The Buttercup Trio is a three-tier hanging basket for plastic grocery bags. You tuck bags in from the top and pull them out one at a time through the bottom. Three open diamond-mesh baskets hang in a column on two narrow side straps, and a slim loop at the top hooks over a nail or wall hook.
The whole piece uses one soft butter-yellow cotton. Each basket has a solid single crochet rim band and a lattice body that tapers to a small round nub at the bottom. The nub has a stretchy center opening, so a bag in any basket can be pulled out from below. The style is light, airy and farmhouse-simple. It suits a kitchen, laundry room, pantry or entryway, and the open mesh lets you see at a glance when it needs refilling.
This pattern uses US crochet terms. Each basket is 6 in (15.2 cm) wide laid flat and 5.5 in (14.0 cm) tall. The assembled holder is 6 in (15.2 cm) wide and about 25 in (63.5 cm) long from the top of the hanging loop to the bottom nub.
Construction is simple. You crochet each basket in joined rounds from the bottom nub up: a small solid base, nine mesh rounds, then a five-round rim band. Next you make two flat single crochet straps and one hanging loop. Then you sew the straps to the sides of the three rim bands, attach the loop, and finish each rim with a slip stitch edge.
Finished Size and Construction
- Finished size (assembled): 6 in (15.2 cm) wide x about 25 in (63.5 cm) long, loop included
- Skill level: Easy / advanced beginner
- Terminology: US crochet terms
- Yarn weight: Worsted (#4) cotton
- Hook: 5.0 mm (H-8)
- Number of pieces: 6 (3 baskets, 2 straps, 1 hanging loop)
- Layout: 3 baskets stacked in 1 vertical column, with tops spaced 8 in (20.3 cm) apart
- Piece size (one basket): 6 in (15.2 cm) wide flat x 5.5 in (14.0 cm) tall
- Size before border: Same as the piece size, because the rim band is part of each basket
- Border depth: A slip stitch surface edge on each rim that adds less than 1/8 in (0.3 cm)
Materials
Choose a smooth worsted-weight cotton or cotton blend. Cotton holds the basket shape, doesn’t stretch out under the weight of the bags and survives repeated washing. Acrylic also works, but the mesh will be floppier and the baskets may sag over time.
- Butter yellow: 110 g, about 185 m
Approximate use is 24 g per basket (72 g total), 5 g per strap (10 g total) and 3 g for the hanging loop, so 85 g in all. The 110 g listed above adds a margin of about 25% for your gauge basket, any re-dos and differences in tension.
Tools:
– 5.0 mm (H-8) crochet hook
– Tapestry needle
– 4 locking stitch markers, plus scrap yarn for extra marks
– Scissors
– Measuring tape
– Rust-proof pins and a blocking mat or towel
Abbreviations (US Terms)
- ch: chain
- sl st: slip stitch
- sc: single crochet
- sp: space
- st(s): stitch(es)
- BLO: back loop only
- rnd(s): round(s)
Special stitch (ch-sp loop): One mesh unit is an sc worked into a space plus the chains that follow it. “12 ch-5 loops” means 12 sc and 12 chain-5 spaces around.
Gauge and Checkpoints
Gauge: 16 sc x 16 rnds = 4 in (10.2 cm) in sc worked in joined rounds with a 5.0 mm hook. So 1 sc, or 1 round, equals 0.25 in (0.6 cm).
Make one complete basket and measure it before making the others. The basket is your real gauge test, because both the mesh and the rim band have to come out right.
Checkpoints for one basket:
– After Rnd 2: The solid nub is about 1.25 in (3.2 cm) across.
– After Rnd 5: The mesh is about 4 in (10.2 cm) wide laid flat.
– After Rnd 11: The mesh is about 6 in (15.2 cm) wide flat and 4.25 in (10.8 cm) tall.
– After Rnd 16: There are 48 sc, and the rim is 12 in (30.5 cm) around. The basket is 6 in (15.2 cm) wide flat and 5.5 in (14.0 cm) tall.
If your basket is too big, switch to a 4.5 mm hook. If it’s too small, switch to a 5.5 mm hook. Don’t change the number of mesh loops or rim stitches, because the strap placement depends on exactly 48 rim stitches.
Basket (Make 3)
Work in joined rounds. Start every round with ch 1, which doesn’t count as a stitch, and join with a sl st to the first sc. Don’t turn. Starting each round in the same spot keeps the join seam in a straight line, which later marks one side of the basket.
