I’ve seen a lot crochet storage baskets recently, and knew one would be perfect for my mum for Mother’s Day to keep all her spare wool in (I think she has even more than me!). I came across a fox basket on Pinterest (https://uk.pinterest.com/pin/247275835764293017/) and thought it looked really good, and I decided I needed to make an animal theme one in an animal she liked. We both have a thing for owls so I knew straight away that’s what I needed to make. I also decided not to look for a pattern but to make one myself as I knew what I wanted the owl to look like, and haven’t made a pattern up for a big item before so I was looking forward to the challenge. Also making it up from scratch would make the final result much more personal for my gift.

After a few re-starts, unravels, shouts and moments of relief I have finally got both the pattern and basket finished!! I am beyond happy with this make, it has turned out just as I had wanted it to, I was worried half way through that to wouldn’t come Together and I had taken on too much of a challenge but I got there!! I am really looking forward to passing this Gift over, I think she is going to really like it! Now I know I can put a pattern together myself with a good outcome – there’s no stopping me!!

Owl storage basket pattern;

This pattern works in rounds and starts with the base, goes up the sides of the basket working in the face area and ears, other details are added afterward using a surface chain stitch as a base.

Colour of wool used; Dark brown, brown/white stripe wool, cream, yellow, black

Hook; 5.5 mm

Basket Base;

Make a Magic ring, ch1

Round 1: 6dc into ring

Round 2: 2dc into each dc (12dc)

Round 3: 2dc into next stitch, dc. Repeat around (18dc)

Round 4: 2dc into next stitch, 2dc. Repeat around (24dc)

Round 5: 2dc into next stitch, 3dc. Repeat around (30dc)

Round 6: 2dc into next stitch, 4dc. Repeat around (36dc)

Round 7: 2dc into next stitch, 5dc. Repeat around (42dc)

Round 8: 2dc into next stitch, 6dc. Repeat around (48dc)

Round 9: 2dc into next stitch, 7dc. Repeat around (54dc)

Round 10: 2dc into next stitch, 8dc. Repeat around (60dc)

Round 11: 2dc into next stitch, 9dc. Repeat around (66dc)

Round 12: 2dc into next stitch,10 dc. Repeat around (72dc)

Round 13: 2dc into next stitch, 11dc. Repeat around (78dc)

Round 14: 2dc into next stitch, 12dc. Repeat around (84dc)

Round 15: 2dc into next stitch, 13dc. Repeat around (90dc)

Round 16: 2dc into next stitch, 14dc. Repeat around (96dc)

Round 17: 2dc into next stitch, 15dc. Repeat around (102dc)

Round 18: 2dc into next stitch, 16dc. Repeat around (108dc)

Round 19: 2dc into next stitch, 17dc. Repeat around (114dc)

Round 20: 2dc into next stitch, 18dc. Repeat around (120dc)

Base has now been made, now the sides will be worked up in rounds;

Change to striped brown,

Round 1: dc around base in back loop only, all way around

Round 2-4: dc around

Round 5: dc2tog, 18dc. Repeat around (114dc)

Round 6: dc2tog, 17dc. Repeat around (108dc)

Round 7-23: dc around

Inclusion of face area – Notes before starting face area; Cast on white, but do not fasten off brown. Then while completing the next round white section sew in the loose striped brown wool thread as you go along (picture 1). Then after completing the white section on the round do not fasten off, leave the thread loose until completing the round in striped brown, then pull it back to the start of the next white section on starting the next round, making sure you start to sew the wool into the brown dc stitch before starting the white wool section (picture 2) and sew in the loose thread as you go along the line again along with the loose striped brown wool (picture 3). Do this on each row so no loose wool threads are visible on the inside.

