This Pearl Hen Egg Basket is a cheerful red basket with a hen built into it. The walls are a grid of open square windows, so the eggs show through. A tall cone body rises from the back wall, and a cream head with a red comb, yellow beak and pearl necklace sits on top. A scalloped fan tail stands at one back corner.
The colors are classic farmhouse: bright red for the basket, body, tail, comb and wattle, cream for the head, a touch of yellow for the beak, black eyes and white pearl beads. It works for Easter, for Christmas kitchens, or all year on a counter. You can also make it all in cream for a softer look.
This pattern uses US crochet terms. The finished basket measures about 7 in (17.8 cm) wide x 5 in (12.7 cm) deep x 4 in (10.2 cm) tall. From the table to the top of the comb, the hen stands about 10.8 in (27.4 cm) tall.
Construction is simple. You crochet the floor in rows, then work the walls in joined rounds of mesh and finish with a rim border. The body is a cone worked in spiral rounds, and the head is a small tube. Tail, comb, beak and wattle are worked separately, and then everything is sewn together.
Finished Size and Construction
- Finished size: basket 7 in (17.8 cm) x 5 in (12.7 cm) x 4 in (10.2 cm); total height 10.8 in (27.4 cm)
- Skill level: Intermediate
- Terminology: US
- Yarn weight: worsted (#4) cotton
- Hook: 4.0 mm (G-6)
- Number of pieces: 7 (basket, body, head, tail, comb, beak, wattle)
- Layout: body sewn to the center of the back wall, tail at the back-left corner, open egg space in front
- Piece sizes: body 6.7 in (17.0 cm) tall; head 3.6 in (9.1 cm) tall x 1.4 in (3.6 cm) wide; tail 4 in (10.2 cm) x 2 in (5.1 cm)
- Basket height before border: 3.5 in (8.9 cm)
- Border depth: 0.5 in (1.3 cm)
Materials
Use a smooth, firm worsted-weight cotton or cotton blend. Cotton holds the basket’s shape and the mesh windows stay crisp. Avoid fuzzy or very stretchy acrylics, because the cone body may sag.
- Red: 75 g, about 130 m
- Cream/white: 12 g, about 20 m
- Yellow: 3 g, about 5 m
These quantities include a margin of roughly 20 percent for gauge swatches and sewing tails.
Tools and notions:
– 4.0 mm (G-6) crochet hook
– Tapestry needle
– Stitch markers
– 2 black safety eyes, 6 mm (or black beads)
– 16 white pearl beads, 8 mm, plus strong white thread and a sewing needle
– Small amount of polyester fiberfill
– Optional: 1 sheet of 7-count plastic canvas or firm cardstock to line the body
– Scissors and a measuring tape
Abbreviations (US Terms)
- ch – chain
- sl st – slip stitch
- sc – single crochet
- hdc – half double crochet
- dc – double crochet
- inc – 2 sc in the same stitch
- sc2tog – single crochet 2 together
- BLO – back loop only
- MR – magic ring
- sp(s) – space(s)
- st(s) – stitch(es)
- rev sc – reverse single crochet (crab stitch)
Special stitch: reverse sc. Working from left to right (right-handers), insert the hook into the next stitch to the right, yarn over, pull up a loop, yarn over and pull through both loops. It makes a rolled, corded edge.
Gauge and Checkpoints
Gauge: 16 sc x 18 rows = 4 in (10.2 cm) in sc worked flat.
Test the floor first, because it sets every later count. Work Rows 1–20 and measure:
- After Row 20: 6.5 in (16.5 cm) wide x 4.4 in (11.2 cm) deep
- After floor Rnd 1: 6.9 in (17.5 cm) x 4.9 in (12.4 cm)
- After wall Rnd 7: walls 1.7 in (4.3 cm) tall
- After wall Rnd 13: walls 3.5 in (8.9 cm) tall
- After the border: walls 4 in (10.2 cm) tall
- Body after Rnd 13: 2.9 in (7.4 cm) tall
If your floor is too big, go down a half hook size, to 3.75 mm (F-5). If it is too small, go up to 4.5 mm (7). Don’t change any stitch counts. The mesh needs exactly 96 stitches.
Basket
Floor
With red, ch 27.
Row 1: Sc in 2nd ch from hook and in each ch across. Ch 1, turn. (26 sts)
Rows 2–20: Sc in each st across. Ch 1, turn. (26 sts)
Don’t turn at the end of Row 20. Continue with Rnd 1.
Rnd 1 (conversion round): Work along the last row: 2 sc in first st, sc in next 24 sts, 2 sc in last st. That side has 26 sts worked 1-per-st + 2 extra = 28. Next, sc in each of the 20 row ends (20). Working in the free loops of the foundation ch: 2 sc in first ch, sc in next 24, 2 sc in last ch (26 + 2 = 28). Sc in each of the 20 row ends (20). Join with sl st to first sc. (96 sts: 28 / 20 / 28 / 20)
Place a marker in the first st to mark the start of a long side.
