Three little bell-shaped pockets in deep cranberry, each with a cream lattice rim, a scalloped edge and a puffy cream bow. They hang from a crochet-covered rod and each one holds a standard toilet roll. It’s a cozy holiday touch for a guest bathroom, and it’s handy too.
The palette is just two colors: burgundy for the base, walls and rod sleeve, and cream for the colorwork band, scallops, straps and bows. Dense single crochet keeps the pockets sturdy enough to stand up on their own, even when empty.
This pattern uses US crochet terms. Each finished pocket is about 5.2 in (13.2 cm) tall with a base about 5.5 in (14.0 cm) across. The rod sleeve is 20 in (50.8 cm) long, so the whole set fits a rod that’s at least 22 in (55.9 cm) long.
Construction overview: you work each pocket from the bottom up in joined rounds. First a flat circle base, then shaped bell walls, then a cream border with tapestry checks, a flare round and scallops. The straps and bows are made separately and sewn on. The rod sleeve is a flat rectangle that you seam around the rod.
Finished Size and Construction
- Finished pocket size: 5.2 in (13.2 cm) tall; base 5.5 in (14.0 cm) diameter
- Skill level: Intermediate (simple tapestry colorwork)
- Terminology: US
- Yarn weight: Worsted (#4)
- Hook: 5.0 mm (H-8)
- Number of pieces: 3 pockets, 3 straps, 3 bows, 1 rod sleeve
- Layout: 3 pockets in a row on one rod, centers 6.5 in (16.5 cm) apart
- Pocket size before border: 3.3 in (8.4 cm) wall height, 60 sts around
- Border depth: 1.8 in (4.6 cm), including scallops
Materials
Pick a smooth worsted yarn in acrylic or cotton blend. Firm, low-halo yarn shows the checks clearly and holds the bell shape. Avoid fuzzy or very drapey yarns.
- Burgundy: 130 g (260 m)
- Cream: 50 g (100 m)
These quantities cover all three pockets and the rod sleeve, and they include about a 15% margin for gauge swatches and tails.
Tools:
– 5.0 mm (H-8) crochet hook
– Tapestry needle
– Stitch markers
– Scissors
– Rod 1 in (2.5 cm) in diameter and at least 22 in (55.9 cm) long, with wall brackets
– Pins for placing straps and bows
Abbreviations (US Terms)
- ch – chain
- sc – single crochet
- dc – double crochet
- sl st – slip stitch
- st(s) – stitch(es)
- sk – skip
- inc – 2 sc in the same st
- sc2tog – single crochet 2 together
- BLO – back loop only
- rnd(s) – round(s)
Special technique – tapestry sc: Hold the color you aren’t using along the top of the round and work over it. Change color on the last yarn-over of the stitch before the color change.
Joined rounds: End each round with sl st to the first sc, then ch 1 (this ch 1 doesn’t count as a st). Joined rounds keep the color jogs neat.
Gauge and Checkpoints
Gauge: 16 sc and 18 rnds = 4 in (10.2 cm) in sc with a 5.0 mm hook.
Make one full pocket before you start the others. It’s your real gauge test.
- After Rnd 12 (base): diameter 5.5–5.75 in (14.0–14.6 cm), lying flat
- After Rnd 17: the bottom of the wall measures 18 in (45.7 cm) around
- After Rnd 27: wall height 3.3 in (8.4 cm); circumference 15 in (38.1 cm); a toilet roll about 4.5 in (11.4 cm) wide should slide in with a little ease
- After Rnd 33: wall height 4.7 in (11.9 cm)
- Finished: 5.2 in (13.2 cm) tall
Too big? Go down half a hook size. Too small, or the roll won’t fit? Go up half a hook size. If only the base cups or ruffles, check that you have exactly 6 increases per round.

Pocket (Make 3)
Use burgundy.
Base
- Rnd 1: 6 sc in a magic ring, join. (6)
- Rnd 2: Inc in each st around, join. (12)
- Rnd 3: Sc in next st, inc 6 times, join. (18)
- Rnd 4: Sc in next 2 sts, inc 6 times, join. (24)
- Rnds 5–12: Repeat the same pattern, working 1 more sc before each inc on every round. Rnd 5 = 30, Rnd 6 = 36, Rnd 7 = 42, Rnd 8 = 48, Rnd 9 = 54, Rnd 10 = 60, Rnd 11 = 66, Rnd 12: sc in next 10 sts, inc 6 times. (72)
Check that the base is 5.5–5.75 in (14.0–14.6 cm) across and lies flat.
