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Round storage basket with crochet pumpkin appliques

A single crochet (UK double crochet) basket with pumpkin appliques; both US and UK stitch names given throughout.

Round storage basket with crochet pumpkin appliques
Skill
Intermediate
Time
4-6 hours
Yarn weight
Worsted
Hook
4.0 mm

Intermediate

What the original write-up called it. Nothing here is graded again.

Worsted

What the sample was worked in. Any weight works; the size moves with it.

4-6 hours

What the original page reckoned. Your own pace is the one that matters.

About this pattern

This is a round storage basket worked in single crochet (UK double crochet) from cotton yarn, built bottom-up from a flat circular base into straight sides finished with a reverse single crochet border. Small orange pumpkin appliques with brown stems decorate the exterior. The project needs a 4.0mm hook, roughly 220 yards of cotton across three colours, and confidence with increases, decreases, and joined rounds.

The Rustic Pumpkin Storage Basket belongs to the single crochet (UK double crochet) family, the dense, firm stitch most basketmakers turn to for anything that needs to hold its own shape without a frame. Worked in cotton, the fabric builds up tightly round by round, leaving little room for stretch or sag, which is exactly what an unlined basket needs. The small pumpkin appliques sit in the same stitch family, scaled down and shaped through increases and decreases rather than straight rows.

Construction starts at the centre of the base with a magic ring, then grows outward through seven rounds of evenly placed increases until the flat circle reaches its full diameter. From round eight, the stitch count holds steady and the fabric turns upward to form the walls, worked through the back loop only on the transition round to sharpen the corner where base meets side. A reverse single crochet border finishes the top edge, and the appliques are worked separately before being attached to the exterior.

Materials

  • Medium weight cotton yarn in beige or natural color: approximately 170 yards (155 meters)
  • Orange cotton yarn for pumpkin appliques: approximately 35 yards (32 meters)
  • Brown cotton yarn for stems: approximately 15 yards (14 meters)
  • 4.0 mm crochet hook (US G/6)
  • Yarn needle
  • Scissors
  • Stitch marker

The list is the pattern's own wording.

Instructions

Every round is printed as the pattern wrote it, brackets and all. Open the key beside a round to see only the short forms that round uses.

Basket Base

The basket is worked from the bottom upward in joined rounds. Turning chains do not count as stitches. Join each round with a slip stitch into the first single crochet unless instructed otherwise.

  1. Round 1

    Make a magic ring. Work 6 sc into the ring. Join with sl st. (6 sts)

    Key3
    sl st
    slip stitch
    sc
    single crochet
    st
    stitch
  2. Round 2

    Ch 1. Work 2 sc in each stitch around. Join. (12 sts)

    Key2
    ch
    chain
    sc
    single crochet
  3. Round 3

    Ch 1. *Sc in next stitch, inc in next stitch.* Repeat around. Join. (18 sts)

    Key3
    inc
    increase, 2 sc in one stitch
    ch
    chain
    sc
    single crochet
  4. Round 4

    Ch 1. *Sc in next 2 stitches, inc in next stitch.* Repeat around. Join. (24 sts)

    Key3
    inc
    increase, 2 sc in one stitch
    ch
    chain
    sc
    single crochet
  5. Round 5

    Ch 1. *Sc in next 3 stitches, inc in next stitch.* Repeat around. Join. (30 sts)

    Key3
    inc
    increase, 2 sc in one stitch
    ch
    chain
    sc
    single crochet
  6. Round 6

    Ch 1. *Sc in next 4 stitches, inc in next stitch.* Repeat around. Join. (36 sts)

    Key3
    inc
    increase, 2 sc in one stitch
    ch
    chain
    sc
    single crochet
  7. Round 7

    Ch 1. *Sc in next 5 stitches, inc in next stitch.* Repeat around. Join. (42 sts)

    Key3
    inc
    increase, 2 sc in one stitch
    ch
    chain
    sc
    single crochet

Crochet Pumpkin Applique

  1. Round 1

    With orange yarn, make a magic ring and work 8 sc into the ring. Join. (8 sts)

    Key1
    sc
    single crochet
  2. Round 2

    Ch 1. Work 2 sc in each stitch around. Join. (16 sts)

    Key2
    ch
    chain
    sc
    single crochet
  3. Round 3

    Ch 1. *Sc in next stitch, 2 sc in next stitch.* Repeat around. Join. (24 sts)

    Key2
    ch
    chain
    sc
    single crochet
  4. Round 4

    Ch 1. Work sc around. Join. (24 sts)

    Key2
    ch
    chain
    sc
    single crochet
  5. Round 5

    Ch 1. *Sc2tog, sc in next stitch.* Repeat around. Join. (16 sts)

    Key2
    ch
    chain
    sc
    single crochet
  6. Round 6

    Ch 1. Sc2tog around. Join. (8 sts)Fasten off and leave a long tail for sewing.

    Key1
    ch
    chain

Basket Walls

  1. Round 8

    Ch 1. Work sc in each stitch around through the back loop only. Join. (42 sts)

    Key2
    ch
    chain
    sc
    single crochet
  2. Rounds 9–20

    Ch 1. Work sc in each stitch around. Join after each round. (42 sts)

    Key2
    ch
    chain
    sc
    single crochet
  3. Round 21

    Ch 1. Work reverse single crochet around the top edge for a finished border. Join and fasten off.