Walls
Rnd 2: Ch 1, sc in BLO of each st around. Join. (96 sts) This round creates the sharp turn from floor to wall.
Rnd 3: Ch 1, sc in each st around. Join. (96 sts)
Rnd 4 (mesh): Ch 3 (counts as dc), dc in next st, ch 2, sk 2 sts. Dc in next 2 sts, ch 2, sk 2 sts. Repeat from * 22 more times. Join to top of ch-3. (48 dc, 24 ch-2 sps)
Each long side has 7 windows (28 ÷ 4) and each short side has 5 windows (20 ÷ 4). Because the round started at a corner, the windows fit each side exactly.
Rnd 5 (bar): Ch 1, sc in each dc and 2 sc in each ch-2 sp. Join. (48 + 48 = 96 sts)
Rnds 6–13: Repeat Rnds 4 and 5 four more times. Start each mesh round directly above the previous one so the windows stack into straight columns. You will have 5 rows of windows.
Checkpoint: the walls should measure 3.5 in (8.9 cm) and the stitch count should still be 96. Don’t fasten off. Go straight on to the Border.
Body
With red, ch 56. Join with a sl st to the first ch to form a ring, taking care not to twist it. Work in continuous spiral rounds and move a marker up each round.
Rnd 1: Sc in each ch around. (56)
Rnds 2–3: Sc around. (56)
Rnd 4: Sc 12, sc2tog. Repeat 4 times. (52)
Rnds 5–6: Sc around. (52)
Rnd 7: Sc 11, sc2tog x 4. (48)
Rnds 8–9: Sc around. (48)
Rnd 10: Sc 10, sc2tog x 4. (44)
Rnds 11–12: Sc around. (44)
Rnd 13: Sc 9, sc2tog x 4. (40)
Rnds 14–15: Sc around. (40)
Rnd 16: Sc 8, sc2tog x 4. (36)
Rnds 17–18: Sc around. (36)
Rnd 19: Sc 7, sc2tog x 4. (32)
Rnds 20–21: Sc around. (32)
Rnd 22: Sc 6, sc2tog x 4. (28)
Rnds 23–24: Sc around. (28)
Rnd 25: Sc 5, sc2tog x 4. (24)
Rnds 26–27: Sc around. (24)
Rnd 28: Sc 4, sc2tog x 4. (20)
Rnds 29–30: Sc around. (20)
Sl st to the next st and fasten off, leaving a 12 in (30.5 cm) tail. The body should be 6.7 in (17.0 cm) tall, 14 in (35.6 cm) around at the bottom and 5 in (12.7 cm) around at the top.
Head
With cream, work in continuous rounds.
Rnd 1: 6 sc in MR. (6)
Rnd 2: Inc in each st around. (12)
Rnd 3: Sc 1, inc x 6. (18)
Rnds 4–11: Sc around. (18)
Rnd 12: Sc 8, inc x 2. (20)
Rnds 13–16: Sc around. (20)
Fasten off, leaving a 12 in (30.5 cm) tail. Attach the safety eyes between Rnds 6 and 7, 6 sts apart, with the round join at the back. Stuff the head firmly.
Tail
With red:
Row 1: Ch 3 (counts as dc), 6 dc in MR. Pull the ring closed and turn. (7 dc)
Row 2: Ch 3 (counts as dc), 2 dc in each of the next 6 dc. Turn. (1 + 12 = 13 dc)
Row 3: Ch 4 (counts as dc + ch 1). Dc in next dc, ch 1. Repeat 11 times. Dc in the 3rd ch of the turning ch. Turn. (13 dc, 12 ch-1 sps)
Row 4 (scallops): Ch 1, sc in first dc. Sk ch-1 sp, 7 dc in next dc, sk ch-1 sp, sc in next dc. Repeat 6 times, working the last sc in the 3rd ch of the turning ch. (6 shells, 7 sc)
Fasten off with a long tail. The tail is a half-circle fan about 4 in (10.2 cm) wide x 2 in (5.1 cm) tall.
Comb, Beak and Wattle
Comb (red): Ch 5. In the 2nd ch from hook work (sl st, ch 2, 3 dc, ch 2, sl st). Repeat in each of the next 3 ch. (4 bumps) The comb is about 1.25 in (3.2 cm) long.
Beak (yellow): Rnd 1: 4 sc in MR. Rnd 2: Sc 1, inc x 2. (6) Fasten off. The beak is a small cone about 0.5 in (1.3 cm) long.
