This hanging holder stores two spare rolls in a tall, rounded panel with two lace pockets. Each pocket has a slanted top band and a small butterfly, and a rope-like brown edge runs around the whole piece.
The palette is soft and neutral. A warm tan is used for the back, the mesh pockets, the butterfly wings and the tab. A dark chocolate brown outlines the butterflies and forms the twisted border.
The pattern uses US crochet terms. The finished holder measures 7 in (17.8 cm) wide by 20.5 in (52.1 cm) tall, not counting the tab and ring. Each pocket holds a standard roll about 4.5 in (11.4 cm) tall.
You make a solid oval back panel in joined rounds, two identical mesh pockets in rows, two butterflies and a tab. Then you sew on the pockets, work a brown border that catches the pocket side edges, and attach the tab around the ring.
Finished Size and Construction
- Finished size: 7 in x 20.5 in (17.8 cm x 52.1 cm), excluding tab and ring
- Skill level: Intermediate
- Terminology: US crochet terms
- Yarn weight: Worsted weight (#4) cotton
- Hook: 4.5 mm (US 7)
- Number of pieces: 6 (1 back panel, 2 pockets, 2 butterflies, 1 tab), plus 1 wooden ring
- Layout: One vertical panel with two pockets stacked one above the other
- Back panel size: 6 in x 19.5 in (15.2 cm x 49.5 cm)
- Pocket size: 11.25 in (28.6 cm) wide; 4 in (10.2 cm) tall at the low side, 6 in (15.2 cm) at the high side
- Size before border: 6 in x 19.5 in (15.2 cm x 49.5 cm)
- Border depth: 0.5 in (1.3 cm) on every side
Materials
Use a smooth, firm worsted-weight cotton with about 170 m per 100 g (186 yd per 3.5 oz). Cotton keeps the back panel flat even with two rolls in it.
- Color A, tan: 250 g, about 425 m (465 yd)
- Color B, dark brown: 50 g, about 85 m (93 yd)
Tools: 4.5 mm (US 7) hook, wooden ring 2.5 in (6.4 cm) outer diameter, tapestry needle, 8 locking stitch markers, contrasting scrap yarn, pins, blocking mat, spray bottle and tape measure.
All yarn amounts include a margin of about 15 percent.
Abbreviations (US Terms)
- ch – chain
- sl st – slip stitch
- sc – single crochet
- dc – double crochet
- tr – treble crochet
- inc – 2 sc in the same stitch
- sp(s) – space(s)
- st(s) – stitch(es)
- RS – right side
Special stitch – crab stitch (reverse sc): Work from left to right (if you are right-handed). Insert the hook into the next stitch to the right, yarn over, pull up a loop, then yarn over and pull through both loops. This makes a corded edge.
Gauge and Checkpoints
Gauge: 16 sc and 16 sc rounds = 4 in (10.2 cm). In the mesh, 1 ch-5 loop spans 1 in (2.5 cm), and 2 mesh rows = 1 in (2.5 cm).
Test one piece first. Make the tab and check that its 6 stitches measure 1.5 in (3.8 cm) across and its 24 rows measure 6 in (15.2 cm).
Checkpoints:
- Back panel, Round 6: 3 in (7.6 cm) wide, 16.5 in (41.9 cm) long
- Back panel, Round 12: 6 in (15.2 cm) wide, 19.5 in (49.5 cm) long
- Pocket, Row 8: 11.25 in (28.6 cm) wide, 3.5 in (8.9 cm) tall
- Finished pocket: 4 in (10.2 cm) low side, 6 in (15.2 cm) high side
- Butterfly: 3.25 in (8.3 cm) wide, 2.5 in (6.4 cm) tall
If your work is too big, use a hook half a millimeter smaller. If it is too small, use one half a millimeter larger. Change the hook, not the stitch counts.
Back Panel (Make 1, Color A)
The panel is a stadium shape with straight sides of 54 sts and two curved ends. Each round adds 3 sts to each end, which keeps a solid sc oval flat. Every round starts at the bottom curve (End A).
Ch 57.
Round 1: Work 6 sc in 2nd ch from hook (End A), sc in each of next 54 ch, 6 sc in last ch (End B). Rotate the work and sc in the free loop of each of the next 54 ch. Join with sl st to first sc. (120 sts: two ends of 6, two sides of 54)
Place markers in the first and last st of each curved end, and move them up as you go.
