I recently finished a yarn basket made from those little ends of yarn balls. You know the ones – not enough to make anything useful, but somehow still too much to throw away. When I showed it to a couple of fellow crafters, they asked for the pattern… except there isn’t one.
I took inspiration from a few scrap yarn projects I’d seen on Facebook groups and YouTube, but mostly I just winged it. I’ve never written a pattern before, and I don’t even have progression photos, so we can dive straight in without you having to read my life story or a tale about how this was my grandmother’s pattern, passed down through generations using a secret code.
PREARATION
I used a 6mm hook and two strands of contrasting colours, joining the next colour with a magic knot when I reached the end of each ball of yarn. The entire basket is worked using half treble crochet (UK terms - I believe the US equivalent is a half double crochet).
BASE
Chain 6, then join with a slip stitch to form a circle.
Work 6 half trebles into the circle and join with a slip stitch.
Chain 2 to start, then work:
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2 half trebles into the next stitch
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1 half treble into the following stitch
Continue this pattern all the way around and join with a slip stitch.
Tip: Use a stitch marker for the start/end of each round so you don’t lose your place.
Carry on increasing in this way with each round until your circle (the base of your basket) is the size you want. Don’t worry if you don’t have the exact number of stitches to keep the 2–1 increase pattern perfect – no one will ever know.
SIDES
Work 1 half treble into each stitch, with no increases
Continue working in a spiral until the sides are tall enough for the handles.
HANDLES
Lay your work flat and find the middle stitch. Count 10 stitches either side and place a stitch marker at each point. Repeat this on the opposite side of the basket.
When you reach a stitch marker, chain 21, then join back to the stitch at the other marker. Work your way around to the next stitch marker and repeat.
On the next round, when you reach the first chain, work a half treble into each chain stitch, then join back onto the main structure of the basket. Continue around until you reach the second chain and do the same.
On the following round, carry on as normal.
FINISHING OFF
Work three or four more rounds to add some thickness to the top and the handles, then finish off. It doesn’t matter where you end, as you’ve been working in a spiral. Weave in your ends so there’s no obvious start or finish.
