Home & Decor
Baskets, cushions, rugs and the pieces that quietly tidy a room.
Home pieces are the most practical thing crochet makes. A basket holds things. A dishcloth washes up and goes in the machine. A potholder stops you burning your hand. None of them has to fit anybody, which makes them forgiving, and most take an evening.
The one rule that runs through the whole section is stiffness. A basket that flops is not a basket. Almost everything here wants a tighter fabric than you would use for a blanket, which means going down a hook size or using a heavier yarn than the pattern suggests.
Storage
Structure is everything. Cotton, tight stitches, and often a doubled strand.
- 16 basket patterns for tidying every room
- 12 plant hanger patterns for trailing plants
Kitchen
The most used crochet in any house, and the fastest to make.
- 18 dishcloth patterns that actually scrub
- 14 potholder patterns thick enough to use
- 15 coaster patterns you can finish in an hour
Soft furnishing
Where colour choice does most of the work.
- 14 pillow patterns to refresh a sofa
- 10 rug patterns sturdy enough for a hallway
- 20 flower patterns for bouquets that never wilt
What to make things from
| Project | Yarn | Hook | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| Basket | Cotton, doubled, or jute | 5.0 mm | Holds its shape when empty |
| Dishcloth | Cotton, worsted | 4.5 mm | Absorbs, washes hot, does not melt |
| Potholder | Cotton, doubled | 4.0 mm | Acrylic melts. This matters. |
| Rug | T-shirt yarn or jute | 9.0 mm | Takes feet, washes, heavy enough to lie flat |
| Cushion cover | Any worsted | 5.0 mm | Nothing touches heat or water |
Never make a potholder or an oven mitt from acrylic. Acrylic is a plastic, it melts rather than chars, and it will melt onto your hand. Cotton, doubled, is the only right answer for anything that touches a hot pan.
Making a basket that stands up
Three things, and you want all three for anything taller than about 15 cm.
- Double the yarn. Two strands held together on one hook, which also halves the rounds.
- Work in the back loop only for the round where the base turns up into the sides. That gives a clean fold rather than a gradual curve.
- Use cotton. Acrylic springs back and slumps. Cotton has no memory, which here is exactly what you want.
Questions
What yarn is best for crochet baskets?
Cotton, held double, or a purpose-made bulky cotton cord. Both hold their shape empty, which acrylic does not.
Can I use acrylic yarn for potholders?
No. Acrylic melts on contact with heat and will stick to your skin. Use cotton, held double.
How do I make a crochet rug lie flat?
Weight and tension. A heavy yarn like t-shirt yarn or jute lies flat under its own weight. If the edges ripple you have increased too much, and if it cups you have increased too little.
What stitch makes the sturdiest basket?
Single crochet, worked tightly. Anything taller leaves gaps that let the sides collapse.
Are crochet dishcloths actually good?
Cotton ones are excellent and last years. The texture scrubs better than a sponge and they go in the washing machine at 60 degrees.
How much cotton does a basket take?
A medium basket about 20 cm across takes roughly 200 grams of worsted cotton held double, so around four standard balls.
Patterns for this section are on the way.