I have a confession to make…I’m a yarn hoarder. And not just big beautiful hanks of hand dyed yarn – though I hoard those too! I do not have it in me to part bits of leftover yarn either. If its more than a yard I’m keeping it. Usually I wrap the extra yarn into hand-wound balls (you can see my tutorial for a center pull hand-wound ball here). I keep those babies everywhere, in drawers, bowls, vases; but my favorite place is my crochet First Bud Baskets!
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The Inspiration
I live in the northern US so winter is long. I love winter, but there comes a time every year when I crave spring. For the last couple years I’ve been drawn back to my first bud stitch pattern at this time of the year. It’s triple petals remind me of all the beautiful flowers that bloom in springtime and get me ready for all the beautiful growth to come.
The First Bud Basket was also inspired by – you guessed it – all those little balls of extra yarn! I have a lot of them rolling around, sometimes literally, and there’s no more beautiful place to store them than a handmade basket. It took a few tries and some unexpected adjustments, but I’m so pleased with how the first bud stitch motif hugs the top edge of the basket. Each basket is an extra special place to store anything, but especially yarn!
Customize Your Basket
I have, and I’m guessing you do too, more things than just yarn that would use a beautiful storage basket. The First Bud basket comes with instructions and video tutorials to help you customize your basket! I encourage you to try it with different yarn weights too and see what sizes you can make. When working with a different yarn weight, I encourage you to use a hook a size or two smaller than you normally would for that yarn weight. Tight tension is what give the basket it’s structure.
All the Baskets
Not only can you customize the size and yarn weight you use for the First Bud Basket, but you can also be creative with your colors! Use a neutral color palette for your living areas. Try making the basket in one color for a more subtle look. Go bold with bright petals for a fun pop of color. Mimic the colors of your favorite flower. Match the colors to a playroom or kids bedroom! The possibilities are endless! When I find a minute, I want to try making one with several strands of worsted weight yarn held together for a marled basket!
The Yarn
At first I tried a cotton tape yarn for my basket and it didn’t have the structure to hold the basket shape. I do think the basket could be made in a more sturdy t-shirt yarn and would be amazing! In the end I used Lion Brand Yarn’s Wool-Ease Thick & Quick to make my basket. Thick & Quick has been my go to super bulky (level 6) yarn for many years so I always have a few skeins in my stash. It works up really nicely and holds the structure of the basket well.
Wool-Ease Thick & Quick is an 80% acrylic, 20% wool yarn and each skein has 106yds/170g. Some specialty colors vary a bit in yardage so read the label carefully before you buy! The label says that it is machine washable and tumble dry. While you could certainly try machine washing and drying your basket, I would recommend spot cleaning unless a thorough wash is absolutely necessary. If you do put it in your washing machine, I wouldn’t put too many other things in with it ; they may catch and squish or stretch the basket. It may also be worth skipping the dryer and just reshaping and allowing your basket to air dry.
Other Supplies
The rest of the supply list is pretty small. The only other things you really need are a 7.0mm hook, a tapestry needle (these are my favorites) and scissors (aren’t these beautiful?). Check your hook carefully and look for the millimeters rather than a letter label. There seems to be some discrepancies between companies as to how they label a 7.0mm hook.
I fell in love with and always recommend Furls crochet hooks. Their Alpha Series is my absolute favorite hook line. It’s absolutely stunning and fits so well in my smaller hands. It is one of their pricier hooks, but well worth the splurge. If you’re looking to dip your toes into Furls hooks, I love their wooden Streamline hooks too. Because of their more affordable price, I have a lot of these hooks and use them regularly. They fit nicely in my hands too, are so comfortable to work with, and glide nicely through yarn!
The Pattern
The First Bud Basket pattern is available exclusively on Ravelry for the duration of the Freebie period for the blog hop! If you’re more of an Etsy person, check back at the end of the week to purchase on Etsy. If you missed the blog hop, but you’re reading this between June 16th, 2022 and June 23rd, 2022 you can use the code 20FIRSTBUD to save 20% on Ravelry or Etsy. If you’d like to get the best discounts on all my new patterns, join my email list here!
The First Bud Basket is a tier 2 pattern. Tier 2 patterns are designed to apply a new technique. These patterns include medium size projects that will add basic stitches and design elements to the new stitches or skills learned in a Tier 1 pattern. These patterns will grow your skills by using them in new ways.
If you’d like to start with the Tier 1 pattern in this group, you can check out the First Bud Coaster here. It’s another great home décor pattern!
Read more about my tiered pattern system here!
A HUGE ***thank you*** to my amazing testers! They all did such beautiful work! This pattern was tested and tech edited to be as clear as possible. Pattern testers are an important part of the publishing process. I appreciate the time and attention they give! Thank you to my wonderful tech editor Michelle Muskett of Tales of Knots whose attention to detail makes every pattern better!
Pin the Basket for later
More First Bud Patterns
First Bud Coaster – Tier 1
If you’re looking for a quick project to learn and practice the First Bud motif, the First Bud Coaster is the perfect pattern. This pattern works up quickly and is great for using up leftover scraps of yarn. Work up a couple and you’ll always have a place to set your iced tea or coffee mug!
First Bud Earrings– Tier 2
Take the First Bud Stitches small with these beautiful First Bud Earrings! A three in one pattern, it includes 3 variations on the stitch that you’re going to love! These earrings make great gifts and are easily dressed up or down!
First Bug Scarf – Tier 3
Delicate and beautiful the First Bud Scarf is perfect for spring and summer. More decorative than cozy, it can be wrapped loosely around your neck to add a gorgeous handmade touch to any outfit!
All of these links connect to my Ravelry shop, but if you prefer Etsy, you can find a link to my Etsy shop here!
Read more about my tiered pattern system here!
Plants with Yarn Blog Hop
This pattern is being released as part of the Plants with Yarn blog hop! This fun event runs June 1st – June 30th and features a new plant inspired pattern for free every day! Check out Juniper and Oaks’ blog for all the details! If you’re dropping by on Monday, June 13th 2022 you can get my pattern for free! Click the button below, it will take you to Erin’s blog. Scroll down to today and get the special coupon code. Then head back here and click the link to buy my pattern, enter the code and get it for FREE!!!
Missed out on some of the releases? That’s ok! You can buy the entire bundle of pattern for the low price of $18 – that’s 60 cents a pattern! Not a bundle person? That’s ok too! Look over all the patterns on the Juniper and Oaks blog for all the patterns and go purchase the designs you really love!