Bell Walls
- Rnd 13: Sc in BLO of each st around, join. (72) This makes the crisp fold where the base meets the wall.
- Rnds 14–17: Sc around, join. (72)
- Rnd 18: Sc in next 10 sts, sc2tog 6 times, join. (66)
- Rnds 19–21: Sc around, join. (66)
- Rnd 22: Sc in next 9 sts, sc2tog 6 times, join. (60)
- Rnds 23–27: Sc around, join. (60)
The two decrease rounds give the bell its shape, wider at the bottom and narrower near the top. Check the wall: 3.3 in (8.4 cm) tall and 15 in (38.1 cm) around. Don’t fasten off burgundy.
Border: Lattice Band and Scallops
Border gauge: same as the body, 16 sc and 18 rnds = 4 in (10.2 cm). The tapestry rounds tend to tighten. If they pull in, loosen your carried strand, not your hook size.
The border starts on the pocket’s own 60 sts. Every pocket is bordered separately, so no stitches come from other pieces.
- Rnd 28: Join cream. With cream, sc around, carrying burgundy inside the stitches, join. (60)
- Rnd 29: 1 sc burgundy, 1 sc cream 30 times, join. (60: 30 burgundy + 30 cream)
- Rnd 30: 1 sc cream, 1 sc burgundy 30 times, join. (60) Each cream st now sits above a burgundy st, which makes the staggered lattice.
- Rnd 31: Repeat Rnd 29. (60)
- Rnd 32: Fasten off burgundy, leaving a tail. With cream, sc around, join. (60)
- Rnd 33 (flare round): With cream, sc in next 4 sts, inc 12 times, join. (60 sts worked 1-per-st + 12 added = 72)
- Rnd 34 (scallops): Sc in next st, sk 1 st, 5 dc in next st, sk 1 st 18 times, join with sl st to the first sc. (18 scallops; 18 sc + 90 dc = 108 sts) Fasten off.
Why the math works: The 2-st check repeat divides evenly into 60, so the checks line up all the way around with no half-repeat at the join. The flare round adds 12 sts to make 72, and 72 ÷ 4 = 18 scallops exactly. Putting 5 dc in a 4-st repeat adds a gentle ruffle, and together with the flare round that makes the rim open outward. Rnds 28–33 are 6 rounds, about 1.3 in (3.3 cm), and the scallops add about 0.5 in (1.3 cm). That gives the 1.8 in (4.6 cm) border depth.
Strap (Make 3)
With cream, ch 5.
- Row 1: Sc in 2nd ch from hook and in each ch across, turn. (4)
- Rows 2–36: Ch 1, sc in BLO of each st across, turn. (4)
Fasten off and leave a 12 in (30.5 cm) tail. The strap is 1 in (2.5 cm) wide and 8 in (20.3 cm) long, with a fine ridged texture.
Bow (Make 3)
Use cream for all parts.
Bow loop: Ch 20 and join in the round, being careful not to twist.
– Rnds 1–4: Ch 1, sc around, join. (20)
Fasten off. Flatten the tube with the join at center back. It measures 2.5 in (6.4 cm) wide and 0.9 in (2.3 cm) tall.
Tails (make 2): Ch 9. Sc in 2nd ch from hook and across. (8) Fasten off. Each tail is 2 in (5.1 cm) long.
Center wrap: Ch 5. Sc in 2nd ch from hook and across. (4) Work 3 more rows of 4 sc. Fasten off with a long tail.
Assemble: Place the two tails under the center of the flattened loop, angled down and out in an inverted V. Pinch the loop at the center. Wrap the center piece around the loop and both tail tops, then sew the short ends together at the back. The finished bow is about 2.5 in (6.4 cm) wide and 2.25 in (5.7 cm) tall.
Rod Sleeve (Make 1)
With burgundy, ch 81.
- Row 1: Sc in 2nd ch from hook and across, turn. (80)
- Rows 2–14: Ch 1, sc across, turn. (80)
Fasten off and leave a 30 in (76.2 cm) tail. The sleeve is 20 in (50.8 cm) long and 3.1 in (7.9 cm) wide, which wraps a 1 in (2.5 cm) rod snugly. For a thinner or thicker rod, take away or add rows. Each row is about 0.2 in (0.5 cm).
