This hanging holder keeps three spare rolls tidy and in reach. A long sage green panel with a pointed top and bottom carries three round cups. Each cup has a braided cable down the front and a cream rim of tiny ball picots, and the same cream picots run around the whole panel.
The look is soft and natural, a good fit for a bathroom with plants, wood and white tile. It uses just two colors: sage green for the body and cream for the trim.
The pattern uses US crochet terms. The finished holder measures about 7.25 in (18.4 cm) wide and 23 in (58.4 cm) long. With the hanging loop, it is about 24.5 in (62.2 cm) long.
You make four pieces. The panel is worked in rows of single crochet, starting at the bottom point. Each pocket is worked in the round, from a flat base up into walls with a cable. Then you add a cream border to the panel and sew the pockets onto it.
Finished Size and Construction
- Finished size: 7.25 in (18.4 cm) wide x 23 in (58.4 cm) long; 24.5 in (62.2 cm) with the loop
- Skill level: Intermediate (front post cables, shaping)
- Terminology: US
- Yarn weight: Worsted (#4)
- Hook: 5.0 mm (H-8)
- Number of pieces: 4 (1 panel, 3 pockets)
- Layout: 1 column of 3 pockets on the panel
- Panel size before border: 6.25 in (15.9 cm) x 22 in (55.9 cm)
- Pocket size: base 4.75 in (12.1 cm) across; walls 3.75 in (9.5 cm) tall
- Border depth: about 0.5 in (1.3 cm)
Materials
Use a smooth worsted-weight yarn in cotton or a cotton blend. It shows the cables clearly and holds its shape when loaded with rolls. The amounts below assume about 200 m per 100 g.
- Sage green (A): 200 g, about 400 m
- Cream (B): 40 g, about 80 m
Tools:
– 5.0 mm (H-8) crochet hook
– Tapestry needle
– 4 locking stitch markers
– Rust-proof pins and a blocking mat
– Measuring tape
– Scissors
The yarn amounts include a margin of about 15% for your gauge sample and small differences in tension.
Abbreviations (US Terms)
- ch: chain
- sl st: slip stitch
- sc: single crochet
- hdc: half double crochet
- dc: double crochet
- tr: treble crochet
- sc2tog / sc3tog: single crochet 2 (or 3) together
- BLO: back loop only
- FPdc / FPtr: front post double / front post treble crochet
- MR: magic ring
- st(s): stitch(es); sp: space; rnd: round
Special stitch: mini bobble picot (mbp). Ch 3. *Yarn over, insert the hook in the 3rd ch from the hook, pull up a loop, yarn over and pull through 2 loops. Repeat from * 2 more times (4 loops on the hook). Yarn over and pull through all 4 loops. This makes a small ball that sits on top of the edge.
Cables (worked over 9 sts):
– Cross A: Skip 3 sts, FPtr around each of the next 3 sts, then FPtr around each of the 3 skipped sts, working in front of the ones you just made. Finish with FPdc around each of the next 3 sts.
– Cross B: FPdc around each of the next 3 sts, skip 3 sts, FPtr around each of the next 3 sts, then FPtr around each of the 3 skipped sts, working behind the ones you just made.
Skip the stitch behind each post stitch you make.
Gauge and Checkpoints
- Single crochet rows: 16 sts and 18 rows = 4 in (10.2 cm)
- Half double crochet rounds: 16 sts and 12 rnds = 4 in (10.2 cm)
Make one pocket first and use it as your gauge test. It has every stitch in the pattern, and it tells you right away whether a roll will fit.
Checkpoints:
– Pocket after Rnd 10: the base is 4.75 in (12.1 cm) across and lies flat.
– Pocket after Rnd 20: the wall is about 3.4 in (8.6 cm) tall and fits around a roll with a little room.
– Panel after Row 11: 13 sts, 3.25 in (8.3 cm) wide.
– Panel after Row 23: 25 sts, 6.25 in (15.9 cm) wide.
– Panel after Row 99: 22 in (55.9 cm) long.
If your pieces come out too large, go down a hook size, to 4.5 mm. If they are too small, or a roll won’t fit in the pocket, go up to 5.5 mm. Fix your gauge before you start the panel. The pocket and panel stitch counts are planned to line up when you sew them together.
Pocket (Make 3)
Base
Use A.
