I may have mentioned that this year I was going to teach myself to crochet and have doggedly carted hooks and yarn around the countryside with me. All I have to show for this enthusiasm effort are some misshapen squares and a few dodgy looking rosettes. Then one of my friends showed me a flyer for a workshop to make a crocheted basket from t-shirt fabric. The course ran for 8 weeks at a remote (from us) location, and cost $220. Now I am not averse to spending money when I need to learn something, but I couldn’t give up 8 weeks and travel a long way. So I did what any reasonable person would do – I hit up YouTube! Having viewed a couple of videos I felt I had a handle on how to make said basket (sorry, it was a while ago and I can’t remember which ones I looked at). Please welcome the first ever crocheted object made by me!
I wanted to use t-shirt knit and I knew that I didn’t have enough old tees of identical colours to create my own yarn, but Bunnings sell balls of the stuff as tree ties (I found out because Mark bought some). It comes in a couple of colours, namely black, a couple of different blues, and purple and each ball contains 40metres, and best of all it is manufactured in Australia! I chose navy blue, even though it looks purple in my photo.
It’s not the cheapest stuff and my basket took 1.5 balls, which cost me $15, but I was happy to pay this. I wanted the basket to supplement the one that I made for the Airstream to hold phones, keys and bits and bobs, as this one is a bit small.
This original basket is a classic rope basket made from sash cord, wrapped in upholstery fabric and covered in leather which Meggipeg obtained from REmida for me last year. The leather almost exactly matches the leather seats, and the lining matches the cushions which came with the trailer.
So, flushed with success from the first basket, I thought I’d try making a square one from string. This is actually a fine cord from Bunnings and here is my first ever square basket as a work in progress. 
Yes, it’s a bit floppy. I considered all the options such as starch and a friend suggested that I use glue to give it some stiffness (we both once attended a class where we made “stiffie bows” with glue – stiffie bows? don’t ask!) Anyway, I used PVA glue diluted with water and gave it a couple of coats. I did it whilst camping and draped the bowl over one of our square camping saucepans which fitted it exactly. Worked a treat.
My finished bowl
and located on the back of the sofa to hold yet more stuff!
and I did take the round blue one to add to the collection, but decided that it doesn’t belong, so it now holds my crochet when I’m in the car. 
I have now embarked on a rectangular basket which is made from twine crocheted around rope. I am going to put handles on it and maybe then my basket needs will be complete and I will have enough confidence to find something else to crochet.
Hi Sue, love your pretty baskets and I am sure they are very useful to put all stuff 🙂 I am doing crochet lately and it is a great exercise between sewing.
Have a lovely day!
I agree Hana, it’s good in front of the television.
Crochet is addictive, isn’t it? I’m wondering why your second basket did not stand upright by itself like the purple one. Maybe the hook size was a bit too large for the string? Anyway, you found a good solution and they both look nice and handy. For a future project, this upcycled crochet rug caught my attention : http://www.upcyclemagazine.com/how-to-make-an-upcycled-crocheted-rug.
Yes, I’m really getting into it. The second basket was too flimsy and yes, the hook may have been too big. The upcycled rug is gorgeous and I’ve now spent way too long browsing the site 🙂
Great baskets and I haven’t crocheted for years.
Sue
You have used difficult yarn to start your crochet career, making a garment in wool will be easy now
Oh typical of me!! I need to track down a fabbo wool pattern to make… 😛 xx
Very good! I am a crochet failure so I’m really impressed. I do my baskets/ pots using rope with fabric round it – yours are much cleverer
The leather covered basket started life as a rope basket, and I’ve made a few of them, and really like them. I just needed to do something to build some crochet skills as I have also been a crochet failure for the past 40+ years!!
very useful baskets and tasteful too, Sue. What size hook did you use for the blue basket, please?
I used a 6.5mm, which was the biggest I owned. Some of the tutorials I saw said to use a really big one, but I think it would be too floppy then. I hope you’re going to make one?
Thx Sue. You inspire me to make one. 🙂
Well done! they all look really good. I particularly love the cream-coloured one 🙂
These look great and are so practical too. Your crafty creativity amazes me.
Thanks Jean, I’m not really into craft, but I do like a basket!
Well done Sue. You have made useful items at your first attempt. I think my first crochet was a dodgy blanket that even the cat wasn’t impressed with 😕
I’m not sure I could do a blanket! I am having fun though.
Good to hear. (It was a very small blanket)
Look at you go! Are there no limits to your talents! Those are really handy – a basket would really help my husband find his keys.
Yes, that’s why I made the first one!
I like crochet but have never really managed anything useful, or wearable. Though an afghan I made when I was 18 is still with us! I love the blue bowl most, such a great colour, but didn’t it hurt your fingers? It must have been stiff to crochet. The nicest crocheted clothes I ever saw was a classic white top with a rose ‘intaglio’? that a Venetian lady was crocheting in a vaporetto in Venice. She did this with no pattern. It was lovely, but I could never work out how to get the same effect.
T shirting with a large crochet hook isn’t too bad on the fingers. Those Italian ladies really know how to crochet!!
They’re so pretty! I love useful crocheted goodies
Me too! I’m by no means proficient yet though.