Make All Pieces
- Burgundy: 3 pocket bodies (Rnds 1–27, plus the burgundy checks in Rnds 29–31) and 1 rod sleeve
- Cream: 3 borders (Rnds 28–34), 3 straps and 3 bows
Layout (front view):
[====== burgundy rod sleeve, 20 in / 50.8 cm ======]
|strap| |strap| |strap|
[Pocket 1] [Pocket 2] [Pocket 3]
(bow) (bow) (bow)
Strap centers sit 3.5 in (8.9 cm), 10 in (25.4 cm) and 16.5 in (41.9 cm) from the left end of the sleeve. That puts the pockets 6.5 in (16.5 cm) apart and leaves 3.5 in (8.9 cm) at each end.
Joining and Assembly
Bows: Pin each bow at center front so the knot sits on Rnd 28 and the loops overlap the top of the burgundy wall. Whip stitch around the center wrap and tack each loop at its outer tip. Sew only through the outer layer of the pocket.
Straps: Mark center back on each pocket, directly opposite the bow. Lay one end of the strap inside the pocket against Rnds 28–32. The strap’s 4 sts line up with 4 sts of the band, one-to-one, because both pieces are worked at the same 4 sts per inch. Whip stitch the strap end across those 4 sts, then down both sides for 1 in (2.5 cm). Fold the strap into a loop and sew the other end directly over the first, covering the same 4 sts. That leaves a 6 in (15.2 cm) loop.
Rod sleeve: Wrap the sleeve around the rod. Whip stitch the foundation chain to the last row, matching them one-to-one across all 80 sts. Keep the seam on the back side, facing the wall. Slip the straps onto the rod in order before you mount the brackets.
Tension advice: Pull each whip stitch just until it’s snug. If the stitches are too tight, the strap seam will pucker the rim. If they’re too loose, the pocket will tip forward when it’s loaded.
Size checkpoint: Each pocket hangs about 2 in (5.1 cm) below the rod, so the overall drop is about 7.2 in (18.3 cm). Rims should sit level with each other.
Final Blocking
- Weave in all ends inside the pockets, working along color lines.
- Lightly mist each pocket with water, or steam it gently if it’s acrylic. Hold the iron above the yarn and don’t touch it.
- Stuff each pocket with a toilet roll or a rolled towel so the walls are round.
- Pinch the scallops so they open evenly and pull the flare outward.
- Shape each bow: fluff the loops and straighten the tails into a V.
- Let everything dry completely before hanging.
Final Quality-Control Checklist
- Base lies flat and measures 5.5–5.75 in (14.0–14.6 cm)
- Wall rounds hold 72, 66 and 60 sts as written
- Checks alternate evenly, with no two cream sts stacked
- Exactly 18 scallops on each pocket
- Bow is centered, opposite the strap
- Strap seam is invisible from the front
- Rod sleeve seam faces the wall
- All three pockets match in height, 5.2 in (13.2 cm)
Troubleshooting
- Base cups upward: Your sts are too tight. Go up a hook size for the base only.
- Base ruffles: You probably have extra increases. Count to 6 per round.
- Roll won’t fit: Go up a hook size, or skip Rnd 22 and keep 66 sts. Then work Rnd 33 as sc in next 10 sts, inc 6 times, for 72.
- Checks look smeared: Change color on the last yarn-over of the previous st, and keep the carried strand loose.
- Rim pulls in: Loosen the carried yarn in Rnds 28–31.
- Pocket tips forward: Sew the strap lower, across Rnds 26–32.
Care
Spot clean or hand wash cool and lay flat to dry, reshaping around a roll. Keep the set away from direct shower spray.

Final Notes
Everything rests on one measurement chain. At 16 sts per 4 in (10.2 cm), the 72-st base and bell flare to 18 in (45.7 cm) around. The walls narrow to 60 sts, or 15 in (38.1 cm), which holds a 4.5 in (11.4 cm) roll. The cream border adds 1.8 in (4.6 cm), for a 5.2 in (13.2 cm) pocket. Check those numbers on your first pocket, and the other two plus the 20 in (50.8 cm) rod sleeve will follow.
Happy crocheting!