So at the time I’m writing up this pattern, many of us are at the beginning of a long “social distancing” quarantine. A week ago, I wouldn’t have even known what that sentence meant, but now life is changing daily. What a strange time we are living in!

Before we know it, Easter will be upon us! So here’s a fun pattern to get you ready, and if you already have a good cotton stash, you might not even have to make a craft store run.

I’m sorry there’s no video for this one; now that I have all three boys home with me all day every day during the quarantine, there’s not much quiet time available for filming. (Let’s be honest, they’re boys; there’s, like, no quiet time whatsoever.) Luckily, many of the techniques will be familiar to anyone who has already made Yarn + Chai baskets!

 

About the Yarn

I used two different yarns to make this basket. The bulk of the basket is made with Bernat Softee Baby Cotton, double stranded throughout. The baby hues of this yarn offer lots of options for the perfect Easter color scheme! The white stripes around the basket were made with a small amount of Yarn Bee Soft & Sleek, which I already had in my stash, but any #4 aran weight yarn should work fine. I also used the Soft & Sleek to cover a strip of plastic canvas to serve as the handle.

I didn’t need more than one skein of any color to complete the project, so in order to double-strand the yarn, I brought both ends of the skein together and wound them into an already-double-stranded ball. That way, I could crochet from one ball instead of two skeins at a time. It took some prep work, but was well worth it!

Leaving out the yellow color was a last-minute decision, so that’s why it’s still in the photo.

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EASTER BASKET

View on Ravelry

Difficulty: Easy

Finished Size: 8″ wide x 3.75″ tall (excludes handle)

Yarn: I used Bernat Softee Baby Cotton, a #3 weight cotton/acrylic blend, in these colors / amounts:

• COLOR A (“Jade Frost”): 225 yards
• COLOR B (“Dusk Sky”): 100 yards
• COLOR C (“Petal”): 225 yards

I also used a small amount of #4 aran weight stash yarn for the white surface-stitched lines around the basket, and about 30 yards of the same yarn to wrap around the basket handle.

Hooks: H (5.0mm) and G/7 (4.25-4.50mm)

Gauge: Your first 6 rounds should measure 2.75″ across.

You’ll also need: Heavy duty plastic canvas

Terms and Abbreviations:
MC (magic circle – view tutorial here)
ST/STS (stitch/stitches)
SL ST (slip stitch)
CH (chain)
HDC (half double crochet)
3rd Loop (see Special Stitches)
CSC (crossed single crochet; see Special Stitches)

Special Stitches:

Crossed Single Crochet (CSC): Insert your hook, yarn under*, draw yarn through stitch (2 loops on hook), yarn over, draw through both loops. (*This is the only difference between a crossed single crochet and a standard single crochet, for which you would yarn over after inserting your hook.)

3rd Loop: The 3rd loop can be found just below the front loop on the side of the work that is facing you. When instructed to work in “3rd loop only”, insert your hook into this loop from the bottom.

Notes:
(1) This pattern is written in American Standard Terms.
(2) Much of the pattern is worked double-stranded.
(3) When instructed to “join”, join with a SL ST to the top of the first ST of the round.
(4) The pattern uses the Crossed Single Crochet stitch, but could also be made with standard SC.

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PATTERN

To Begin: With larger hook and COLOR A double stranded, make a magic circle; CH1 (does not count as a stitch).

Round 1: 6CSC in MC. Join. (6)

Round 2: CH1, turn. 2CSC in each ST around. Join. (12)

Round 3: CH1, turn. (2CSC in next ST, CSC in next ST) around. Join. (18)

Round 4: CH1, turn. (2CSC in next ST, CSC in each of the next 2 STS) around. Join. (24)

Round 5: CH1, turn. (2CSC in next ST, CSC in each of the next 3 STS) around. Join. (30)

Round 6: CH1, turn. (2CSC in next ST, CSC in each of the next 4 STS) around. Join. (36)

Round 7: CH1, turn. (2CSC in next ST, CSC in each of the next 5 STS) around. Join. (42)

Round 8: CH1, turn. (2CSC in next ST, CSC in each of the next 6 STS) around. Join. (48)

Round 9: CH1, turn. (2CSC in next ST, CSC in each of the next 7 STS) around. Join. (54)

Round 10: CH1, turn. (2CSC in next ST, CSC in each of the next 8 STS) around. Join. (60)

Round 11: CH1, turn. (2CSC in next ST, CSC in each of the next 9 STS) around. Join. (66)

Round 12: CH1, turn. (2CSC in next ST, CSC in each of the next 10 STS) around. Join. (72)

Round 13: CH1, turn. (2CSC in next ST, CSC in each of the next 11 STS) around. Join. (78)

Round 14: CH1, turn. (2CSC in next ST, CSC in each of the next 12 STS) around. Join. (84)

Round 15: CH1, turn. (2CSC in next ST, CSC in each of the next 13 STS) around. Join. (90)

Round 16: CH1, turn. (2CSC in next ST, CSC in each of the next 14 STS) around. Join. (96)

Rounds 17-20: CH1, turn. CSC in each ST around. Join. (96)

Attach COLOR B double stranded. Fasten off COLOR A.

Rounds 21-24: CH1, turn. CSC in each ST around. Join. (96)

Attach COLOR C double stranded. Fasten off COLOR B.

Rounds 25-28: CH1, turn. CSC in each ST around. Join. (96)

Attach COLOR A double stranded. Fasten off COLOR C.

Round 29: CH1, turn. CSC in each ST around. Join. (96)

Round 30: CH1, turn. HDC in each ST around. Join. (96)

Switch to smaller hook.

Round 31: CH1, turn. CSC in 3rd loop only of each St around. Join. (96)

Round 32: CH1, turn. CSC in each ST around. Join. (96)

Attach COLOR B double stranded. Fasten off COLOR A.

Rounds 33-46 (or until last round reaches bottom of basket when folded down inside): CH1, turn. CSC in each ST around. Join. (96)

Fasten off; weave in all ends.

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Adding White Lines with Surface Crochet (Optional)

With larger hook and white #4 aran weight yarn (single-stranded), and beginning at the seam, use the surface crochet technique to slip stitch 4 white lines around the basket, along the lines where two colors meet. Fasten off and weave in ends. B. Hooked Crochet has a great video on how to do this technique if you have never done it before.

Once you’ve done this, here’s what your basket should look like when unfolded:

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Adding Plastic Canvas

Cut across your plastic canvas to make strips that are the same height as the inner layer of the basket. Set your basket so that it is completely unfolded. Roll up a strip of canvas and insert it into the bottom of the basket, allowing it to expand up against the walls of the basket. Continue adding as many layers as you want to make it as stiff as you want. Fold the inside layer down over the canvas. Work the fabric until it all lays neat and flat.

 

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Adding a Handle

Cut two more long strips of plastic canvas, this time only about 6 squares wide. Hold the strips together (layered one on top of the other) and use your white aran weight yarn to cover them using either a simple wrap-around, or a woven look (as I did). For my strap, I attached 6 very long strands of yarn to the top row of squares so that I had 12 long strands to work with (we’re talking a few yards long). I divided them in half and very carefully layered them over the canvas and each other, over and over down the canvas, similar to a braiding motion. I was careful to smooth out the yarn each time so it laid nice and flat and covered the most ground. When I got to the ends, I superglued everything in place and cut off the excess. Once I was done I superglued the handles to the inside of the basket.

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You’re done!

I hope you enjoyed this pattern. If you’re sharing your easter basket on social media, be sure to use hashtag #classiceasterbasket and tag me @yarnandchai.design!