC5, INC) * 6 [42]
• Row 06: (SC3, INC, SC3) * 6 [48]
• Continue to add rows where Odd Row: (INC, SCX) x 6 and Even Row: (X/2, INC, X/2) x 6. This will increase the project by 6 stitches each round until there are 150 stitches.
• Switching Row: FLO 150
• Continue in round until the sides reach seven and a half (7.5) inches.

Handle

• SC8, turn. Repeat until 12 inches. Attach to the top of the side leaving 5 inches between the interior of the handle.
• Repeat on the opposite side.

Notes

If changing yarn types, remember to check the comparison in gauges.