Recently, I published the 3 Hour Tote Bag and enjoyed the Alternating Spike Stitch so much that I just had to make something with it again, this darling Farmhouse Crochet Basket. I know, I know, the repetition! But truthfully, it’s kind of a fun stitch to do and you can do it mindlessly for a few rows here and there while the kids are playing with their lego or at night while relaxing in front of your favorite program.
When I started my crochet journey and originally opened my Etsy store to sell crochet items, I ended up being really good at making crochet baskets. And they sold fairly well because there weren’t a lot of people making them. At least there weren’t a lot of people doing different styles, stitches, sizes and techniques. To this day, I have one basket that has done pretty well for me in terms of sales and I’m sure will still continue to do so.
As a result, my home is filled with lots of crochet baskets that were prototypes or less-than-perfect while I was still learning how to really make a good, solid basket. This crochet basket, however, I plan to make LOTS more of. It’s my absolute favorite to date.
I mentioned those legos the kids play with… well this is just the perfect kind of basket for all the lego. And all the other little odds and ends one ends up with when one has toddlers. If I had larger bathrooms and powder rooms, I envision this basket sitting on the counter tops with hand towels rolled neatly and waiting. There are so many uses for it that it will be a practical item in any room in your house.
The Alt Spike Stitch really makes it much more sturdy and a lot of other simple stitches like single, half-double or double crochet. By it’s very nature, the Alt Spike Stitch is almost doubling up on the thickness of the walls of this farmhouse crochet basket. It makes the basket soft and pliable but pretty rigid unlike of other crochet baskets out there.
Try out the pattern, post in the comments and be sure to share a picture of how yours turns out!
If you like baskets, check out my Chunky Spa Basket, Belle Bobble Basket and 1 Skein Nesting Basket Set.
LET’S GET MAKING! Scroll down for the free pattern below OR you can get the Ad-Free, printable version from my Etsy store HERE
SUPPLY LIST – 6.5 mm hook, Yarn Used: Caron One Pound [4 weight yarn acrylic] in light grey, Approx 300 yards (275 metres), Scissors, Tapestry needle
STITCHES / ABBREVIATIONS – CH – chain, SL ST – slip stitch, SC – single crochet , SC SP ST – single crochet spike stitch, HDC – half double crochet
SIZES – N/A
FINISHED MEASUREMENTS – 8.5” height by 9.5” diameter
GAUGE – N/A
DIFFICULTY LEVEL – Beginner
PATTERN & SIZING NOTES –
– This Farmhouse Crochet Basket is made using the Alternating Spike Stitch in the round, which is a single crochet stitch but alternating between a SC where you normally put it and a SC in the stitch of the row below (noted as SC and SC SP ST)
– The basket is made holding 2 strands of yarn together for a bulky finish and adds sturdiness
– With the exception of the first bottom, the body of this basket is made in a continuous spiral
– The Alternating Spike Stitch in the round is used for this basket and it requires an odd number of stitches when working in a spiral – if you do not have an odd number of stitches the Alt Spike Stitch won’t work out properly. As such, when the bottom of the basket is complete, we will drop one stitch so we have an odd number of stitches before starting to work the spiral (79 stitches)
– For the bottom of the basket (while working in joined rounds) the CH 2 at the beginning of the row counts as a stitch
INSTRUCTIONS –
BOTTOM OF FARMHOUSE CROCHET BASKET (for 8 Rounds):
Holding 2 strands of yarn together, CH 4 then sl st to the first CH to form a circle
ROUND 1: (10 ST)
CH 2 and HDC 9 more stitches in to the circle for a total of 10, SL ST to the top of the CH 2
ROUND 2: (20 ST)
CH 2 and HDC 2 ST in each ST, SL ST to the top of the CH 2
ROUND 3: (30 ST)
CH
2 and <HDC 1 in the next stitch, 2 HDC in the following> and
repeat < to > for the round, SL ST to the top of the CH 2
ROUND 4: (40 ST)
CH
2 and <HDC 1 in the next 2 ST, 2 HDC in the following> and
repeat < to > for the round, SL ST to the top of the CH 2
ROUND 5: (50 ST)
CH
2 and <HDC 1 in the next 3 ST, 2 HDC in the following> and
repeat < to > for the round, SL ST to the top of the CH 2
ROUND 6: (60 ST)
CH
2 and <HDC 1 in the next 4 ST, 2 HDC in the following> and
repeat < to > for the round, SL ST to the top of the CH 2
ROUND 7: (70 ST)
CH
2 and <HDC 1 in the next 5 ST, 2 HDC in the following> and
repeat < to > for the round, SL ST to the top of the CH 2
ROUND 8: (80 ST)
CH
2 and <HDC 1 in the next 6 ST, 2 HDC in the following> and
repeat < to > for the round EXCEPT for the last stitch of the
round where you will only place 1 HDC instead of 2 so we drop a stitch
to 79 so that the Alt Spike Stitch body of the basket works out
correctly, SL ST to the top of the CH 2
BODY OF FARMHOUSE CROCHET BASKET (for 28 Rounds):
* You will now have 79 ST, mark your 1st stitch in each row as you will now be working in a spiral CH 1 (counts as a stitch)
ROUND 1:
SC in each ST around (79)
ROUND 2 to 22:
Alternate
a SC with a SC SP ST (in to the top of the stitch from the row below –
see instructions below for details) (79)
ROUND 23:
SC
in each ST around (79) * MARK the following stitches in the next
round: 1, 11, 40, 50 as these will be where you create the handles
ROUND 24 (creating the handles):
Starting at that marked 1st
ST, CH 12 and SKIP 11 ST (from ST 1 to 11 where you’ve marked) SC
between ST 12 and ST 39 CH 12 and SKIP 11 ST (from ST 40 to 50 where
you’ve marked)SC between ST 51 and 79You will have 28 stitches
between the handles on one side and 29 stitches between the handles on
the other side
ROUND 25:
SC
in each ST around (81) including in each of the 12 CH stitches of the
handles (you’re ending up adding 2 additional stitches in the round’s
stitch count)
ROUND 26 to 27:
SC in each ST around (81)
ROUND 28:
SL
ST in each ST around and SL ST to the last stitch before the handle
starts (this will help to hide your last stitch better), Tie off and
weave in ends
CROCHETING THE ALTERNATING SPIKE STITCH IN THE ROUND AS A SPIRAL FOR THE FARMHOUSE CROCHET BASKET *** To do the Alt Spike Stitch in the round as a spiral, you require an odd number of stitches. This pattern uses 57 stitches for each round *** |
SIMPLY ALTERNATE BETWEEN A NORMAL SINGLE CROCHET IN THE NORMAL PLACE YOU PUT IT AND A “SPIKED” SINGLE CROCHET PLACED IN THE TOP OF THE STITCH FROM THE PREVIOUS ROW. THIS ELONGATES EVERY SECOND STITCH AND CREATES A STURDY, THICK PROJECT |