Fall Perfectly Pumpkin Crochet Basket - Free Pattern

Perfectly Pumpkin Fall Basket

My mother was in town recently and we took are usual pilgrimage to JoAnn's to oogle over yarn. I have her to blame for my crochet hobby and subsequent yarn addition. Lucky for us JoAnn's was have a clearance sale on some of their yarn! Many things had been picked over, but I was able to get five skeins of pumpkin colored yarn which gave way to a Fall inspiration.

This summer I learned how to crochet a basket which has been handy -- I made two! But I realized when making the baskets it would be really fun to make one to hold Halloween candy this Fall. It seems like every Halloween I buy tons of candy, but never really have a good candy bowl with which to distribute the candy. So why not make one?!

When I saw the pumpkin colored yarn I knew I had to have it - and it was 50% off the original price!  (All said and done this basket cost me under $10.) Now there is a difference with this yarn than others I used to make baskets: it's the bulky yarn. This particular yarn is Wool Ease Chunky by Lion Brand. It yielded a color hard to photograph, but a very nice basket!

After making the basket I was going to use black yarn and stitch a Halloween pumpkin face on it, but the more I thought about it the cheesier it was looking in my mind. So why not a little embellishment? So I made a leaf and corkscrew which almost looks like a pinecone!

I have written out the pattern along with the little embellishments I made for it below.

Apples! In a pumpkin basket! Cute!

Fall Perfectly Pumpkin Crochet Basket
Yarn: A chunky pumpkin colored yarn - 2 skeins will do. I used Lion Brand Yarn Wool-Ease Chunky yarn in Pumpkin.
You will also need a little bit of green and brown for the embellishments. I had scrap yarn on hand so I just used what I had.
Hook: The hook it calls for is a K or a 6.50mm, but to make the basket you want a tight stitch so I went down to an I or 5.50mm hook.
Pattern notes: So not only are you going with a smaller hook, but you are also going to hold two strands at once. It can be tiresome on the hands, but using two strands is what makes it stiff. Yes, you are decreasing your hook size AND using two strands at once - this will yield a sturdy basket, but it can be troublesome on the hands. Take breaks! Here's a picture of what I mean you have to use two strands at once:



Working with two stands means two skeins as well!

Pattern:To begin chain four, and then make a ring by slip stitching into the first chain you made. Chain three (this does not count as a double crochet).
Round 1: In the ring you made do ten double crochets. When you've made the last double crochet, slip stitch into the top of the first double crochet for that round. This technique will make a nearly invisible seam. Chain three to start the next row.
Round 2: Do two double crochets into the same stitch as the chain three, then do two double crochets into every stitch after that. You should now have twenty double crochets. Slip stitch into the top of the first double crochet. Chain three and now begins a new "rhythm" to the pattern.
Round 3: Do two double crochets in the same stitch as the chain three, one double crochet in the next stitch, two double crochets in the third, one double crochets in the fourth, two double crochets in the fifth, etc. Repeat this process all the way around, you should now have thirty stitches. Slip stitch into the top of the first double crochet. Chain three.
Round 4: Two double crochets in the same stitch as the chain three, one double crochet in each of the next two stitches, two double crochets in the next stitch, one double crochet in each of the next two stitches, etc. Repeat till all the way around. Slip stitch into the top of the first double crochet. Chain three.
Round 5: Two double crochets in the same stitch as the chain three, one double crochet in each of the next three stitches, two double crochets in the next stitch, one double crochet in each of the next three stitches, etc. Repeat till all the way around. Slip stitch into the top of the first double crochet. Chain three.
Round 6: Two double crochets in the same stitch as the chain three, one double crochet in each of the next four stitches, two double crochets in the next stitch, one double crochet in each of the next four stitches, etc. Repeat till all the way around. Slip stitch into the top of the first double crochet. Chain three.
Round 7: Two double crochets in the same stitch as the chain three, one double crochet in each of the next five stitches, two double crochets in the next stitch, one double crochet in each of the next five stitches, etc. Repeat till all the way around. Slip stitch into the top of the first double crochet. Chain three.
Round 8: Now you are finished making the bottom of your basket and it's time to make the sides. The stitch you are going to do is called a back post stitch where you actually crochet around the post of a double crochet. Here is a link to a tutorial on how to do this. It's a really neat stitch actually! If that tutorial doesn't work just search for double crochet back post stitch. Back to the pattern! Do a double crochet back post stitch in the same stitch as the chain two, then do the double crochet back post stitch all the way around. You hand might get tired! Once you've gone all the way around slip stitch into the top of first double crochet and chain three.
Round 9-12: From here on out the usual double crochet in each stitch with continue along with slip stitching into the top of the first double crochet and chaining three. You will do this for the next four rounds before it'll get interesting. And if your basket doesn't look quite right just give it a few rounds to take shape.
Round 13: This round we will create the handles. To do this do a double crochet in the next thirteen stitches, then skip the next nine stitches and instead chain eleven (this is the beginning of your handle). After skipping nine stitches do a double crochet in the next twenty six stitches. Here is the next handle, skip nine stitches and chain eleven. To finish off the round do a double crochet in the next thirteen stitches, slip stitch into the top of the first double crochet and chain three.
Round 14: Last round! Double crochet into each stitch include the chain eleven from the previous round. This will create good sturdy handles.

Here's a close up of the handles:

Embellishments:
Like I said earlier I debated putting a cute Halloween face on the basket, but I instead decided a little green leaf and corkscrew might look nice. Here are the patterns. Before you do any of these though I'd like to recommend to keep a long tail so that you have something to sew with when you attach to the basket.
Leaf:
Chain 14. In the second chain from the hook do one single crochet, in the next stitch do a half double crochet, then in the next three stitches do a double crochet in each. Then in the next three stitches do a triple crochet in each. Next you will reflect what you just did. Double crochet in the next three stitches, half double crochet in the next stitch and single crochet in the last.
Then you will chain three to make a bit of a stem. Slip stitch in to the third single crochet from your hook - this makes the tip of the leaf.
You just made one side of the leaf with the foundation chain representing the middle of the leaf. For the next part you will make the other half of the leaf which is a reflection of what you just did.
So working into the other side of your foundation chain single crochet in the first stitch of the chain, double crochet into the next one, then one double crochet in the next three stitches, triple crochet in the next three stitches, double crochet in the next three stitches, half double crochet in the next stitch, and then finally a single crochet in the last stitch. Fasten off and you have your leaf.
Corkscrew:
These are super easy! Just chain however long you want it to be - I did 25 because it seemed like a nice number. Then do two double crochet into the fourth chain from the hook. Then in every chain after that do three double crochets till you reach the end. Leave this tail long do you can use it to sew into the basket.
Sewing on the embellishments:
I used the long tails from the stem of the leaf and the corkscrew with a yarn needle to connect them to each other and then connected it to the basket. The leaf kept on rolling up on me so I took another strand of the green and sewed through the middle of the leaf onto the basket so it would hold. There's really no right or wrong way to do all this, just experiment and know that you can always rip it out if it doesn't work.

Here's a close up of the embellishments. I tried to rotate the photo, but technology is not being my friend.



Leaf and corkscrew. The green color did not photograph well, but I promise you it's a pretty color!

Now you should have a lovely fall basket! What shall you use it for? A centerpiece for fruit on your dining room table? A festive catch-all for the season? Fill it with pinecones, pumpkins, and other seasonal goodies? Or Halloween candy like I will?! The possibilities are endless!

If you have any questions just let them in the comments!