Free Beginners Chunky Single Crochet Basket Pattern + Tutorial

What a better way to store your yarn than in a chunky crochet storage basket! I love making things with my yarn that I can use around my home, like this free chunky single crochet basket pattern! Using Lion Brand Wool Ease Thick and Quick held double to make a jumbo yarn you can crochet this sturdy round quick basket project in no time! That’s the beauty of using super bulky yarns like this one, they make fast projects, talk about instant gratification! Keep scrolling to use the free crochet pattern below that has a gorgeous knit-like look!

Watch the full video tutorial full of lots of easy tips to crochet this chunky storage basket using basic crochet stitches. 

Best Bang for your Buck, get a Kit From Lion Brand includes a printable ad-free pdf pattern and Yarn!
Get a printable pdf crochet pattern on my Etsy Shop or Ravelry!

What Can I Make with Super Bulky Yarn?

You can make blankets, pillows, baskets and even wearables from super bulky yarn! Jumbo Yarn however can get expensive and usually doesn’t have a ton of yardage per skein so a trick that I like to use is to hold super bulky yarn double. Jumbo yarn is best to make smaller items, like this chunky single crochet basket for a budget friendly crochet project!

However, Jumbo Yarns are not always the easiest to find, get discontinued (like Wool-Ease WOW) and do not always have a ton of different colors available. My original Chunky Single Crochet Basket was designed with Wool-Ease WOW and so many of you have been looking for a substitute yarn! Well here it is, Wool-Ease Thick and Quick held double! More information is below on the modern basket modification!

How Many Skeins of Yarn do I Need for a Basket?

To make a sturdy crochet basket you will need 1 to 3 skeins of super bulky yarn depending on the crochet pattern you use. For this free chunky basket pattern we will be using 2 skeins of Wool Ease Thick and Quick in Color A and 1 Skein of Wool Ease Thick and Quick in Color B. You will be holding two strands of yarn together so we are technically working with a Jumbo Weight Yarn.

What is the Best Yarn to Make a Basket?

A super bulky or jumbo weight yarn is best to crochet a basket, especially a large one. You need the larger, oversized bulky jumbo yarn to be able to create sturdy enough stitches so that your crocheted basket can support itself. Check out some of my free crochet basket patterns and other home decor items!

For smaller baskets, like ones to hold paper clips, hair ties or any small item, thinner yarns like worsted weight will work as long as you use a small enough hook.

Another helpful tip on baskets, double crochet isn’t always the best choice, so when looking for modern crochet storage baskets look for patterns that use something short like single crochet stitches or a single crochet spike stitch. This is what will ensure that large baskets can hold their shape and not flop too easily. 

Is Jumbo Yarn the Same as Chunky?

I see the terms bulky, super bulky and jumbo thrown around and used synonymously a when talking about oversized yarns. But they are actually all different. Bulky is classified as a number 5 weight yarn, super bulky is a number 6 weight yarn and jumbo is a number 7 weight yarn. All three will work well for a basket you will just need to adjust to a larger or smaller hook depending on which you choose. It would be best to make smaller baskets with bulky and the biggest baskets with jumbo. Super bulky is a nice happy medium for your basket crochet projects.

Bonus! It Almost Looks knit!

Don’t you sometimes feel like crochet doesn’t get the credit it deserves? While I have been yearning to knit because I have come across SO many beautiful patterns, I think that crochet is just as beautiful! By working in the round and not turning after each row, this single crochet storage basket has a knit like look to it on the right side (outside) of the basket! Isn’t that just wonderful? Now, when you get a compliment on your “knit” basket, you can say “oh no, THAT is crochet!”

Helpful Pattern Information 

This pattern is an easy skill level pattern and will be a great project for an advanced beginner.

This basket is working in the round from the bottom up creating the base first and then the walls of the basket.

If you do not like to end each round you may work in continuous rounds for this free pattern.

You are working with two strands of yarn held double to create a Jumbo Weight Yarn from Super Bulky Yarn. That means you can mix an match yarns. Maybe you have a skein of Wool-Ease WOW in your stash? Use it with some Wool-Ease Thick and Quick held double to make this simple crochet basket.

Watch the full step by step video tutorial on YouTube that is full of lots of tips along the way including how I create a seamless join. The written pattern in this blog post calls to slip stitch to join to the 1st sc (single crochet) of the round. However, a seamless joint is created differently and explained further below.

