Ruffled Basket

This Easter basket has a handle which is ruffled hence the name. It is a fun basket to make and it is an opportunity to recycle! It is also made by carrying yarn up the inside of the work and moving your hook back and forth between dropped loops. You will see what I mean when you get started.

Materials Needed
Worsted weight acrylic yarn in lavender, pale yellow and a bright colored multicolor.
Size H/8 or 5mm aluminum crochet hook
3pound empty margarine container
1/4" paper punch
Piece of plastic canvas 5holes by 112 holes for handle
Yarn needle for weaving in ends
Hot glue & a glue stick.

Yarn Thickness: 4mm
Gauge: 4dc=1"
Finished Size: 7" by 10"
Skill Level: Intermediate

Instructions
Punch 56 holes evenly spaced around rim of container and set aside.

RND 1: With lavender. Ch4. Join w/slst to first ch to form ring. Ch3. 15dc in ring. Join w/slst to top of ch3. (16dc)

RND 2: Ch3. Dc in same st as slst. 2dc in each st around. Join w/slst to top of ch3. (32dc)

RND 3: Ch3. Dc in same st as slst. Dc in next st. *2dc in next st. Dc in next st. Rep from * around. Join w/slst to top of ch3. (48dc)

RND 4: Ch3. Dc in same st as slst. Dc in each of the next 6 sts. *2dc in next st. Dc in each of the next 6 sts. Rep from * around. Join w/slst to top of ch3. (56dc)

RND 5: Ch3. Dc in each of the next 3 dc. Ch4. Sk 4 dc. *Dc in each of the next 4 dc. Ch4. Sk 4dc. Rep from * around. Join w/slst to top of ch3. Drop lavender but do not fasten off. Take hook out of loop. You will come back to this loop when you finish the next round.

RND 6: Join yellow in first skipped dc of RND 4. Ch3, working over the ch4 sp. Working over the ch4, dc in each of the next skipped 3dc of RND 4. Ch4. *Working over the ch4 sp, dc in each of the next 4 skipped dc. Ch4. Rep from * around. Join w/slst to top of ch3. Drop yellow but do not fasten off. Take hook out. You will come back to this loop after the next round is finished.

RND 7: Insert hook back in dropped lavender loop, join multicolor in same st as slst. Working over ch4 sp, ch3, dc in each of the next 3 dc. Ch4. *Working over the ch4 sp, dc in each of the next 4 skipped dc. Ch4. Rep from * around. Join w/slst to top of ch3. Drop multicolor. Remove hook.

RND 8: Insert hook back in yellow loop. Pick up lavender and working over ch4 sp, ch3, dc in each of the next 3 dc. Ch4. *Working over ch4 sp, dc in each of the next 4 dc. Ch4. Rep from *around. Join w/slst to top of ch3. Drop lavender and remove hook from loop.

RND 9: Insert hook back in multicolor loop. Pick up yellow and working over ch4 sp, ch3, dc in each of the next 3 dc. Ch4. *Working over ch4 sp, dc in each of the next 4 dc. Ch4. Rep from *around. Join w/slst to top of ch3. Drop yellow. Remove hook.

RND 10: Insert hook back in lavender loop. Pick up multicolor and working over ch4 sp, ch3, dc in each of the next 3 dc. Ch4. *Working over ch4 sp, dc in each of the next 4 dc. Ch4. Rep from *around. Join w/slst to top of ch3. Drop multicolor and remove hook from loop.

RND 11-19: Repeat RNDs 8,9,10 consecutively 3 times. You should end up with the multicolor.

RND 20: Pick up purple in dropped multicolor loop. Ch3. Dc in each of the next 3 dc over ch4 sp. Hdc in each of the next 4 dc. *Dc in each of the next 4 dc working over the ch4 sp. Rep from * around. Join w/slst to top of ch3.

RND 21: Pick up container and work one sc in each st and each hole in container, at the same time, around to join crochet to container. Join w/slst to first sc. Fasten off lavender.

RND 22: Join yellow to same st as slst. Ch1. Sc in each st around. Join w/slst to ch1. Fasten off and weave ends into back of work.

Handle
With lavender, ch 138. Tr in 5th ch from hook and in each ch across. Fasten off lavender.

RND 1: Join yellow to one of the end posts of tr. Work 3dc, ch2, 3dc in same end. (Sc in next st. Ch1. Sk next st.) Rep bet () to the other end, sc in last st. 3dc, ch2, 3dc around post of other end. Rep bet () to the other end. Sc in last st. Join w/slst to top of ch3. Fasten off yellow.

RND 2: Join multicolor to same st as slst. Ch1, sc in same st. 2sc in each of the next 2 dc. 3sc in next ch2 sp. 2sc in each of the next 3 dc. Ch1. (Sc in next ch1 sp. Ch1.) Rep bet () to the other end. 2sc in each of the next 3 dc. 3sc in next ch2 sp. 2sc in each of the next 3 dc. Ch1. Rep bet () to where you started this round. Join w/slst to ch1. Fasten off and weave ends into back of work.

Assembly
Step 1: Weave piece of plastic canvas from one end of the handle to the other so the 3dc ch2, 3dc shells are over the ends of the plastic canvas.

Step 2: With a piece of lavender yarn and a needle, stitch the ends of the plastic canvas to the sides of the covered container, at 8 holes in from each end, working the stitches through the holes in the container.

Step 3: Hot glue the loose flaps to the plastic canvas to cover then ends up so you cannot see them.

Ruffled Basket

Random Quick Tip!