Rounds 2–12: Ch 1. Across End A, (sc in next X sts, inc in next st) 3 times; sc in next 54 sts; across End B, (sc in next X sts, inc in next st) 3 times; sc in next 54 sts. Join. X is the round number minus 1 (Round 2: X = 1; Round 12: X = 11).
| Round | Sts per end | Round total |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | 9 | 126 |
| 3 | 12 | 132 |
| 4 | 15 | 138 |
| 5 | 18 | 144 |
| 6 | 21 | 150 |
| 7 | 24 | 156 |
| 8 | 27 | 162 |
| 9 | 30 | 168 |
| 10 | 33 | 174 |
| 11 | 36 | 180 |
| 12 | 39 | 186 |
Each total is the 108 side sts plus both ends. Round 12: 54 + 54 + 39 + 39 = 186 sts. Fasten off.
Pockets (Make 2, Color A)
Each pocket is a flat panel with a solid base band, open ch-5 mesh, short rows that create the slant, and a solid top band.
Ch 46.
Row 1 (RS): Sc in 2nd ch from hook and in each ch across. (45 sc)
Row 2: Ch 1, turn, sc in each st across. (45 sc)
Row 3 (mesh A): Ch 1, turn, sc in first st, (ch 5, skip 3 sts, sc in next st) 11 times. (11 ch-5 loops; 1 + 11 x 4 = 45 sts used)
Row 4 (mesh B): Ch 5 (counts as dc + ch 2), turn, sc in first ch-5 sp, (ch 5, sc in next ch-5 sp) 10 times, ch 2, dc in last sc. (10 full loops + 2 half loops)
Row 5 (mesh A): Ch 1, turn, sc in dc, (ch 5, sc in next ch-5 sp) 10 times, ch 5, sc in 3rd ch of turning ch. (11 loops)
Rows 6–8: Repeat Rows 4, 5 and 4. The piece now measures 3.5 in (8.9 cm). The edge where Row 8 ends is the high side.
Row 9 (short row): Ch 1, turn, sc in dc, (ch 5, sc in next ch-5 sp) 8 times; turn, leaving the rest unworked. (8 loops)
Row 10: Ch 5, turn, sc in first ch-5 sp, (ch 5, sc in next ch-5 sp) 7 times, ch 2, dc in last sc. (7 full loops + 2 half loops)
Row 11 (short row): Ch 1, turn, sc in dc, (ch 5, sc in next ch-5 sp) 5 times; turn. (5 loops)
Row 12: Ch 5, turn, sc in first ch-5 sp, (ch 5, sc in next ch-5 sp) 4 times, ch 2, dc in last sc. (4 full loops + 2 half loops)
Each pair of short rows adds 1 in (2.5 cm) to the high side only. The high side is now 2 in (5.1 cm) taller than the low side. The top edge has three steps, each 1 in (2.5 cm) tall: 5 loop widths at the top, 3 in the middle and 3 at the bottom, for 11 loop widths in all.
Row 13 (top band): Ch 1, turn. Work from the high corner down the stepped edge to the low corner: 3 sc in each of the 11 loop widths (33 sc), 6 sc down the first step and 7 sc down the second (13 sc). (46 sc)
Row 14: Ch 1, turn, sc in each st across. (46 sc) Fasten off.
The slanted edge is about 11.5 in (29.2 cm) long, so 46 sc matches the gauge of 4 sts per inch.
Butterflies (Make 2)
With Color A, make a magic ring.
Round 1: Ch 1, 8 sc in ring, join. (8 sts)
Round 2 (wings): Upper wing: in next st (ch 3, 3 tr), in next st (3 tr, ch 3, sl st). Repeat once. Lower wing: in next st (ch 2, 2 dc), in next st (2 dc, ch 2, sl st). Repeat once. (2 upper wings of 6 tr, 2 lower wings of 4 dc) Fasten off.
Round 3 (outline, Color B): Join B at the start of an upper wing. Around each upper wing: 3 sc up the ch-3, 2 sc in each tr, 3 sc down the ch-3 (18 sc). Around each lower wing: 2 sc up the ch-2, 2 sc in each dc, 2 sc down the ch-2 (12 sc). Sl st into the center between wings. (60 sc + 4 sl st) Fasten off.
With B, embroider the body using 4 wrapped straight stitches. Add 2 antennae, each 0.75 in (1.9 cm) long. The tr stitches make the radiating lines on the wings.
Hanging Tab (Make 1, Color A)
Ch 7.
Row 1: Sc in 2nd ch from hook and across. (6 sc)
Rows 2–24: Ch 1, turn, sc in each st. (6 sc) Fasten off, leaving a long tail. The tab measures 1.5 in x 6 in (3.8 cm x 15.2 cm).
Make All Pieces
- Color A: 1 back panel, 2 pockets, 2 butterfly centers and wings, 1 tab
- Color B: 2 butterfly outlines, plus the border
Layout, top to bottom, as you face the front:
[ ring ]
[ tab ]
( back panel top )
| upper pocket /|
| (butterfly) / |
| lower pocket /|
| (butterfly) / |
( bottom curve )
On both pockets, the high side is on the right.
