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Quilter's Covered Pin Basket & Pincushion

This crocheted covered basket is a result of a request for a basket with a lid that a quilter could use to keep quilting pins in. The cover snaps on tight and uses an empty cottage cheese container.

Materials Needed
1 ball or skein Lustersheen in desired color.
Size E/4 or 3.50mm aluminum crochet hook
1 clean and empty one pound cottage cheese tub with lid.
1 piece plastic canvas, 3 holes by 65 holes
Hot glue gun and 1lg or 2 small glue sticks.
2 yellow metal brads for keeping paper together.*
1 shank style button of choice, at least .5" in diameter.
1/8" paper punch or hand drill with an 1/8" bit
Polyester fiberfill
Tapestry needle for weaving in ends and stitching handle ends closed.

Yarn Thickness: 2mm
Gauge: 7dc=1"
Finished Size: 5" x 5" for the basket and lid
Skill Level: Intermediate to advanced

Instructions
RND 1: Ch4. Join w/slst to first ch to form ring. Ch3. 14 dc in ring. Join w/slst to top of ch3. (15dc)

RND 2: Ch3. Dc in same st as slst. 2dc in each st around. Join w/slst to top of ch3. (30dc)

RND 3: Ch3. Dc in same st as slst. Dc in next st. *2dc in next st. Dc in next st. Rep from * around. Join w/slst to top of ch3. (45dc)

RND 4: Ch3. Dc in same st as slst. Dc in each of the next 2 dc. *2dc in next st. Dc in each of the next 2 dc. Rep from * around. Join w/slst to top of ch3. (60dc)

RND 5: Ch3. Working in back lp only for this round only, dc in each st around. Join w/slst to top of ch3.

RND 6: Ch1, sc in same st as slst. Sc in each of the next 5 dc. Dc in each of the next 6 dc. *Sc in each of the next 6 dc. Dc in each of the next 6 dc. Rep from * around. Join w/slst to first sc.

RND 7: Ch3. Dc in each of the next 5 sc. Sc in each of the next 6 dc. *Dc in each of the next 6 sc. Sc in each of the next 6 dc. Rep from * around. Join w/slst to top of ch3.

RND 8: Ch1, sc in same st as slst. Sc in each of the next 5 dc. Dc in each of the next 6 sc. *Sc in each of the next 6 dc. Dc in each of the next 6 sc. Rep from * around. Join w/slst to first sc.

RND 9-14: Rep RNDs 7 & 8 three times more.

RND 15: Rep RND 7.

RND 16: Ch1, sc in same st as slst. Sc in each of the next 5 dc. Hdc in each of the next 6 sc. *Sc in each of the next 6 dc. Hdc in each of the next 6 sc. Rep from * around. Join w/slst to first sc. Fasten off and weave ends into back of work. Set aside for now.

Pincushion Lid:
This is made in one piece to cover just the top of the plastic lid so the lid can snap onto the bottom part of the basket. The crochet part is then glued to just the rim and stuffed to make a pincushion on the top.

RND 1: Ch4. Join w/slst to first ch to form ring. Ch3. 14dc in ring. Join w/slst to top of ch3. (15dc)

RND 2: Ch1. 2sc in same st as slst. Sc & dc in next st. 2dc in next st. *2sc in next st. Sc & dc in next st. 2dc in next st. Rep from * around. Join w/slst to first sc. (30 sts.)

RND 3: Ch3. Dc in same st as slst. Dc in next sc. 2dc in next sc. (2sc in next dc. Sc in next dc. 2sc in next dc.) *2dc in next sc. Dc in next sc. 2dc in next sc. Rep bet () once. Rep from * around. Join w/slst to top of ch3.

RND 4: Ch1. Sc in same st as slst. Sc in next dc. 2sc in next dc. Sc in each of the next 2 dc. (Dc in each of the next 2 sc. 2dc in next sc. Dc in each of the next 2 sc.) *Sc in each of the next 2 dc. 2sc in next dc. Sc in each of the next 2 dc. Rep bet () once. Rep from * around. Join w/slst to first sc.

RND 5: Ch3. Dc in each of the next 5 sc. Sc in each of the next 6 dc. *Dc in each of the next 6 sc. Sc in each of the next 6 dc. Rep from * around. Join w/slst to top of ch3.

RND 6: Ch1. Sc in same st as slst. Sc in each of the next 5 dc. Dc in each of the next 6 sc. *Sc in each of the next 6 dc. Dc in each of the next 6 sc. Rep from * around. Join w/slst to first sc.

RND 7: Ch2. (2hdc in next sc. Hdc in each of the next 2 sc. 2hdc in next sc. Hdc in next sc. Sc in next dc. 2sc in next dc. Sc in each of the next 2 dc. 2sc in next dc. Sc in next dc.) *Hdc in next sc. Rep bet () once. Rep from * around. Join w/slst to top of ch2.

RND 8: Ch2. Hdc in each st around. Join w/slst to top of ch2.

RND 9: Ch3. Working around top of post of each st around, dc in each st around. Join w/slst to top of ch3. Fasten off and weave ends into back of work. Set aside for now.

Handle: This is actually a long skinny tube.

RND 1: Ch12. Join w/slst to first ch to form ring. Ch3. Dc in each ch around. Join w/slst to top of ch3.

RND 2-23: Ch3. Dc in each dc around. Join w/slst to top of ch3. Fasten off and stitch this end closed. Weave end into work. Slip this piece onto the plastic canvas piece and stitch the other end closed. Weave that end into work.

Assembly:
STEP 1: Drill or punch an 1/8" hole on each side of tub about .5" down from the top of the rim. These are where you will attach each end of the handle later. Set aside.

STEP 2: Pincushion Lid. With hot glue, glue the last round of the lid piece to the rim of the lid but before closing, stuff the lid with the polyester fiberfill until your desired amount of padding is reached. Glue shank style button to center hole of lid for decoration. You can actually decorate it however you want. Put lid onto tub and snap into place.

STEP 3: Place bottom crochet piece on bottom of tub & glue in place being careful not to glue the lid to the tub, but make sure the top of the crochet bottom meets the bottom of the lid rim. Be careful not to put glue over your holes.

STEP 4: Open the tub and poke a metal brad in each end of handle and through each hole in the tub through the crochet cover. Bend the ends of the brad as close to the ends of the brads as possible to allow for moving the handle back and forth when open or closed.

The handle might be a little hard to move back and forth since it may be tight. If you can come up with a better way of putting the handle on this basket so the handle easily goes down, please let me know.

*NOTE: I found fancy colored brads in the scrapbooking section of the craft department at Wal-Mart.

Design written on Wednesday, May 30, 2007. Copyright ©2007 By Julie A. Bolduc p114096