Crochet: Basket weave pattern

The basket weave pattern consists of horizontal and vertical blocks.  You can vary the number of stitches in each block. I have made each block 4 stitches across and 3 rows deep (it appears to have 4 vertical lines and 3 horizontal lines).  Like me I know many of you might be quite apprehensive to try this pattern initially.  But it is not at all as complicated as it appears to be.  Normally we work on the top of a stitch but in this pattern we are going to work around the stitch. We call each stitch a post.

We work around the post by inserting the hook from back to front and front to back to produce the horizontal and vertical patterns. I have tried to explain it as best as I could through these pictures.

First to make the vertical blocks.

1. Wind the yarn around the hook.

2. Insert the hook between the first and second posts from front to back.

3. Wind yarn around the hook and draw the yarn through.

4. Now you have three loops on the hook.

5. Wind yarn around hook and draw through the first two loops and you have two loops on the hook now.

6. Draw the yarn through the remaining two loops and you have made one stitch.

7. Make three more stitches and you have the first row of a vertical block.

Now for the horizontal block

1. Wind yarn around the hook.

2. Take the hook behind the fabric.

3. Insert hook from back to front between the posts.

4. Take the hook around the post to the back of the fabric.

5. Wind yarn around the hook and draw it through the posts.

6. Now you have three loops on the hook. Yarn around hook and draw through two loops.

7. Again draw through the remaining two loops.

8. Now you have made one horizontal stitch.

9. Make three more stitches and you have the first row of the horizontal block.

While doing the bag, continue working in the above-mentioned manner till the end of the row. Make two more rows to form alternating vertical and horizontal blocks. For the fourth row you have to reverse the sequence, i.e., form vertical blocks at the top of the horizontal blocks and horizontal blocks at the top of the vertical blocks. This way you form a basket weave pattern.

I hope the instructions were clear enough.