Joining
Lay the back panel RS up with End A at the bottom.
Lower pocket: Line up the pocket’s 45 foundation loops along the 39 End A sts of Round 12, from where the curve starts on one side to where it starts on the other. Whipstitch with A as follows: (1 loop to 1 panel st) 5 times, then (2 loops to 1 panel st) once. Repeat this 6 times (36 panel sts, 42 loops), then work 3 more stitches 1 to 1. (39 panel sts, 45 loops) The extra width makes the pocket bulge forward.
The low side edge lies along the first 16 side sts above the curve, 4 in (10.2 cm). The high side edge lies along the first 24 side sts, 6 in (15.2 cm). Pin these edges; the border will join them.
Upper pocket: On each side, count 30 sts up from the curve and mark the 30th st. This is 10.5 in (26.7 cm) above the bottom tip. With scrap yarn, baste a U-shaped line from marker to marker that dips to 7.5 in (19.1 cm) above the tip at the center. Whipstitch the 45 foundation loops along this line, using the same 5-and-1 easing. Pin the side edges along side sts 31–46 (low side) and 31–54 (high side). Remove the basting.
Keep the whipstitches snug but not tight, so the panel doesn’t pucker.
Size checkpoint: With both pockets attached, the panel still measures 6 in x 19.5 in (15.2 cm x 49.5 cm).
Butterflies: Sew one butterfly to each pocket, centered side to side, with its top 1 in (2.5 cm) below the top band. Stitch through the brown outline.
Border (Color B)
Border gauge: 16 sc = 4 in (10.2 cm), the same as the panel.
Round 1 (joining round): Join B in the first st of End A. Ch 1. Across End A, (sc in next 12 sts, inc in next st) 3 times (42 sts). Sc in each of the 54 side sts (54 sts). Wherever a pocket edge is pinned, insert the hook through the pocket edge and the panel st together, spacing the pocket row ends evenly. Across End B, (sc in next 12 sts, inc in next st) 3 times (42 sts). Sc in each of the 54 sts on the second side, joining pocket edges the same way. Join. (192 sts: 42 + 54 + 42 + 54)
Round 2: Ch 1, crab stitch in each st around. (192 sts) Join and fasten off.
Why the math works: The straight sides keep their 54 sts, 13.5 in (34.3 cm), so they stay flat. Each curve gains 3 sts, the same rate used in the panel, so the ends neither ruffle nor cup. The two rounds add 0.5 in (1.3 cm) on every side, for a finished size of 7 in x 20.5 in (17.8 cm x 52.1 cm).
Tab: Slip the tab through the ring and fold it in half. Center both ends behind the top of End B, overlapping the panel by 1.25 in (3.2 cm). Sew around the overlap through the back layer only, so the stitches don’t show on the front.
Final Blocking
- Weave in all ends through solid sc areas, not the mesh.
- Mist the holder until it is evenly damp.
- Lay it face up and pin it to 7 in x 20.5 in (17.8 cm x 52.1 cm).
- Fill each pocket with a rolled towel about 4.25 in (10.8 cm) across.
- Pin the top bands into straight diagonals.
- Open the butterfly wings with your fingers.
- Let it dry completely, then unpin.
Final Quality-Control Checklist
- The panel lies flat, with no ruffling at the curves.
- Round 12 has 186 sts; both border rounds have 192 sts.
- Both pockets rise toward the right.
- Low sides measure 4 in (10.2 cm); high sides measure 6 in (15.2 cm).
- The mesh loops are even.
- The butterflies are centered and securely sewn.
- The crab-stitch edge is even all around.
- The ring hangs straight.
Troubleshooting
- Curved ends ruffle: Stagger the increases or crochet more tightly.
- Curved ends cup: Go up one hook size.
- Pocket is too narrow: Check that Row 3 has 11 loops across 11.25 in (28.6 cm).
- Slant looks stepped: Spread the 13 riser stitches in Row 13 more evenly.
- Holder tilts: Center the tab over the middle stitch of End B.
- Uneven crab stitch: Pull up each loop to the same height.
Care
Hand wash in cool water with mild soap, roll in a towel to remove the water, and dry flat. Re-block the pockets if they lose their shape.
Final Notes
Here is the measurement chain. At a 16-sc gauge, the 186-st back panel measures 6 in x 19.5 in (15.2 cm x 49.5 cm). Two 11.25 in (28.6 cm) mesh pockets ease 45 loops into 39-st curves. The 192-st border adds 0.5 in (1.3 cm) per side, for a finished size of 7 in x 20.5 in (17.8 cm x 52.1 cm).
Happy crocheting!