This three-tier hanging holder stores three spare toilet rolls in a slim column. Each tier is a round basket in soft powder blue. A band of white puff-stitch tulips with green V-stitch leaves under them runs around each wall. Two long blue straps link the tiers and meet in a point that hangs from a wall peg.
The light blue, white and leaf green colors suit a spring-colored or cottage-style bathroom. The texture is chunky and clear: double crochet spokes in the base, a small shell round, the leaf and tulip band, and a rolled reverse single crochet rim.
This pattern uses US crochet terms. Each basket is 5.5 in (14.0 cm) across and 3.25 in (8.3 cm) tall. It holds a standard roll about 4.5 in (11.4 cm) wide, and the top of the roll shows above the rim. The assembled holder is about 23.5 in (59.7 cm) tall from the bottom basket to the point, plus the hanging loop.
You work each basket in joined rounds from the center of the base up the wall. You work the straps flat in rows and sew them to the outside of the baskets. Then you add the rims and the hanging loop.
Finished Size and Construction
- Finished size: about 23.5 in (59.7 cm) tall to the point; 5.5 in (14.0 cm) wide
- Skill level: Intermediate (easy)
- Terminology: US crochet terms
- Yarn weight: Worsted / aran (#4), cotton or cotton blend
- Hook: 5.0 mm (H-8)
- Number of pieces: 5 (3 baskets, 2 straps)
- Layout: 3 baskets stacked in one column, joined by 2 straps on opposite sides
- Piece size: basket 5.5 in (14.0 cm) across x 3.25 in (8.3 cm) tall; strap 24 in (61.0 cm) x 0.75 in (1.9 cm)
- Size before border: basket wall 3.0 in (7.6 cm) tall before the rim
- Border depth: rim 0.25 in (0.6 cm)
Materials
Choose a smooth worsted-weight cotton or cotton blend. Cotton holds its shape, copes with bathroom humidity and shows the puff stitches clearly. Acrylic also works, but the baskets will be softer.
- Light blue (main color): 150 g, about 300 m (328 yd)
- Leaf green: 25 g, about 50 m (55 yd)
- White: 25 g, about 50 m (55 yd)
These amounts include a margin of about 25 percent for the gauge swatch, color tails and any frogging.
Tools:
- 5.0 mm (H-8) crochet hook
- 4 locking stitch markers
- Tapestry needle
- Scissors
- Measuring tape
- Rustproof pins and a spray bottle
- Optional: wall peg or hook for hanging
Abbreviations (US Terms)
- ch – chain
- sl st – slip stitch
- sc – single crochet
- dc – double crochet
- BLO – back loop only
- sk – skip
- st(s) – stitch(es)
- sp – space
- rev sc – reverse single crochet (crab stitch)
- rep – repeat
Special stitches:
- Shell: 3 dc in the same st.
- V-st (leaf): (dc, ch 1, dc) in the same st. The ch-1 sp counts as 1 st.
- Puff (tulip): (yo, insert hook in st, yo, pull up a loop to about 0.5 in / 1.3 cm) 4 times, yo and pull through all 9 loops on hook, ch 1 to close. The closing ch does not count as a st.
- Rev sc: Work sc from left to right (right to left if you are left-handed), going into the next st to the right.
Gauge and Checkpoints
Gauge: 14 sc x 16 rows = 4 in (10.2 cm). That is 3.5 sts per inch. In the dc base, each round adds about 0.5 in (1.3 cm) to the diameter.
Make one complete basket before you start the others. It is the best gauge test, because it shows whether the base lies flat and whether a roll fits.
Checkpoints:
- After base Round 3: 3.25 in (8.3 cm) across
- After base Round 5: 5.25 in (13.3 cm) across
- After base Round 6: 5.5 in (14.0 cm) across, or 17.1 in (43.4 cm) around
- After wall Round 10: wall 1.25 in (3.2 cm) tall
- After wall Round 13: wall 2.5 in (6.4 cm) tall
- After wall Round 15: wall 3.0 in (7.6 cm) tall
If the base is larger than 5.5 in (14.0 cm), go down half a hook size. If it is smaller than 5.25 in (13.3 cm) after Round 6, go up half a hook size. Do not add or remove rounds, because the tulip repeat needs exactly 60 sts.
Basket (Make 3)
Join every round with a sl st to the first st. The beginning ch does not count as a st. Keep the right side facing you the whole time.
Base
With light blue, make a magic ring.