Rnd 1: In a MR, ch 1, work 6 sc. Join with a sl st to the first sc. (6 sts)
Rnd 2: Ch 1, 2 sc in each st, join. (12 sts)
Rnd 3: Ch 1, [sc in next st, 2 sc in next st] 6 times, join. (18 sts)
Rnd 4: Ch 1, [sc in next 2 sts, 2 sc in next st] 6 times, join. (24 sts)
Rnds 5–10: Keep going the same way. Each round, work 1 more sc before each increase. Rnd 5 has 30 sts, Rnd 6 has 36, Rnd 7 has 42, Rnd 8 has 48 and Rnd 9 has 54. Rnd 10 is [sc in next 8 sts, 2 sc in next st] 6 times, for 60 sts.
The base is now 4.75 in (12.1 cm) across.
Walls and Braided Cable
Rnd 11 (turning round): Ch 1, sc BLO in each st, join. (60 sts)
The unused front loops form a ridge, and the edge starts to turn upward.
Rnd 12 (setup): Ch 2 (does not count as a st), hdc in next 25 sts, dc in next 9 sts, hdc in next 26 sts, join. (60 sts)
Rnd 13: Ch 2, hdc in next 25 sts, Cross A over the next 9 sts, hdc in next 26 sts, join. (60 sts)
Rnd 14: Ch 2, hdc in next 25 sts, FPdc around each of the next 9 sts, hdc in next 26 sts, join. (60 sts)
Rnd 15: Work as for Rnd 13, but use Cross B in place of Cross A. (60 sts)
Rnd 16: Repeat Rnd 14.
Rnds 17–20: Repeat Rnds 13–16 once more. (60 sts)
The cable crosses to the left, then to the right, and so on, which forms the braid. Fasten off A.
Rim
Rnd 21: Join B with a sl st in the joining st. Ch 1, sc in each st, join. (60 sts)
Rnd 22: Ch 1, [sc in next 2 sts, mbp] 30 times, join. (60 sc, 30 mbp)
Fasten off and leave a 24 in (61.0 cm) tail for sewing.
The cable sits on sts 26–34 and is centered on st 30. The back of the pocket is the 21 sts across from it: sts 50–60 plus sts 1–10. Place markers on st 50 and st 10 in both Rnd 21 and Rnd 11.
Back Panel
Use A. You work the panel in rows, starting at the bottom point. Turn at the end of every row. The ch 1 at the start of a row does not count as a st.
Row 1: Ch 2, work 3 sc in the 2nd ch from the hook. (3 sts)
Row 2: Ch 1, sc in each st. (3 sts)
Row 3: Ch 1, 2 sc in the first st, sc to the last st, 2 sc in the last st. (5 sts)
Rows 4–23: Repeat Rows 2–3. Each odd row adds 2 sts, so Row 23 has 25 sts.
Row 24: Ch 1, sc in each st. (25 sts)
Rows 25–76: Repeat Row 24. (25 sts)
This straight middle section is about 11.5 in (29.2 cm) long.
Row 77: Ch 1, sc2tog, sc to the last 2 sts, sc2tog. (23 sts)
Row 78: Ch 1, sc in each st. (23 sts)
Rows 79–97: Repeat Rows 77–78, ending with a Row 77 repeat. Row 97 has 3 sts.
Row 98: Ch 1, sc in each st. (3 sts)
Row 99: Ch 1, sc3tog. (1 st)
Fasten off.
The bottom taper (Rows 1–24) is about 5.3 in (13.5 cm) long. The top taper (Rows 77–99) is about 5.1 in (13.0 cm) long. In total, the 99 rows measure 22 in (55.9 cm).
Make All Pieces
- Panel x 1: A for the body, B for the border and loop
- Pockets x 3: A for Rnds 1–20, B for Rnds 21–22
Layout (from top to bottom):
[ loop ]
/\
/ \ top taper
| |
| P3 | base Row 60, rim Row 75
| P2 | base Row 40, rim Row 55
| P1 | base Row 20, rim Row 35
\ / bottom taper
\/
Border
Add the border before you sew on the pockets. That way, the panel edge stays easy to reach.
Border gauge: Work 1 sc in each row end. With sc rows, that comes to about 4.2 sts per inch along the slanted and straight edges.
Rnd 1: Join B in the top point st (Row 99).
– Ch 1, then work (sc, ch 2, sc) in the top point.
– Work 98 sc down the side, 1 in each row end from Row 98 to Row 1.
– At the bottom point, work (sc, ch 2, sc) in the underside of the center st of Row 1.
– Work 98 sc up the other side.
– Join.
This gives 200 sc and 2 ch-2 sps. Each side has 100 sts between the ch-2 sps: 98 row-end sts plus the 2 point sc. The point sc are counted once, as part of these 100.
Rnd 2: Sl st into the top ch-2 sp.
– Ch 1, then work (sc, ch 14, sc) in the sp. The ch-14 becomes the hanging loop.