    Key1
    ch
    chain

Pumpkin Stem

Using brown yarn, chain 5. Starting in the second chain from the hook, work 4 slip stitches. Fasten off and sew the stem onto the top center of each pumpkin applique.

Making up

  1. Step 1Arrange pumpkin appliques evenly around the outside of the basket.
  2. Step 2Use orange yarn tails and a yarn needle to sew each pumpkin securely.
  3. Step 3Attach stems above each pumpkin.
  4. Step 4Weave in all loose ends neatly inside the basket.

Notes from the pattern

  • A 4.0mm hook (US G/6) is specified for the main basket body; sizing down slightly can tighten the fabric further for a stiffer finished basket if a looser gauge was used in testing.
  • A stitch marker is useful on every round once the basket moves past the base, since joined rounds make it easy to lose track of the first stitch and miscount the stitch total.
  • The pattern relies on firm, even tension throughout the single crochet rounds; a loose gauge will produce a basket that holds its shape poorly, while cotton's lack of stretch makes tension differences obvious once the walls are standing.
  • Three separate yarn colours are used (beige for the body, orange for the pumpkins, brown for the stems), so ends need to be woven in separately for each applique rather than carried along the body of the basket.
  • Approximately 7 inches wide x 4 inches tall (18 cm x 10 cm).
  • Approximately 18 single crochet stitches x 20 rounds = 4 inches (10 cm).
  • Confident Beginner.
  • The pumpkin basket can be easily adjusted by changing the number of base increase rounds. To make a wider basket, continue increasing the circular base before starting the side walls. Add approximately six stitches per extra increase round to maintain the circular shape.
  • a taller basket, add more straight rounds before finishing the border. For a smaller basket, stop after Round 5 or Round 6 of the base.
  • Use different applique colors to create spring, winter, or everyday storage baskets. Add a fabric lining if you want additional structure and a cleaner interior finish.
  • Always read through the complete pattern before starting. Checking the stitch counts at the end of each round helps prevent shaping problems later.

The essentials

Rounds
16
Parts
4
Level
Intermediate
Time
4-6 hours
Hook
4.0 mm
Yarn
Worsted

Stitches you will use

  • Magic ring foundation Used to start both the basket base and the pumpkin appliques; keep the centre hole tight so the ring doesn't loosen once the first round of increases is worked into it.
  • Increasing and decreasing in the round Shapes the flat base across seven rounds and both the rounded top and tapered bottom of the pumpkin applique; miscounting here is the most common cause of a base that won't lie flat.
  • Reverse single crochet (UK reverse double crochet) Worked on the final round to finish the top edge; stitches are formed moving in the opposite direction to normal, so it helps to practise the motion on scrap yarn before working it directly into the basket.

Troubleshooting

Basket sides leaning outward

If the basket becomes too wide near the top, extra increases may have been added accidentally. The wall section should remain the same stitch count after the base is complete.

Loose basket fabric

Try a smaller hook size or a firmer yarn. Basket projects usually benefit from tighter tension than soft wearable crochet pieces.

Substituting yarn

Acrylic, worsted weight
Produces a lighter, slightly less structured basket with more give in the fabric; the same 4.0mm hook will usually still work, but the walls may need extra shaping by hand once finished.
Cotton-acrylic blend, DK weight
Creates a smaller, more lightweight basket overall; dropping to a 3.5mm hook keeps the fabric dense enough to stand, though yarn amounts will stretch further than the amounts listed.
Wool blend, aran weight
Results in a larger, softer-edged basket with warmer drape and less crispness at the top border; avoid hot washing, since wool blends can felt and distort the carefully shaped walls.

Washing and care

  • After completing the basket, gently shape the sides with your hands. Cotton yarn can be lightly steamed or dampened and shaped to improve the final structure. Allow the basket to dry completely before filling it.
  • cleaning, hand washing with mild soap and cool water is recommended. Reshape while damp and allow the basket to air dry flat.

FAQs

Questions

Can the pumpkin appliques be swapped for a different shape?

Yes, the pattern notes that flowers, hearts, stars, or simple geometric shapes can replace the pumpkins by changing the applique colours and shaping. The same magic ring start and basic increase and decrease structure can be adapted to most small flat or rounded motifs.

What hook size does this pattern use?

The basket body is worked with a 4.0mm hook, listed as US G/6. This size is used throughout the base and walls to keep the single crochet fabric dense enough to stand upright.

How is the base kept from doming or cupping?

The base is shaped across seven rounds with evenly spaced increases, growing from six stitches up through each round in sequence. Keeping the increases evenly distributed, rather than clustered, is what keeps the finished circle flat.

Do the turning chains count as stitches in this pattern?

No, turning chains do not count as stitches anywhere in this pattern. Each round is joined with a slip stitch into the first single crochet unless the instructions state otherwise.

How many pumpkin appliques are needed to decorate the basket?

The pattern parts list one pumpkin applique as a single repeatable unit, worked individually with its own stem. Multiple appliques can be made from this same unit and attached around the exterior as desired.

These answers came from whoever first published the pattern, kept word for word.