Picture 1: Sewing in the striped brown wool in the white face section

Picture 2: Sewing in the previous rounds white thread, with it pulled back to the start of the white face section

Picture 3: Sewing in the striped brown and white wool (from the previous round) into the white face section

 

Picture 4: A few rows completed on the face section, showing all loose wool from colour changes is hidden in the face section

Round 24-28: In white, 30dc. dc rest of the round in striped brown

Round 29: dc in striped brown, 28dc in white. dc around rest of round in striped brown

Round 30: 2dc in striped brown, 25dc in white. dc around rest of the round in striped brown

Round 31: 3dc in striped brown, 23dc in white. dc around rest of the round in striped brown

Round 32: 3dc in striped brown, 8dc in white, 3dc in striped brown, 9dc in white. dc rest of the round in striped brown

Round 33: 4dc in striped brown, 7dc in white, 5dc in striped brown, 7dc in white. dc rest of the round in striped brown

Round 34: 5dc in striped brown, 5dc in white, 6dc in striped brown, 5dc in white. dc rest of the round in striped brown

Round 35: 6dc in striped brown, 3dc in white, 9dc in striped brown, 3dc in white. dc rest of the round in striped brown

Round 36: 7dc in striped brown, 1dc in white, 11dc in striped brown, 1dc in white, dc rest of the round in striped brown. Cut white wool, leaving thread to sew in and finish off

Round 37-38: dc in striped brown all round. Do not fasten off

Ears;

Continuing in striped brown; 2dc in brown, *dc, htrb (half treble), 4trb, dtrb (double treble), ttrb (triple treble) into next dc, ch3, then slip stitch into 1st ch, ttrb, dtrb, 4trb, htrb, dc into next dc* 18dc, repeat from *to* dc in next dc. Fasten off

Black detail around eyes;

Created using surface slip stitching – start in the bottom right corner of the white section, hook through work (back through to front) (picture 5) then pull black wool back through. Insert hook back into next stitch and back through to the front, wool around hook pull back through wool around hook and pull through all loops on hook = 1dc stitch, complete surface dc stitches the whole way around the edge of the white areas, slip stitch into first dc, fasten off

Picture 5: Hook through work from back through to front

 

Picture 6: Finished surface stitching

Eyes – make 2;

Starting in black, create magic ring, Ch1

Round 1: 5dc into ring

Round 2: 2dc into each dc (10dc) Change to yellow

Round 3: 2trb into next stitch, 1trb, repeat around (15trb)

Round 4: 2dc into each stitch around, slip stitch into first dc, fasten off leaving long tail to attach

Ruffled feathers effect on the front chest;

To get this ruffled feather effect on the front I used crocodile stitch;

First make the foundation chain for the crocodile stitch;

In dark brown Surface stitch a row of 14dc stitches starting 4 rows down and 8dc along from the bottom of the white face area, work from right to left (picture7)

Picture 7: Creating a row of surface stitches

Row 1: ch4, trb into dc surface stitch at base of ch, *Skip 2dc, trb ch1 trb into same dc (post v created), repeat from * along row (5 sets of v posts created)(picture 8). Fasten off

Picture 8: First and second v post created

Row 2: Starting at base of the first post of the first v made cast on, ch3, then 4trb up the post (picture 9), ch1, 5trb down the next post (picture 10), skip next v *5trb up the post, ch1 then 5trb down the second post in the v, skip next v, repeat from * along row. Fasten off

Picture 9: Starting at the base of the v posts, and working trebles up the first v post

Picture 10: After ch1, working trebles down the next post in the v

Row 3: Cast on in striped brown in the v post chain space (picture 11), ch4 trb, trb ch1 1trb in the next fan chain space, trb ch1 trb in the next v post chain space (3 sets of v posts created) (picture 12). Fasten off

Picture 11: First set of v posts created using the striped brown row in the chain space of the previous row set of v posts

Picture 12: 3 sets of v posts created

Row 4: Fasten on at the base of the first v post ch3, then 4trb up the post, ch1, 5trb down the next post, skip next v, 5trb ch1 5trb in the next v post, slip stitch into next fan ch space. Fasten off

Make a new foundation base for next double row of crocodile stitches in dark brown; Start 2 dc in from the edge of and 11 rows down from the white face area, surface stitch 26dc (picture 13).

