Crochet laundry basket - free pattern

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Materials required:

• Medium worsted weight yarn approximately 6 skeins of variegated yarn and 4 skeins in red
• 6 mm crochet hook
• corrugated cardboard sheet for lining
• Yarn needle

Size:

The basket has a diameter of about 14 inches and height of 16 inches

Stitches/Abbreviations Used:

[ ] - Repeat instructions between brackets as a set as many times as directed

st/sts - stitch/stitches

sl st - slip stitch

sc - single crochet 

dc - double crochet

dc2tog - double crochet worked together in 2 consecutive stitches (dc decrease)

fpdc - front post double crochet

bpdc - back post double crochet

Instruction

Base

Work using 2 strands of the varigated yarn holding them together 

Round 1: Make a magic ring, ch 3 (counts as 1st dc), 11 dc into ring. Join with a sl st to the top of ch 3.  (12 sts)

Round 2: Ch 3, dc in same st, 2 dc in each st around. Join with a sl st to the top of ch 3.  (24 sts)

Round 3: Ch 3, 2 dc in next st, repeat [dc in next st, 2 dc in next st] around. Join.  (36 sts)

Round 4: Ch 3, dc in next st, 2 dc in next st, repeat [dc in next 2 sts, 2 dc in next st] around. Join.  (48 sts)

Round 5: Ch 3, dc in next 2 sts, 2 dc in next st, repeat [dc in next 3 sts, 2 dc in next st] around. Join.  (60 sts)

Round 6: Ch 3, dc in next 3 sts, 2 dc in next st, repeat [dc in next 4 sts, 2 dc in next st] around. Join.  (72 sts)

Round 7: Ch 3, dc in next 4 sts, 2 dc in next st, repeat [dc in next 5 sts, 2 dc in next st] around. Join.  (84 sts)

Round 8: Ch 3, dc in next 5 sts, 2 dc in next st, repeat [dc in next 6 sts, 2 dc in next st] around. Join.  (96 sts)

Round 9: Ch 3, dc in next 6 sts, 2 dc in next st, repeat [dc in next 7 sts, 2 dc in next st] around. Join.  (108 sts)

Round 10: Ch 3, dc in next 7 sts, 2 dc in next st, repeat [dc in next 8 sts, 2 dc in next st] around. Join.  (120 sts)

Round 11: Ch 3, dc in each st around. Join.  (120 sts)

Side

Note: I used 2 strands of the varigated yarn for 1/3rd height of the basket, then I used one strand of variegated yarn and 1 strand of red for the 2nd part and 2 strands of red for the 3rd part. 

Round 12: Ch 1 (does not count as a st), repeat [fpdc in next st, bpdc in next st] around. Join with a sl st to the 1st fpdc. 

Round 13: Ch 1 (does not count as a st), repeat [fpdc in next fpdc, bpdc in next bpdc] around. Join with a sl st to the 1st fpdc. 

Repeat round 13 until the height is about 15 to 15.5 inches not including the base. 

Next round: Ch 1, sc in each st around.

Repeat the round 4 more times. Fasten off and weave in all the loose ends.

Cut out a circle from the carboard to fit the base. Then cut out a rectangle piece to go around the circle. You may or may not glue the rectangular pieces to the circle cardboard base. Insert into the basket.    

Lid

Note: Cut out a circle of cardboard measuring the diameter of the opening of the basket since the diameter at the top might vary from the bottom after placing the cardboard lining. I needed 1 inch less. 

Then I crocheted a circle using sc sts starting with 8 sc in the 1st round and increasing each round in multiples of 8 up to 18 rounds. In the 18th round there were 144 sts. Then I worked 1 sc in each st. 

Reducing rounds

Round 1 (work into the back loops only): Ch 3, dc in next 2 sts, dc2tog, repeat [dc in next 3 sts, dc2tog] around. 

Round 2: Ch 3, dc in next st, dc2tog, repeat [dc in next 2 sts, dc2tog] around. 

Round 2: Ch 3, dc2tog, repeat [dc in next st, dc2tog] around. Fasten off and weave in the loose ends.

Insert the circle of cardboard and sew a button at the center of the lid.