Base Nub
Rnd 1: Ch 4 and sl st in the first ch to form a ring. Ch 1, work 6 sc in the ring, join. (6 sc)
Rnd 2: Ch 1, work 2 sc in each st around, join. (12 sc)
This small solid disc is the nub. The ring at its center stays open about 0.75 in (1.9 cm) and stretches wide enough to pull a bag through. Leave the beginning tail hanging for now so you can adjust the ring later.
Mesh Body
Rnd 3: Ch 1, sc in next st, ch 3; repeat from * 12 times total, join to the first sc. (12 sc, 12 ch-3 sps)
Rnd 4: Sl st into the first ch-3 sp. Ch 1, sc in the same sp, ch 4, sc in next ch-3 sp, ch 4; repeat from * 11 more times, join to the first sc. (12 sc, 12 ch-4 sps)
Rnd 5: Sl st into the first ch-4 sp. Ch 1, sc in the same sp, ch 5, sc in next ch-4 sp, ch 5; repeat from * 11 more times, join. (12 sc, 12 ch-5 sps)
Rounds 3 to 5 keep the same 12 loops but lengthen each chain. This gradually widens the cone and gives the basket its tapered lower curve.
Rnds 6–11: Sl st into the first ch-5 sp. Ch 1, sc in the same sp, ch 5, sc in next ch-5 sp, ch 5; repeat from * 11 more times, join. (12 sc, 12 ch-5 sps in each round)
Each sc sits in the middle of the loop below, so the loops stagger into an open diamond lattice. The six straight ch-5 rounds make the near-vertical upper sides of the basket.
Checkpoint: You’ve worked 9 mesh rounds (Rnds 3–11). Laid flat, the mesh should be about 6 in (15.2 cm) wide and the basket about 4.25 in (10.8 cm) tall.
Rim Band
Rnd 12 (conversion round): Ch 1, sc in next sc, 3 sc in next ch-5 sp; repeat from * 12 times total, join. (12 sc worked into sc + 36 sc worked into spaces = 48 sc)
Rnds 13–16: Ch 1, sc in each st around, join. (48 sc in each round)
Fasten off and weave in the ends. The rim band is 5 rounds, or 1.25 in (3.2 cm), tall.
Mark the strap columns: Flatten the basket so the join seam sits at one side fold. Place a marker in st 1 of Rnd 16 and another in st 25. These are the two side columns where the straps attach. There are 24 sts on each face between them.
Straps (Make 2)
Foundation: Ch 70.
Row 1: Sc in the 2nd ch from the hook and in each ch across, turn. (69 sc)
Row 2: Ch 1, sc in each st across. (69 sc)
Fasten off and weave in the ends. Each strap is 69 sts, or 17.25 in (43.8 cm), long and about 0.5 in (1.3 cm) wide.
Mark each strap with scrap yarn at st 1, st 33 and st 65, counting from the same end on both straps. These marks show where the tops of baskets 1, 2 and 3 go.
Hanging Loop (Make 1)
Foundation: Ch 41.
Row 1: Sc in the 2nd ch from the hook and in each ch across. (40 sc)
Fasten off, leaving a 10 in (25.4 cm) tail at each end for sewing. The loop is 10 in (25.4 cm) long.
Make All Pieces
Make all six pieces in butter yellow before you start assembling:
- 3 baskets (Rnds 1–16 each)
- 2 straps (69 sc each)
- 1 hanging loop (40 sc)
Layout (front view, one column):
/‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾\ hanging loop
| |
S [ Basket 1 ] S strap sts 1–5
S S strap sts 6–32 (gap)
S [ Basket 2 ] S strap sts 33–37
S S strap sts 38–64 (gap)
S [ Basket 3 ] S strap sts 65–69
S = strap. Each basket’s rim band lines up with 5 strap stitches.
Joining
Method: Whipstitch with the tapestry needle and a 12 in (30.5 cm) length of yarn.
Stitch-to-stitch logic: The gauge is square, so 1 strap stitch equals 1 band round, both 0.25 in (0.6 cm). Each rim band has 5 rounds (Rnds 12–16), so it meets exactly 5 strap stitches.
- Lay basket 1 flat with its markers at the side folds. Lay a strap along one side so that strap st 1 is level with Rnd 16 and strap sts 1–5 run down the marked column from Rnd 16 to Rnd 12.
- Sew each strap stitch to one band round, so 5 stitches are sewn to 5 rounds. Go through both strap rows so the strap lies flat against the band.
