Fancy Crochet Flower Basket

The crochet Fancy Flower Basket is one of several patterns from The Lady’s Album of Fancy Work. This pattern, along with a number of other free crochet and textile projects was first published in 1850.

I’ve included the author’s definitions for each of the crochet stitches used in this free vintage crochet.

*DOUBLE CROCHET.—Work as follows: having made a chain, pass the needle through the first loop on the chain, draw the cotton through the loop, there will now be two loops on the needle, through these draw the cotton. (secondary rows single crochet)

*SINGLE CROCHET.—Insert the needle in the loops, and draw the cotton through this loop and that on the needle.

*LONG STITCH.—Twist the cotton round the needle, pass it through the loop, draw the cotton through the first two loops on the needle, then catch the cotton again and draw it through the next two loops; there will be one loop left on the needle. (double crochet today)

*DOUBLE LONG STITCH.—This resembles long stitch, excepting that the cotton is twisted twice round the needle. (treble crochet today)

*TREBLE LONG STITCH.—Twist the cotton three times round the needle.

Materials—Shaded green, shaded amber, shaded geranium-colour, Berlin wool; two skeins of blue, two of green, Berlin wool, and two yards of wire, will also be required. (Berlin wool, as best as I can tell is similar to wool embroidery yarn. I would suggest substituting baby-weight or fine yarn for the basket and the same or DMC floss for the leaves and flowers.)

The Crochet Basket

With shaded green make a chain of nine stitches; unite and work ten rounds in close double crochet, increasing in every stitch in the first round, in every alternate in the second, and in the same stitch in each of the succeeding rounds.—

11th round. Work along stitch in each stitch, missing every ninth stitch.—

12th round. 3 long, 3 chain, miss 2.—

13th round (with amber). 3 long worked in the 3 chain of last round, 4 chain; repeat.—

14th round. Close double crochet.—

15th round (with shaded green). 3 long worked in one stitch, 1 chain, miss 3; repeat.—

16th round. Close double crochet.—

17th round (with amber). 3 long worked above the one chain of 15th round, 2 chain; repeat.—

18th and 19th rounds. Close double crochet. The last of these rounds is worked over a wire, and a round in close double crochet, with amber, is also worked over a wire in the 10th round, to form the bottom of basket.

Crochet Basket Support and Handle

Wrap four pieces of wire, the height of the basket, with green wool, and attach to the inside at regular distances. Prepare a piece of wire, in like manner, for the handle. Work the handle as follows:

With shaded green crochet a chain the length required.—

2d row (with amber). Close double crochet.—

3d row (with green). Close double crochet; sew this to the wire, which must be placed in the under side.

Crochet Flowers & Leaves

Prepare the flowers and leaves which ornament the edge of the vintage crochet basket in the following manner:

Crochet Geranium.—With geranium-coloured wool make a chain of five stitches, unite, and work a round in double crochet, increasing in every stitch; work a round without increasing, then work 1 single crochet, 2 chain, 3 long, 2 chain, 1 single crochet, in one stitch, miss 1, and repeat in every alternate stitch.

For the Cup of the Flower.—With green make a chain of five stitches, unite, and work 1 single, 2 long, 1 single in every stitch. Make the stamens with amber wool, and sew the stamens and flower to the cup.

For Geranium-bud.—With geranium-colour make a chain of three stitches, unite, increase in the second round by working two in each alternate stitch; work 2 rounds without increasing; then work two rounds decreasing in every stitch. With green make a chain of four stitches, unite, and work 1 single, 3 long, 1 single; repeat three times, and draw the bud through this, leaving a piece for the stem, which must be wrapped with green wool.

Forget-me-not.—With blue make a chain of five, unite, and into this ring work 1 single, 2 long, 1 single; repeat four times.

For the Cup of the Flower.—With green make a chain of four stitches, work 1 single, 1 long in every loop; make stamens with pieces of amber wool; place the flower within the cup, draw the stamens through, and sew at the end, leaving a piece of wool for the stem, which is wrapped with green.

The flower shown here is slightly different than the one made by the original designer. I didn’t think the flower cup was big enough so I redesigned it. My complete version – crochet flower pattern.

Crochet Leaves.—With green make a chain of 18 stitches; work down one side of these for 11 stitches in single crochet; turn to the other side, work 1 single, 2 long, in the first two stitches; (a) 1 single, 1 long, in third stitch; 2 double long in the fourth; 1 long, 2 chain, in the fifth stitch; repeat from (a) once, and work 1 long, 2 double long, in the ninth and tenth stitches, and in the last stitch work two treble long. Work the other side of leaf to correspond. Work down the chain to the fifteenth stitch; from this work a chain of 11 stitches, and work a leaf from the directions already given. Work a third leaf on the reverse side of stem.

Seven crochet geraniums and three buds will be required, fifteen crochet forget-me-nots and seven sprays of crochet leaves will also be needed.

Arrange the flowers and leaves on the basket as seen in illustration, and sew on the handle.