Crochet a sturdy jute basket—a fresh spin on the classic birch-bark basket
This sturdy crocheted basket is made from thick jute twine. A piece of matting slipped between the double walls adds structure. The generously sized basket is perfect for storing yarn, magazines, or a throw blanket. It also makes a fun present: tuck in a plant or a food gift.
Size: Diameter 38 cm (15"), height 25 cm (10").
Gauge: 9 sts and 10 rnds = 10 cm (4").
Crocheted jute basket—supplies:
- 1.5 kg beige thick jute twine (100 % jute, 500 g ≈ 255 m)
- 20 m beige thin jute twine (100 % jute, 20 m/roll)
- 5.5 mm crochet hook or size needed to obtain gauge
- 100 × 120 cm piece of Quick dirt-trapper mat (75 % polypropylene, 25 % polyester) or a 120 × 25 cm strip of vinyl flooring
- wide packing tape
- a long, sharp needle.
Crocheted jute basket—pattern:
Start by making the basket’s round base. Make a magic ring around your finger.
Rnd 1: Ch 1, 8 sc into the ring, sl st in the first ch to close the rnd. Close every rnd in the same way.
Rnd 2: Ch 1 + 2 sc in the same st, 2 sc in each st around, sl st to first ch—16 sts.
Rnd 3: Ch 1 + 1 sc in same st, *2 sc in next st, 1 sc in next st*; repeat from * to * around, end with 2 sc in last st, sl st to first ch—24 sts. Begin each rnd in the same way.
Rnd 4: Ch 1 + 1 sc, *2 sc in next st, 1 sc in each of next 2 sts*; repeat from * to * to end of rnd—32 sts.
Rnd 5: Ch 1 + 1 sc, 31 sc—32 sts.
Rnd 6: Ch 1 + 1 sc, 2 sc, *2 sc in next st, 1 sc in each of next 3 sts*; repeat from * to * around, finish with 2 sc in last st—40 sts.
Rnd 7: Ch 1 + 1 sc, 1 sc, *2 sc in next st, 1 sc in each of next 4 sts*; repeat from * to * and finish with 2 sc—48 sts.
Rnd 8: Ch 1 + 1 sc, 47 sc—48 sts.
Rnd 9: Ch 1 + 1 sc, 5 sc, *2 sc in next st, 1 sc in each of next 5 sts*; repeat from * to * and finish with 4 sc—56 sts.
Rnd 10: Ch 1 + 1 sc, 5 sc, *2 sc in next st, 1 sc in each of next 6 sts*; repeat from * to * and finish with 1 sc—64 sts.
Rnd 11: Ch 1 + 1 sc, 2 sc, *2 sc in next st, 1 sc in each of next 7 sts*; repeat from * to * and finish with 4 sc—72 sts.
Rnd 12: Ch 1 + 1 sc, *2 sc in next st, 1 sc in each of next 8 sts*; repeat from * to * around, finish with 7 sc—80 sts.
Rnd 13: Ch 1 + 1 sc, 5 sc, *2 sc in next st, 1 sc in each of next 9 sts*; repeat from * to * and finish with 3 sc—88 sts.
Rnd 14: Ch 1 + 1 sc, 87 sc—88 sts.
Rnd 15: Ch 1 + 1 sc, 1 sc, *2 sc in next st, 1 sc in each of next 10 sts*; repeat from * to * and finish with 8 sc—96 sts.
Rnd 16: Ch 1 + 1 sc, 8 sc, *2 sc in next st, 1 sc in each of next 11 sts*; repeat from * to * and finish with 2 sc—104 sts.
Rnd 17: Ch 1 + 1 sc, 3 sc, *2 sc in next st, 1 sc in each of next 12 sts*; repeat from * to * and finish with 12 sc—112 sts.
Rnd 18: Ch 1 + 1 sc, 111 sc, sl st in first ch, ch 1 to turn—112 sts.
Rnd 19: Working in the opposite direction, crochet 112 sc—the right side of the base faces the inside of the basket. Join with a sl st and start the side walls. You will start by crocheting fourteen 8-st blocks.
Basket wall
Rnds 1–8: Ch 1 + 1 sc in same st, 7 sc, *8 sc in back loops only, 8 sc through both loops*; repeat from * to * 6 more times, finish with 8 sc in back loops only—14 blocks.
Rnds 9–16: Ch 1 + 1 sc in back loop of same st, 7 sc in back loops, *8 sc through both loops, 8 sc in back loops*; repeat from * to * 6 more times, 8 sc. Repeat Rnds 1–16 two more times—6 rows of blocks.
Handles
Ch 31 for the foundation chain.
Rnd 1: 2 sc in 2nd ch from hook (loop on hook doesn’t count), 28 sc, 3 sc in last ch. Working along the opposite side of the chain, make 28 sc and 1 sc in the 2nd ch, sl st to first ch. Each end now has 3 sc.
Rnd 2: Ch 1, 2 sc in each of next 2 sts, 28 sc, 2 sc in each of next 3 sts, 28 sc, 2 sc in next st, sl st to first ch.
Rnd 3: Sl st in next 6 sts, fold the edges of the handle together and join the matching sts with 23 sl sts through the outer loops only. Fasten off, leaving a 20 cm (8") tail for sewing. Weave in the starting tail. Make a second handle in the same way.
Finishing
Measure the circumference of the base and the height of the finished basket, then cut a strip of matting to those dimensions (the basket shown uses a 114 × 24 cm piece – 45" × 9½"). Tape the shorter sides of the strip firmly together and place the ring inside the basket. Fold half of the basket wall to the inside and sew the edge to the last rnd of the base with the thin twine. Pin the handles to opposite sides of the basket’s interior and sew the ends through all layers.
Yarn and pattern inquiries: Lappajärven Värjäämö Oy, www.lappajarvenvarjaamo.fi