You may use and magic ring or magic circle if you prefer that over the starting chain 2 for round1 and create a a flat circle as you normally would for the bottom of the basket. 

When changing colors I like to finish of in the last stitch in the round and then move over and start my next color in the first stitch of the last round to reduce how many ends will be woven in in a small area.

You may also work in a continuous spiral if you do not want to join at the end of your rounds or use my seamless join technique. 

Be creative if you’d like and add some little handles to the top of your basket or even add some surface slip stitching if you have an extra yarn left over. 

I also explain in the video how to divide your skein evenly and wind your yarn in to a center pull ball.

How to Create a Seamless Join

?This pattern calls to slip stitch to join in the first stitch of the round, chain 1 and then singel crochet. While this is fine, you will have a visible seam. 

To create a seamless join you will pull your last loop long on the final stitch of your round, remove your hook, insert your hook from back to front in the black loop of the first stitch of round, pick up the loop you dropped and pull it through. Then keep your loop pulled just a little long so that it will act as your chain 1 and single crochet in the first stitch using both loops. 

This is where the stitch marker will come in handy because sometimes this technique can make finding that first stitch difficult.

Materials

• Size 15.00 mm crochet hook
• Oversized Stitch Marker (Optional)                                             
• #6 Super Bulky Wt. Yarn
  Color A – 212 Yards (held double so working yarn is 106 Yards)
  Color B – 106 Yards
• Sample Made Using:
  Lion Brand Wool-Ease® Thick & Quick Yarn  
  2 Skeins – Color A – Butterscotch [640-189A]
  1 Skein – Color B – Fisherman [640-099]

Gauge

While you dot have to worry about this item needing to “fit” you should be mindful of your gauge. If your gauge is too loose you could end up with a floppy basket. Thats not always a bad thing but if it’s not full enough it may fall into itself. 

The gauge for this project is the first 3 rounds is 5 inches in diameter.

I know that crocheting too tight hurts my hands, but if you want your sturdy crochet round basket more durable try going down a hook size! That will tighten up your stitches to make a stronger material!

Something else that is great about this crochet storage basket is that you can easily use a different yarn and hook to make a different size basket! How cool is that? I would recommend going down a hook size maybe even two sizes that is recommended on the yarn you would like to use for this project! Then just follow the instructions below with your chosen hook and yarn!

Stitch Descriptions and Abbreviations

• Chain Stitch – ch
• Stitch(es) – st(s) 
• Slip Stitch – sl st
• Single Crochet – sc
• Back Loop Only – BLO –Work the specified stitch in the designated Back Loop.

Pattern Notes

• Skill Level: Easy
• Size: 12 Inch Diameter Base by 10 Inches Tall 
• Pattern is worked with yarn HELD DOUBLE. You will have to divide your Color B skein in half before starting that section of your basket.
• * Designates a repeat.  
• “Ch 1” does not count as as stitch. 
• No turns at the end of each Round.
• “sc 1” means to single crochet in the next stitch.
• “sc 2” means to single crochet in each of the next 2 stitches.
• “2 sc” means to single crochet twice in the next stitch to create an increase.
• Watch the YouTube Tutorial for help and to see how I make a Seamless Join!

Crochet Storage Basket Pattern Begins

Starting with Color A held double
Round 1 – Ch 2, 6 sc into 2nd chain from hook, sl st to join. [6 sts]
Round 2 – Ch 1, 2 sc in each st, sl st to join. [12 sts]
Round 3 – Ch 1, *sc 1, 2 sc in next st, repeat from* to end, sl st to join.[18 sts]
Round 4 – Ch 1, *sc 2, 2 sc in next st, repeat from* to end, sl st to join. [24 sts]
Round 5 – Ch 1, *sc 3, 2 sc in next st, repeat from* to end, sl st to join. [30 sts]
Round 6 – Ch 1, *sc 4 , 2 sc in next st, repeat from* to end, sl st to join. [36 sts]

Round 7 – Ch 1, *sc 5, 2 sc in next st, repeat from* to end, sl st to join. [42 sts]

Round 8 – Ch 1, *sc 6, 2 sc in next st, repeat from* to end, sl st to join. [48 sts]
Round 9 – Ch 1, sc BLO in every stitch around, sl st to join. [48]
Round 10 to 16 – Ch 1, sc in every stitch around, sl st to join. [48]
Switch to Color B held double

Round 17 to 22 – Ch 1, sc in every stitch around, sl st to join, finish off. [48]