The Evergreen Starflower organizer is a three-tier hanging storage piece. Three oval baskets are stacked on two green straps, and each basket holds one standard toilet paper roll, a spare hand towel or small bathroom supplies.
The colors are a deep forest green with a soft cream rim. Each basket wall has two bands of six-petal lace flowers. They let a little light and air through but still look solid on the wall. The cream rim gives each tier a clean, rounded finish.
This pattern uses US crochet terms. Each basket measures about 8.5 in long × 5 in wide × 4 in tall (21.6 × 12.7 × 10.2 cm). The fully hung organizer is about 8.5 in wide (21.6 cm) and 20 in tall (50.8 cm) below the pegs.
Construction is simple. You crochet an oval base in rounds, turn up the wall with a back-loop round, and work two starflower lace bands and a cream corded rim. Then you make two straps, fold loops at the top, and sew the baskets to the straps.
Finished Size and Construction
- Basket size: 8.5 × 5 × 4 in (21.6 × 12.7 × 10.2 cm)
- Assembled size: 8.5 in wide × 20 in tall (21.6 × 50.8 cm) below the pegs
- Skill level: Intermediate
- Terminology: US
- Yarn weight: Worsted (#4) cotton or cotton blend
- Hook: 4.5 mm (US 7)
- Number of pieces: 5 (3 baskets, 2 straps)
- Layout: 3 baskets stacked vertically on 2 parallel straps
- Wall height before the cream rim: 3.25 in (8.3 cm)
- Rim (border) depth: 0.75 in (1.9 cm)
- Strap size: 1.5 × 26 in (3.8 × 66.0 cm) each, before folding the loop
Materials
Use a smooth, firm cotton. It shows off the stitch detail and holds its shape under the weight of a roll. Avoid splitty or very soft acrylic, because the baskets will sag.
- Color A, forest green: 200 g / about 340 m (372 yd)
- Color B, cream: 50 g / about 85 m (93 yd)
These amounts include a margin of about 15%. Each basket uses about 45 g of green and 12 g of cream. The two straps together use about 35 g of green.
Tools:
– 4.5 mm (US 7) crochet hook
– Tapestry needle
– 4 locking stitch markers
– Straight pins
– Measuring tape
– Wooden peg rail with 2 pegs spaced 6.5 in (16.5 cm) apart on center
– Scissors
Abbreviations (US Terms)
- ch – chain
- sl st – slip stitch
- sc – single crochet
- dc – double crochet
- tr – treble crochet
- BLO – back loop only
- sp – space
- st(s) – stitch(es)
- rnd – round
- rep – repeat
- dc3tog – (yarn over, insert hook in next st, pull up a loop, yarn over, pull through 2 loops) 3 times, yarn over, pull through all 4 loops on hook
- rev sc – reverse single crochet (crab stitch): sc worked from left to right (right-handed)
Special stitch – Petal Cluster (PC): (Yarn over, insert hook in the indicated st, pull up a loop, yarn over, pull through 2 loops) 3 times in the same st, yarn over, pull through all 4 loops on hook.
Gauge and Checkpoints
Gauge: 16 sc and 18 rnds = 4 in (10.2 cm) in sc worked in the round.
Make one complete basket before starting the others. It is your real gauge test, because the lace and rim behave differently from plain sc.
Checkpoints:
– After base Rnd 6: about 6 × 2.75 in (15.2 × 7.0 cm)
– After base Rnd 11: 8.5 × 5 in (21.6 × 12.7 cm)
– After wall Rnd 5 (first flower band): wall is 1.75 in (4.4 cm) tall
– After wall Rnd 9: wall is 3.25 in (8.3 cm) tall
– After the rim: wall is 4 in (10.2 cm) tall
If your piece is too big: go down a hook size, to 4.0 mm (US G/6).
If your piece is too small: go up a hook size, to 5.0 mm (US H/8).
If the base cups or ruffles: fix your tension first. Don’t change any stitch counts.
Basket Base (make 3)
With Color A, ch 16.
Rnd 1: 3 sc in 2nd ch from hook, sc in next 13 ch, 3 sc in last ch. Rotate and work along the other side of the foundation: sc in next 13 ch. Join with a sl st to the first sc. (32 sts)
From here on, start each round with ch 1 (does not count as a st) and make the first sc in the same st as the join. Join each round with a sl st to the first sc.
Each round adds 3 stitches at each curved end and keeps 13 stitches on each straight side.
Rnd 2: [2 sc in each of next 3 sts, sc in next 13] twice. (38 sts)
Rnd 3: [(sc in next st, 2 sc in next) 3 times, sc in next 13] twice. (44 sts)
Rnd 4: [(sc in next 2, 2 sc in next) 3 times, sc in next 13] twice. (50 sts)
Rnd 5: [(sc in next 3, 2 sc in next) 3 times, sc in next 13] twice. (56 sts)
Rnd 6: [(sc in next 4, 2 sc in next) 3 times, sc in next 13] twice. (62 sts)
Checkpoint: about 6 × 2.75 in (15.2 × 7.0 cm).
