The Fall Apple Basket is a quick and fun project to make. With small textured decorative elements it gives a great opportunity to master front post stitches. And it’s suitable for Intermediate (or Adventurous Beginner) crocheters. Made in different color palettes this basket will become a bright interior accessory in your kitchen or bathroom. The size of this basket is very easy to adjust but please note that your yardages will differ.

Yarn

Yarn in 4 colors. I used Soft Fun by Scheepjes in shades 2531 (42g), 2466 (9g), 2493 (17g), 2449 (9g)

Color Key:  

• C1 – Green (2531)
• C2 – Pale Pink (2466)
• C3 – Dark Purple (2493)
• C4 – Orange (2449)

Hook

Crochet hook 5.5 mm (I) or size needed to obtain acceptable gauge. (Please, feel free to choose another yarn weight and the appropriate hook to get larger or smaller basket).

Notions

Scissors

Tapestry needle to weave in ends.

Size

The size of the finished basket depends on the yarn and hook you use, and you can easily adjust it. My basket is approx. 9.5″ in circumference (24cm) — 6″ (15cm) wide across the bottom — and 4″ (10cm) high.

Gauge

Abbreviations

Please see our Standard Crochet Abbreviations

Important Notes

• Work with 2 strands of Soft Fun for the entire pattern.
• The bottom of the basket is crocheted in one continuous spiral. Please do not join rounds here. Use a stitch marker to mark the last stitch of every round and move it to the last stitch of the next round as you progress.
• The side of the basket is crocheted in rounds and they are joined with a ss.

Needle join

Some rounds are finished with a needle join (NJ). I use a hook instead of a needle to join.

• Fasten yarn off leaving a long tail approx. 10 cm (4 inches). Insert hook under “V” (both loops) of the indicated st from the back to front, yo the yarn tail and pull it through lps.
• Insert hook under BL of the last stitch of the last Rnd from back to front, yo the yarn tail and pull it through BL.

If you use this technique, you give the chain stitch at the beginning of the round its BL and FL. Weave in the end and clip it close to the surface of the piece. Please, read more information about the needle join and weaving in yarn tails as-you-go.

How to crochet the basket

Bottom

Remember, these are worked as a continuous spiral and are NOT joined

Rnd 1: Start with C1. Make magic ring, ch1 (does not count as st) and 6 sc in magic ring. (6 sts)

Rnd 2: 2sc in each st around. (12 sts)

Rnd 3: (1sc in next st, 2sc in next st) x 6 times. (18 sts)

Rnd 4: (2sc, 2sc in next st) x 6 times. (24 sts)

Rnd 5: (1sc, 2sc in next st, 2sc) x 6 times. (30 sts)

Rnd 6: (4sc, 2sc in next st) x 6 times. (36 sts)

Rnd 7: (2sc, 2sc in next st, 3sc) x 6 times. (42 sts)

Rnd 8: (6sc, 2sc in next st) x 6 times. (48 sts)

Rnd 9: (3sc, 2sc in next st, 4sc) x 6 times. (54 sts)

Rnd 10: (8sc, 2sc in next st) x 6 times. (60 sts)

Rnd 11: (4sc, 2sc in next st, 5sc) x 6 times. (66 sts)

Rnd 12: (10sc, 2sc in next st) x 6 times. (72 sts)

If you want to make the bottom larger, please, continue crocheting in a continuous spiral with 6 even increases per round.

Sides

Rnd 13 (turning rnd): Work in BLO. Sc in every st around; join with ss in 1^st sc. (72 sts)

Rnd 14: Work this and next rnds through both lps.

Ch2 (does not count as st), dc in same st as join, dc in every st around; join with ss in 1^st dc. (72 sts)

Rnd 15: Ch1 (does not count as st), sc in same st as join, sc in every st around; join with ss in 1^st sc. (72 sts)

Rnd 16: Work the same as Rnd 14. After join fasten off.

If you wish to make your basket higher – please, repeat Rnds 15 and 16 before you reach desired height.

Geometric Decoration

For geometric decoration, attach new yarn by simply pulling a loop of new color in the indicated st and make a ch1/ch2, which will count as first sc/dc of the rnd (unless otherwise stated in the pattern).

Rnd 17: Change to C2. Attach yarn in any st. Ch1 (counts as st), sc in every st around; NJ in 1^st sc of the rnd after the ch1. (72 sts)

Rnd 18: Change to C3. Attach yarn in any st.

Ch1 (does not count as st), sc in every st around, make last sc in same st where yarn was attached, join with ss in 1^st sc. (72 sts)

Rnd 19: Ch5 (counts as 1^st dc and ch2), skip same st as join and next 2 sts, *dc in next st, ch2, skip 2 sts; repeat from * around; join will ss in 3^rd ch in the beg of the rnd, fasten off. (24 dc and 24 ch-2 sps)

Rnd 20: Change to C4. Attach yarn in any dc.

Note: Make tr’s of this rnd in front of ch-2 sps. You’ll be working a bit of surface crochet. Don’t worry – it’s not hard and we’ve given you pics to walk you through it.

*1sc in dc of Rnd 19 (1^st sc will be ch1), 1tr in each of 2 unworked sts of Rnd 18 below, skip ch-2 sp; repeat from * around; NJ in 1^st tr. (72 sts)

Rnd 21: Change to C3. Attach yarn in 1^st tr of any group of 2 tr of Rnd 20.

Note: legs of each FPtr2tog are made around dc’s of Rnd 19 lying to the right and to the left. After this rnd every dc of Rnd 19 will be covered with 2 legs of neighboring FPtr2tog’s.

*1sc (1^st sc is ch1), FPtr2tog, skip tr of Rnd 20, 1sc in next st; repeat from * around; NJ in 1^st FPtr2tog.

Rnd 22: As Rnd 17 with C2.

Edge

Rnd 23: As Rnd 17 with C1; join with ss in 1^st sc and don’t fasten off.

Rnd 24: Ch1, crochet with crab stitch (reverse sc) around. Ss in 1^st st to join. Fasten off.

Weave in all yarn tails.