Wattle (red): Ch 4. Sc in 2nd ch from hook, hdc in next ch, 5 dc in last ch. Working along the other side of the ch: hdc in next ch, sc in next ch, sl st in same ch. (9 sts) The wattle is a teardrop about 0.75 in (1.9 cm) long.
Make All Pieces
- Red: 1 basket, 1 body, 1 tail, 1 comb, 1 wattle
- Cream: 1 head
- Yellow: 1 beak
Layout, seen from above:
BACK WALL (28 sts)
[TAIL] [2 free][ BODY: 24 sts ][2 free]
| |
20 sts egg space 20 sts
| |
FRONT WALL (28 sts)
Joining
Use whipstitch with matching yarn, one stitch to one stitch. Keep the tension snug but not tight, so seams lie flat and don’t pucker.
- Head to body: Line up head Rnd 16 (20 sts) with body Rnd 30 (20 sts). Whipstitch them stitch to stitch. Before closing the seam, stuff the top 2 in (5.1 cm) of the body.
- Optional liner: Roll plastic canvas or cardstock into a cone that fits inside the body, and trim the bottom flush with Rnd 1.
- Body to basket: Flatten 24 sts at the back of body Rnd 1. Whipstitch them to the center 24 sts of back-wall Rnd 2 on the inside, leaving 2 sts free at each end. The front 32 sts (8 in / 20.3 cm) curve forward into a D shape about 2.5 in (6.4 cm) deep. Tack the center back of the body to the back wall just below the rim.
- Tail: Sew the straight bottom edge of the tail upright to the inside of the back-left corner, on wall Rnds 11–13.
- Face: Sew the comb along the center top of the head, from Rnd 1 to Rnd 4. Sew the beak, open end down, centered between the eyes on Rnds 6–7. Sew the wattle under the beak on Rnds 8–9.
- Necklace: String 16 pearls onto doubled thread and sew them around the head-to-body seam.
Checkpoint: you should still be able to fit your hand flat in the egg space, about 2.5 in (6.4 cm) deep across the full front width.
Border
Border gauge matches the basket: 4 sc per inch.
Rnd 14: Ch 1, sc in each st around. Join. (96 sts: 28 / 20 / 28 / 20)
Rnd 15: Ch 1, rev sc in each st around. Join and fasten off. (96 sts: 28 / 20 / 28 / 20)
Why the math works: floor Rnd 1 set 28 sts on each long side and 20 sts on each short side. Every wall round, mesh and bar alike, keeps exactly 96 sts. Each mesh window uses 4 sts and each bar puts all 4 back. The border counts match the floor perimeter, so the walls rise straight and the rim neither flares nor pulls in. The two border rounds add 0.5 in (1.3 cm), bringing the walls from 3.5 in (8.9 cm) to 4 in (10.2 cm).
Final Blocking
- Lightly mist the basket with water.
- Pack it firmly with a towel or a 7 in x 5 in (17.8 cm x 12.7 cm) box so the walls stand square.
- Pinch each corner into a gentle curve.
- Line up the window columns vertically with your fingers.
- Shape the tail flat and pin the scallops open.
- Let everything air-dry completely, then remove the filler.
Final Quality-Control Checklist
- [ ] Floor measures 6.9 in x 4.9 in (17.5 cm x 12.4 cm)
- [ ] Every wall round has 96 sts
- [ ] There are 5 rows of windows, each with 24 windows lined up in columns
- [ ] Walls are 4 in (10.2 cm) tall with an even rolled rim
- [ ] Body stands upright and the head sits straight
- [ ] Eyes are level and the beak is centered
- [ ] Pearls are sewn on securely
- [ ] Tail stands upright with 6 open scallops
- [ ] All ends are woven in
Troubleshooting
Walls flare outward: your mesh is looser than your sc. Tighten the ch-2s or go down a hook size for the mesh rounds only.
Walls lean inward: check that Rnd 2 was worked in BLO and that each bar round has 96 sts.
Windows slant around the basket: start every mesh round directly above the previous round’s start.
Body flops forward: add the liner, or tack the body to the back wall at a second point higher up.
Tail curls: steam-block it flat, or stitch it to the rim at two points.
Head tilts: add more stuffing at the neck and re-sew the seam stitch to stitch.
Care
Spot-clean with a damp cloth, or hand-wash in cool water and reshape to dry. Don’t machine-wash, because of the pearls and safety eyes.
Final Notes
The measurement chain is short and reliable. The 26 x 20 floor becomes a 96-stitch perimeter, the 96-stitch walls stay at 96 through every mesh and bar round, and the 96-stitch border finishes the rim at 4 in (10.2 cm). The 56-stitch cone body tapers to 20 sts to meet the 20-stitch head. If your floor matches the gauge, everything else follows.
Happy crocheting!