Rnd 7: [(sc in next 5, 2 sc in next) 3 times, sc in next 13] twice. (68 sts)
Rnd 8: [(sc in next 6, 2 sc in next) 3 times, sc in next 13] twice. (74 sts)
Rnd 9: [(sc in next 7, 2 sc in next) 3 times, sc in next 13] twice. (80 sts)
Rnd 10: [(sc in next 8, 2 sc in next) 3 times, sc in next 13] twice. (86 sts)
Rnd 11: [(sc in next 9, 2 sc in next) 3 times, sc in next 13] twice. (92 sts)
Rnd 11 has 33 sts around each curved end and 13 sts along each straight side: 33 + 13 + 33 + 13 = 92.
Checkpoint: 8.5 × 5 in (21.6 × 12.7 cm), lying flat.
Basket Wall
Keep working with Color A. Do not fasten off.
Wall Rnd 1 (turning round): Ch 1, sc in BLO of each st around, join. (92 sts) The unused front loops make a crisp ridge where the wall turns up.
Wall Rnd 2: Ch 1, sc in each st around, join. (92 sts)
First Starflower Band
Wall Rnd 3 (lower petals): Ch 1, sc in first st. Ch 2, dc3tog over next 3 sts, ch 2, sc in next st. Rep from * around. End the last rep with ch 2, dc3tog over the last 3 sts, ch 2, and join to the first sc. (23 sc, 23 dc3tog, 46 ch-2 sps)
The three legs of each dc3tog are the three lower petals, and they meet at the flower center.
Wall Rnd 4 (upper petals): Ch 1. Sc in next sc, ch 1, skip ch-2 sp, (PC, ch 2, PC, ch 2, PC) all in the top of the next dc3tog, ch 1, skip ch-2 sp. Rep from * around, join. (23 sc, 23 fans of 3 PC)
These three clusters fan upward from the same center, which completes the six-petal starflower.
Wall Rnd 5 (leveling round): Ch 4 (counts as tr), skip the first ch-1. Sc in the first ch-2 sp of the fan, sc in the top of the middle PC, sc in the second ch-2 sp of the fan. Skip the ch-1, then work tr in the next sc and skip the next ch-1. Work the * section again over that fan. Repeat around: every repeat is 1 tr followed by those 3 sc. Join to the top of ch-4. (23 tr + 69 sc = 92 sts)
The outer petals are left free on purpose. Each 4-st repeat (1 tr + 3 sc) restores the original 4 sts, so the count returns to 92.
Checkpoint: wall is 1.75 in (4.4 cm) tall.
Second Starflower Band (offset)
Wall Rnd 6: Sl st in the next 2 sts. You are now in the sc above a middle petal. Work as Wall Rnd 3, starting with ch 1 and sc in this same st. (23 sc, 23 dc3tog, 46 ch-2 sps)
Each new dc3tog is now centered over a tr, so the second band of flowers sits between the flowers of the first band.
Wall Rnd 7: Work as Wall Rnd 4. (23 sc, 23 fans)
Wall Rnd 8: Work as Wall Rnd 5. (92 sts)
Checkpoint: wall is 3 in (7.6 cm) tall.
Wall Rnd 9: Ch 1, sc in each st around, join. (92 sts) Fasten off Color A.
Checkpoint: wall is 3.25 in (8.3 cm) tall.
Straps (make 2)
With Color A, ch 7.
Row 1: Sc in 2nd ch from hook and in each ch across, turn. (6 sts)
Row 2: Ch 1, sc in each st across, turn. (6 sts)
Repeat Row 2 until the strap measures 26 in (66.0 cm), about 117 rows. Fasten off, leaving a 12 in (30.5 cm) tail.
The strap is 1.5 in (3.8 cm) wide. Its length is planned like this:
- Peg loop: 6 in (15.2 cm), folded in half to make a 3 in (7.6 cm) loop
- Drop to the first basket rim: 3 in (7.6 cm)
- Basket zone: 17 in (43.2 cm), made of three 4 in (10.2 cm) baskets plus two 2.5 in (6.4 cm) gaps
6 + 3 + 17 = 26 in.
Peg loop: Fold the last 3 in (7.6 cm) of the strap back onto the strap. Whipstitch the end row and both side edges with the tail. Check that the loop slips easily over a peg.
Make All Pieces
- Baskets: 3, each using about 45 g of Color A and 12 g of Color B
- Straps: 2, using about 35 g of Color A in total
Layout (back view):
PEG PEG
[S1] [S2] <- 3 in (7.6 cm) loops
| | <- 3 in (7.6 cm) drop
[========= BASKET A =========] 4 in (10.2 cm)
| | <- 2.5 in (6.4 cm) gap
[========= BASKET B =========] 4 in (10.2 cm)
| | <- 2.5 in (6.4 cm) gap
[========= BASKET C =========] 4 in (10.2 cm)
The strap centers are 6.5 in (16.5 cm) apart, to match the pegs.