Picture 13: Starting the next row of surface stitches for the next set of ruffles

Row 1: ch4, trb into first stitch of surface chain, *skip 2dc, trb ch1 trb into next stitch, repeat from * along row (9 sets of v posts created). Fasten off

Row 2: Starting at base of the first post of the v made, cast on at base, ch 3, then 4trb up the post, ch1, 5trb down the next post, skip next v *5trb up the post, ch1 then 5trb down the second post in the v, skip next v, repeat from * along row. Fasten off at end

Row 3: Cast on in striped brown in the v post chain space ch4 1trb *trb ch1 trb in the next fan chain space, trb ch1 trb in the next v post chain space repeat from * to end of row (7 sets of v posts created). Fasten off

Row 4: Fasten on at the base of the first v post ch3, then 4trb up the post, ch1, 5trb down the next post, *skip next v post, 5trb ch1 5trb in the next v post, repeat from * to end of row, slip stitch into fan chain space in previous row. Fasten off

One last row of crocodile stitches; In dark brown, first create surface chain 6 rows down from previous foundation surface chain, starting and ending at same point (26dc) as the previous foundation chain.

Row 1: ch4 trb into first stitch of surface chain, *skip 2dc, trb ch1 trb into next stitch, repeat from * along row. Fasten off

Row 2: Starting at base of the first post of the v made, cast on at base, ch 3, then 4trb up the post, ch1, 5trb down the next post, skip next v *5trb up the post, ch1 then 5trb down the second post in the v, skip next v, repeat from * along row (9 sets of v posts made in total). Fasten off at end. Feather ruffles are finished.

Feet;

Counting 5dc to the left of the first dc of the dark brown surface stitch, and working into the base edge of the owl cast on in yellow wool (picture 14).

Picture 14: Starting off the feet, casting on ready to do 6dc

Row 1: 6dc

Row 2-3: ch 1 (does not count as a stitch) 6dc

Row 4: ch3, trb into stitch at base of chain, ch3 dc into next stitch. *ch3 trb into next stitch, ch3 dc into next stitch. Repeat from *once more. Fasten off

Repeat rows 1-4 for second foot, start second foot 6dc along from the first foot.

Dc in black around the edge of each foot, fastening off between each foot. At each toe gap (the dc between the two ch3) dc the black into the same dc stitch as the yellow wool to define the claws more.

Wings;

Surface stitch in the dark brown a row 12dc long, starting 6dc around from the edge of the first row of the white face area.

Row 1-7: ch1 (does not count as a stitch) dc along rest of the row

Row 8: ch1 (does not count as a stitch) dc2tog, 8dc, dc2tog

Row 9: ch1 (does not count as a stitch) dc2tog,6dc, dc2tog

Row 10-12: ch1 (does not count as a stitch) dc along rest of the row

Row 13: ch1 (does not count as a stitch) dc2tog, 4dc, dc2tog

Row 14: ch1 (does not count as a stitch) dc along rest of the row

Row 15: ch1 (does not count as a stitch) dc2tog, 2dc, dc2tog

Row 16: ch1 (does not count as a stitch) dc along rest of the row

Row 17: ch1 (does not count as a stitch) dc2tog twice

Row 18: ch1 (does not count as a stitch) dc along rest of the row

Row 19: ch1 (does not count as a stitch) dc2tog Fasten off (picture 15)

Picture 15: Completed wing

Repeat for the second Wing on the other side, again starting a row of 12 surface dc, 6dc around from the edge of the first row of the white face.

Beak;

Surface stitch a row of 6 Starting 2rows up and 2dc to the right of the black surface stitch in the centre dip of the White face area (picture 16).

Picture 16: Starting the beak surface stitch row

Row 1-2: ch 1 (does not count as a stitch) dc along row 

Row 3: ch 1 (does not count as a stitch) dc2tog, 2dc,dc2tog

Row 4: ch 1 (does not count as a stitch) dc2tog twice

Row 5: ch 1 (does not count as a stitch) dc2tog Fasten off

Attach the eyes and beak to the face Fasten off all loose ends…….all finished!!!!