Round 1: Ch 2, 12 dc in ring, join. Pull the ring closed, leaving a small center hole. (12 sts)
Round 2: Ch 2, 2 dc in each st around, join. (24 sts)
Round 3: Ch 2, dc in next st, 2 dc in next st, rep from * around, join. (36 sts)
Round 4: Ch 2, dc in next 2 sts, 2 dc in next st, rep from * around, join. (48 sts)
Round 5: Ch 2, dc in next 3 sts, 2 dc in next st, rep from * around, join. (60 sts)
Round 6: Ch 1, sc in each st around, join. (60 sts)
The base is now a flat circle 5.5 in (14.0 cm) across, with a firm sc edge for the wall to stand on.
Wall
The wall has no increases. Every round keeps 60 sts, as 12 repeats of 5 sts.
Round 7 (turning ridge): Ch 1, sc in BLO of each st around, join. (60 sts) The unused front loops form a ridge, and the work turns upward.
Round 8: Ch 1, sc in each st around, join. (60 sts)
Round 9 (shell round): Ch 1, sc in next st, sk 1 st, shell in next st, sk 1 st, sc in next st, rep from * 11 more times, join. (12 repeats x 5 sts = 60 sts)
Round 10: Ch 1, sc in each sc and each dc around, join. (60 sts) Drop light blue and carry it loosely up the inside of the wall.
Round 11 (leaf round): Join leaf green. Ch 1, sc in next st, sk 1 st, V-st in next st, sk 1 st, sc in next st, rep from * around, join. (12 repeats x [sc + dc + ch-1 sp + dc + sc] = 60 sts) Each V-st sits directly above the center dc of a shell.
Round 12: Ch 1, sc in next sc, sc in next dc, sc in next ch-1 sp, sc in next dc, sc in next sc, rep from * around, join. (60 sts) Fasten off green.
Round 13 (tulip round): Join white. Ch 1, sc in next 2 sts, puff in next st, sc in next 2 sts, rep from * around, join. (12 puffs + 48 sc = 60 sts) Each puff sits above the ch-1 sp of a leaf, so every tulip has a green V under it. Fasten off white.
Round 14: Pick up light blue. Ch 1, sc in each sc and in the top of each puff (not the closing ch), join. (60 sts)
Round 15: Ch 1, sc in each st around, join. (60 sts) Fasten off.
Mark the strap positions: Place a marker in st 1 of Round 15 and another in st 31. They sit directly opposite each other, with 30 sts on each side. Each side holds 6 tulips, and both markers fall between two tulips. The round joins sit under one strap, which hides the jog.
Weave in the green and white tails on the inside.
Straps (Make 2)
With light blue, ch 85.
Row 1: Sc in 2nd ch from hook and in each ch across, turn. (84 sts)
Rows 2–3: Ch 1, sc in each st across, turn. (84 sts)
Fasten off and leave a 24 in (61.0 cm) tail for sewing. Each strap is 24 in (61.0 cm) long and 0.75 in (1.9 cm) wide.
Count along one long edge, starting from one end:
- Sts 1–10: bottom basket, 2.86 in (7.3 cm)
- Sts 11–21: first gap, 3.14 in (8.0 cm)
- Sts 22–31: middle basket, 2.86 in (7.3 cm)
- Sts 32–42: second gap, 3.14 in (8.0 cm)
- Sts 43–52: top basket, 2.86 in (7.3 cm)
- Sts 53–84: hanger leg, 9.14 in (23.2 cm)
Check: 10 + 11 + 10 + 11 + 10 + 32 = 84 sts.
Make All Pieces
- Baskets: 3, each using about 32 g light blue, 4 g green and 4 g white
- Straps: 2, each using about 9 g light blue
Layout, front view:
/ \ <- strap legs meet at point + loop, sts 53–84
[ BASKET 3 ] <- strap sts 43–52
| | <- gap, sts 32–42
[ BASKET 2 ] <- strap sts 22–31
| | <- gap, sts 11–21
[ BASKET 1 ] <- strap sts 1–10
Strap A Strap B
Joining
Lay the bottom basket on its side with the st 1 marker facing up. Place strap A on the outside of the wall over that column, with strap st 1 level with the base edge (Round 6).
Stitch-to-stitch logic: Each basket section of the strap is 10 sts long, and the wall from Round 6 to Round 15 is 10 rounds tall. Sew 1 strap st to each round. Whipstitch down both long edges of the strap, going through the strap edge and the wall st under it. Strap A covers sts 60, 1 and 2 of each wall round.