Joining
Method: Whipstitch each strap flat against the back outer wall of each basket with Color A.
- Lay the straps on a table, loops at the top and right side down. Space their centers 6.5 in (16.5 cm) apart.
- Place Basket A face down with its rim 3 in (7.6 cm) below the loop folds. Each strap sits on the back wall where the straight side starts to curve. Pin.
- Place Basket B with its rim 2.5 in (6.4 cm) below Basket A’s base ridge. Place Basket C the same way below Basket B. Basket C’s base ridge should line up with the strap ends.
- Thread the tapestry needle with Color A. Sew down both long edges of each strap through the basket wall.
Stitch-to-stitch logic: The 4 in (10.2 cm) wall has 12 rounds, and the same length of strap has about 18 rows. Make 3 whipstitches into strap rows for every 2 wall rounds. On the lace rounds, anchor into the tr posts and sc rounds, not into the open spaces. Also sew straight across each strap at the rim and at the base ridge.
Tension: Snug, not tight. If you pull too hard, the strap puckers and the basket tilts forward.
Size checkpoint: Hang the organizer. It should measure 20 in (50.8 cm) from the peg tops to Basket C’s base. The gaps between baskets should be 2.5 in (6.4 cm) each.
Border: Cream Corded Rim
Work the rim on each basket. You can do it before or after joining, but it is easier before.
Border gauge: The rim is worked 1 stitch into each existing stitch. Three rounds give 0.75 in (1.9 cm) of height.
Join Color B with a sl st in any st of Wall Rnd 9 at the start of a straight side.
Rim Rnd 1: Ch 1, sc in each st around, join. (92 sts: 13 on each straight side, 33 around each curved end)
Rim Rnd 2: Ch 1, sc in each st around, join. (92 sts: 13 + 33 + 13 + 33)
Rim Rnd 3: Ch 1. Working from left to right (right-handed), rev sc in each st around, join. (92 sts: 13 + 33 + 13 + 33) Fasten off and weave in the end.
Why the math works: The base Rnd 11 count of 92 carries straight up through every wall round. The flower rounds always rebuild 4 sts per repeat, and 23 repeats × 4 = 92. The rim adds no stitches, so it lies flat against the wall instead of flaring. Rev sc makes the thick, corded, bumpy edge.
Final Blocking
- Lightly mist each basket with water until it is just damp.
- Stuff each basket firmly with a towel shaped into an 8.5 × 5 in (21.6 × 12.7 cm) oval.
- Pull the wall straight up, open each starflower, and line up the petals.
- Pin the rim round and level.
- Pin the straps flat and straight, 1.5 in (3.8 cm) wide.
- Let everything dry completely, for 24 hours.
- Hang the organizer and check the measurements again.
Final Quality-Control Checklist
- Each base measures 8.5 × 5 in (21.6 × 12.7 cm) and lies flat.
- Every wall round and rim round has 92 sts.
- Each flower band has 23 starflowers, and the second band is offset.
- Each wall measures 4 in (10.2 cm) high including the rim.
- Each strap is 26 in (66.0 cm) long before folding.
- The strap centers are 6.5 in (16.5 cm) apart.
- The gaps between baskets are 2.5 in (6.4 cm), and all ends are woven in.
Troubleshooting
- The base ruffles: your tension is too loose at the ends. Go down a hook size for the base only.
- The base cups upward: your increases are too tight. Go up a hook size.
- The flower count is off: recount Wall Rnd 2. It must be 92 sts.
- The flowers look lopsided: work all 3 PCs into the dc3tog top and not into a ch-2 sp.
- The rim flares: you added stitches. Rim rounds must stay at 92.
- A basket tilts forward: sew the strap higher, right under the rim, as well as at the base.
- The baskets hang unevenly: re-measure the drops and gaps with the organizer hanging. Then re-pin and re-sew.
Care
Remove the organizer from the rail. Hand wash in cool water, press out the water in a towel, and dry it flat with the baskets stuffed back into shape.
Final Notes
Everything in this pattern depends on matching measurements. Gauge of 16 sc = 4 in (10.2 cm) gives a 92-stitch base of 8.5 × 5 in (21.6 × 12.7 cm). Those 92 stitches carry through two starflower bands to a 3.25 in (8.3 cm) wall. The cream rim adds 0.75 in (1.9 cm) for a 4 in (10.2 cm) basket. Two 26 in (66.0 cm) straps hold the three baskets in a 20 in (50.8 cm) stack. If you check each measurement as you go, the finished organizer will hang straight.
Happy crocheting!