– Side: sc in next st, [mbp, sc in next 2 sts] 49 times, mbp, sc in next st. That is 100 sc and 50 mbp.
– At the bottom point, work (sc, mbp, sc) in the ch-2 sp.
– Work the second side the same as the first.
– Join.
This gives 204 sc, 101 mbp and 1 ch-14 loop.
Loop: Sl st into the ch-14 loop and work 22 sc over it. Sl st to the next st and fasten off.
Why the math works: Each long edge, counting both tapers, is about 23.7 in (60.2 cm) long. Spread over that edge, 100 sts come to about 4.2 sts per inch, very close to the 4 sts per inch gauge. So the edge lies flat without cupping or ruffling. The repeat [mbp, sc 2] with 1 sc at each end uses exactly 100 sts and leaves 2 sc between neighboring picots everywhere, including at the points.
The border adds 0.5 in (1.3 cm) on every edge. That takes the panel to 7.25 in x 23 in (18.4 cm x 58.4 cm).
Joining
Method: Whipstitch with the B tail for the rim and a length of A for the base, matching stitch to stitch.
Stitch-to-stitch logic: The 21 back sts of a pocket (sts 50–10) match the center 21 sts of a 25-st panel row (sts 3–23), with 2 sts free on each side.
For each pocket:
- Rim: With the pocket’s back against the panel, whipstitch the 21 marked sts of Rnd 21 to sts 3–23 of the rim row.
- Base: Whipstitch the 21 marked front loops of Rnd 11 to the base row, which is 15 rows below the rim row.
| Base row | Rim row | |
|---|---|---|
| Bottom pocket | Row 20 | Row 35 |
| Middle pocket | Row 40 | Row 55 |
| Top pocket | Row 60 | Row 75 |
Row 20 has exactly 21 sts, so the base of the bottom pocket spans the full width of the panel at that point.
Tension: Pull each stitch snug, but don’t pull so hard that the panel puckers. The 15 rows between base and rim measure about 3.3 in (8.4 cm). That matches the pocket wall, so the back of the pocket lies flat.
Size checkpoint: The bottom of the pockets sit about 4.4 in (11.2 cm), 8.9 in (22.6 cm) and 13.3 in (33.8 cm) up from the bottom point, measured before the border. The gap between one pocket’s rim and the next pocket’s base is about 1.1 in (2.8 cm).
Final Blocking
- Wet the holder or mist it well, then press out the extra water in a towel.
- Lay the panel flat. Pin it to 7.25 in x 23 in (18.4 cm x 58.4 cm), placing a pin at each point.
- Pin out every picot along the border.
- Fill each pocket with a roll in a plastic bag, or a rolled hand towel, so the cups dry round.
- Let it dry completely, at least 24 hours.
- Take out the pins and fillers, and hang the holder on a hook.
Final Quality-Control Checklist
- [ ] Panel stitch counts check out: 25 sts at the widest point, 99 rows, 1 st at each point
- [ ] Every pocket has 60 sts in Rnds 10–21 and 30 picots in Rnd 22
- [ ] The cables cross left, right, left, right, with 4 crosses per pocket
- [ ] Each side of the border has 100 sc and 50 mbp
- [ ] The cables are centered and the pockets line up straight down the center
- [ ] All ends are woven in and the hanging loop is firm
- [ ] A roll slides in and out easily
Troubleshooting
- The pocket base cups or ripples: check that you have 60 sts after Rnd 10, and change hook size if needed.
- A roll won’t fit in the pocket: go up a hook size, or add Rnd 11 of the base in sc with 6 increases (66 sts). If you do that, also add 6 hdc to the back section of the walls.
- The cable sinks into the fabric: use FPtr for the crosses, not FPdc, and keep the post stitches loose.
- The border ruffles: skip 1 row end out of every 10 on the long straight section. Adjust the picot repeat to match.
- The panel sags under the rolls: tighten your tension, or sew the base rows again a little more firmly.
Care
Hand wash in cool water and lay flat to dry. Reshape the pockets around a roll while they are still damp.
Final Notes
Here is how the measurements build on each other. The pocket base is 60 sts, about 4.75 in (12.1 cm) across. The walls are 9 rounds of hdc plus cable, about 3.75 in (9.5 cm) tall with the rim. The panel is 25 sts by 99 rows, or 6.25 x 22 in (15.9 x 55.9 cm). The border has 100 sts per side and brings the holder to 7.25 x 23 in (18.4 x 58.4 cm). Each pocket’s 21 back sts match 21 panel sts, which keeps the column straight and the rolls secure.
Happy crocheting!