Mini Crochet Easter Basket

 

The children are driving me potty. They are whingey and bored and I am looking forward to them being back at school next week so I can get something done.

It’s the sort of complaining and constant running around that means I can’t think straight, all talking at once, funny high-pitched noises that become indecipherable and leave me with a fuzzy head.

The best solution for this kind of situation is just to get out of the house. (With the children of course).

Hence, we spent a sunny afternoon at granny and grandpa’s. Plenty of space for the girls to burn off some energy and a great opportunity for me to take a few photos in the spring sunshine.

 

I was after a couple of good pics of these little baskets to share with you. For some reason they are tricky to photograph, I’ve tried before but never been able to do them justice. Sunshine and pear blossom helped.

 

They are also an excellent quick crochet fix.They take about 10 or 15 minutes each to make (add an extra 10 minutes if you want to line them with a little fabric), they can be made out of any yarn you have to hand (although I love Rowan Handknit Cotton for this) and they do very well for tiny Easter treats too. If you have a few spare moments you could make enough to add to an Easter display or some well-placed spring branches.

 

 

I’ll leave you with the pattern for these baskets for now, a tutorial with photos would be a bit ambitious with the children in their current mood but I’ll do my best to put one together over the next couple of days.

xx

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Mini Easter Basket Pattern

You will need: Yarn and hook half a size smaller than recommended to produce a tight tension. I used Rowan Handknit Cotton and a 3.5mm hook. Darning needle and scissors. Scrap of fabric to line the basket if you wish.  

The basket is worked in a spiral, so each round is not fastened off before the next is started. Instead, the next round is started directly into the following stitch. It can be helpful to mark the start of each round with a stitchmarker, or a small length of contrast yarn.

To start: Chain 2

Round 1: 6dc into 2^nd ch from hook (6st)

Round 2: 2dc into each of next 6 st (12st)

Round 3: (1dc into next dc, 2dc in next dc) x 6 (18st)

Round 4: (1 dc into each next 2 st, 2dc in next st) x 6 (24st)

Round 5 – 10: Straight (24st)

To form handle: sl st into next st, ch 12, fasten to opposite side of the basket with a sl st, turn and dc 14 over the chain just made to form the handle. Sl st to base of handle and fasten off.

To line the basket: Simply flatten the basket and roughly draw around the outside onto a piece of paper to form a pattern (sometimes I do this directly onto the fabric). Cut out two shapes from your fabric scrap using this pattern. Sew wrong sides together around the curved edge leaving the straight side open. Turn right side out, place inside your basket and hand stitch to the top edge, turning the top hem under as you go.

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p.s. I've heard that fairies are fond of these baskets too - perfect for tiny treasures, or even a lost tooth.

Here's the finished tutorial... Mini Crochet Basket Tutorial