Repeat with strap B on the st 31 column, covering sts 30, 31 and 32. Join the middle basket at strap sts 22–31 and the top basket at sts 43–52 in the same way. Keep every basket’s join under strap A.
Tension advice: The shell, leaf and tulip rounds are taller than sc. So the wall is about 3.0 in (7.6 cm), while 10 strap sts are about 2.86 in (7.3 cm). Stretch the strap slightly as you sew so it lies flat. Keep the whipstitch snug but not tight, or the wall will pucker.
Size checkpoint: Lay the column flat. Measured along the strap, the bottom of basket 1 to the top of basket 3 should be about 14.9 in (37.8 cm). Each gap should be about 3.14 in (8.0 cm).
Bring the free strap ends up without twisting them. Sew the last row-ends of strap A and strap B together to form the point.
Border
The border has two parts: a rolled rim on each basket and a hanging loop at the point.
Border gauge: Work rev sc 1 per st, at the same 3.5 sts per inch as the wall. This keeps the rim at the same 17.1 in (43.4 cm) around as the wall.
Basket Rim
Round 16: Join light blue in st 2 of Round 15, next to strap A. Ch 1, rev sc in each st around, join. Insert the hook only into basket sts, not into the strap ends.
- Side 1 (st 2 to st 31): 30 rev sc
- Side 2 (st 32 to st 1): 30 rev sc
- Total: 60 sts
Why the math works: The two straps split the 60 sts into two halves of 30. Each half holds 6 tulip repeats of 5 sts (6 x 5 = 30). The rim has the same count as the wall, so the top edge stays straight and neither flares nor pulls in. The rolled rev sc adds about 0.25 in (0.6 cm), which brings the basket to 3.25 in (8.3 cm).
Fasten off and weave in ends. Repeat on all 3 baskets.
Hanging Loop
Join light blue at the center of the strap seam at the point. Ch 10, sl st back into the same place. Work 14 sc into the ch-10 loop and sl st to the seam. (14 sc) The loop is about 1.5 in (3.8 cm) long. Fasten off and weave in the end.
Final Blocking
- Weave in all remaining tails along the strap seams or inside the walls.
- Spray the holder until it is damp but not dripping.
- Put a toilet roll in each basket to shape the walls into true cylinders.
- Lay the holder flat on a towel. Straighten the straps so each gap measures 3.14 in (8.0 cm).
- Pin the strap legs straight, with the point centered above the baskets.
- Gently puff out each tulip with a fingertip.
- Let it dry completely and remove the rolls. Hang it and check that the baskets sit level.
Final Quality-Control Checklist
- Each base is flat and 5.5 in (14.0 cm) across.
- Each wall has exactly 12 tulips, each above a green V-leaf.
- Each basket is 3.25 in (8.3 cm) tall including the rim.
- Both straps are 84 sts long and not twisted.
- The straps sit directly opposite each other, with 6 tulips on each side.
- The gaps are equal, about 3.14 in (8.0 cm).
- The point is centered and the hanging loop is secure.
- A roll fits each basket without stretching the wall.
Troubleshooting
The base ruffles. Your dc are too tight for 12 increases per round. Go up half a hook size.
The base cups. Your dc are too loose. Go down half a hook size.
The tulips and leaves do not line up. The V-st must go into the center dc of each shell. The puff must go into the sc above each ch-1 sp.
The count is not 60 after Round 12 or 14. Check that each ch-1 sp got exactly 1 sc and that you skipped the puff’s closing ch.
The wall leans outward. Make sure you worked Round 7 in BLO, and use the same hook for the base and the wall.
The baskets tilt when hung. The straps are not opposite each other. Count 30 sts between them and sew them again.
The roll does not fit. The base is too small. Make it again with a hook half a size larger.
Care
Hand wash in cool water with mild soap, press out the water in a towel, and dry flat with a roll in each basket. Do not tumble dry.
Final Notes
The measurement chain is short:
- A gauge of 3.5 sts per inch gives a 60-st base 5.5 in (14.0 cm) across.
- The same 60 sts form a 3.0 in (7.6 cm) wall of 12 tulip repeats. The straps split it into two halves of 30.
- The rim adds 0.25 in (0.6 cm), for a 3.25 in (8.3 cm) basket.
- Each 84-st strap is 24 in (61.0 cm): 10 sts per basket, 11 per gap and 32 for the hanger leg.
- Together these give a holder about 23.5 in (59.7 cm) tall to the point.
Make one basket and check it against these numbers, and the rest will follow.
Happy crocheting!