- Repeat on the other side, sewing the second strap to the st 25 column.
- Attach basket 2 at strap sts 33–37 and basket 3 at strap sts 65–69 the same way, keeping both straps level.
Tension advice: Sew firmly, but don’t pull the band in. The rim has to stay 6 in (15.2 cm) wide. Before you tie off, check that both straps are the same length between baskets.
Size checkpoint: The basket tops are 8 in (20.3 cm) apart (32 strap stitches x 0.25 in). That leaves a gap of about 2.5 in (6.4 cm) between each nub and the next rim. From the top of basket 1 to the bottom of the nub on basket 3, the stack measures 21.5 in (54.6 cm).
Hanging loop: Sew one end of the loop to the inside top of each strap at basket 1, overlapping 3 sts. The loop rises in an arch about 3.5 in (8.9 cm) above the top rim.
Border: Rim Edge
Border gauge: 1 sl st per sc, which keeps the band’s 16 sts = 4 in (10.2 cm). The edge adds no width.
Work this edge on each basket after joining. It firms the top edge into a neat rolled line and helps the rim hold its round shape when the basket is packed with bags.
Rnd 17: Join yarn at the first marked column (st 1). Ch 1, sl st in the BLO of each st around, join. (48 sl st: 24 on the front face + 24 on the back face)
Work through the band only. The straps lie on the outside of the band and aren’t caught in this round. Keep your slip stitches loose enough that the rim doesn’t pull in.
Why the math works: Rnd 12 turns 12 mesh loops into 12 + 36 = 48 sc. Since 48 splits evenly into 24 + 24, the two straps sit exactly opposite each other at sts 1 and 25, so the basket hangs level and doesn’t tip. The slip stitch edge works 48 stitches over 48, so the rim stays 12 in (30.5 cm) around.
Fasten off and weave in all ends.
Final Blocking
- Soak the finished holder in cool water, then gently squeeze the water out. Don’t wring it.
- Roll it in a towel to remove extra moisture.
- Stuff each basket lightly with a plastic bag or a crumpled towel so the mesh opens into even diamonds.
- Lay it flat and pin the straps straight, keeping the basket tops 8 in (20.3 cm) apart.
- Check that each rim is 6 in (15.2 cm) wide flat and each basket is 5.5 in (14.0 cm) tall.
- Let it dry completely, then remove the stuffing.
Final Quality-Control Checklist
- Each basket has 12 loops in every mesh round and 48 sts in the rim band.
- Each nub opening stretches enough to pull a bag through.
- Both straps are 69 sts, or 17.25 in (43.8 cm), long and lie flat.
- Each band is sewn to exactly 5 strap stitches on each side.
- The straps sit opposite each other at sts 1 and 25.
- The basket tops are 8 in (20.3 cm) apart.
- The hanging loop is centered and sewn on securely.
- All ends are woven in on the inside.
Troubleshooting
The mesh looks crooked or spirals: Make sure each round starts with a sl st into the first space and that the first sc goes into that same space.
The basket is too shallow: Check that you worked all six ch-5 rounds (Rnds 6–11).
The rim ruffles: Your tension on Rnd 12 is too loose. Rework it more tightly, or go down one hook size for the band only.
The rim pulls in: Your tension on Rnd 12 is too tight. Rework it with a 5.5 mm hook for the band only.
The straps don’t line up: Recount the strap marks at sts 1, 33 and 65, then re-sew.
Bags fall through the nub: Pull the beginning tail to tighten the starting ring, then weave it in firmly.
The basket tilts: One strap is sewn to the wrong column. Move it to st 1 or st 25.
Care
Hand wash, or machine wash cold on a gentle cycle, then reshape and lay flat to dry. Cotton softens with use, so re-block if the mesh loses its shape.
Final Notes
The measurement chain is simple. A gauge of 16 sc = 4 in (10.2 cm) gives 0.25 in (0.6 cm) per stitch and per round. Twelve mesh loops become 48 rim stitches, which make a 12 in (30.5 cm) rim and a 6 in (15.2 cm) flat width. Five band rounds meet five strap stitches. Thirty-two strap stitches between basket tops give 8 in (20.3 cm) spacing. That adds up to a 21.5 in (54.6 cm) stack and a finished holder about 25 in (63.5 cm) long with its loop.
Make one basket, check it against the checkpoints, and the rest will fall into place.
Happy crocheting!