The Wheatfield Bloom organizer is two oval cotton baskets hung on wooden dowels, one above the other, from a single hook by crocheted cords. Each basket has a solid base, a firm lower wall, a band of four-petal lace flowers and a corded rim. The top basket holds soaps and lotions, the bottom one holds toilet rolls, and neither takes up any shelf space.
The whole piece uses one warm wheat-beige cotton, so the texture does the decorating. The petals are long treble clusters that stand out in relief. The open diamonds between the flowers keep the baskets looking light.
This pattern uses US crochet terms. Each finished basket is about 12 in (30.5 cm) long, 5 in (12.7 cm) deep and 4 1/2 in (11.4 cm) tall. Hung up, the organizer is 15 in (38.1 cm) wide at the dowels and about 21 3/4 in (55.2 cm) from the hanging point to the bottom of the lower basket.
You work each basket’s oval base in rounds around a foundation chain. Then you turn the wall up and work the lace band and rim without cutting the yarn. The four dowel tabs and three Romanian cords are made separately, and everything is sewn together around the two dowels.
Finished Size and Construction
- Basket size: 12 in x 5 in x 4 1/2 in (30.5 cm x 12.7 cm x 11.4 cm)
- Skill level: Intermediate
- Terminology: US
- Yarn weight: #4 worsted cotton
- Hook: 4.5 mm (US 7)
- Number of pieces: 9 crocheted pieces (2 baskets, 4 dowel tabs, 3 cords) plus 2 dowels
- Layout: 2 baskets stacked vertically, with the dowels 9 in (22.9 cm) apart
- Piece size (one basket base): 12 in x 5 in (30.5 cm x 12.7 cm)
- Wall height before border: 3 5/8 in (9.2 cm)
- Border depth: 7/8 in (2.2 cm)
Materials
Use a smooth, firm worsted-weight cotton or cotton blend. Cotton holds its shape in a damp bathroom and shows the petal texture clearly. Avoid soft acrylic, which makes floppy walls.
- Wheat beige: 280 g / 430 m (470 yd) total
- Each basket: about 120 g / 185 m (202 yd)
- Four tabs and three cords together: about 40 g / 60 m (66 yd)
These amounts include a margin of about 15 percent to cover a gauge swatch and differences in tension.
Tools:
- 4.5 mm (US 7) crochet hook
- 2 wooden dowels, 1/2 in (1.3 cm) across and 15 in (38.1 cm) long
- Tapestry needle
- 6 stitch markers
- Measuring tape
- Rust-proof pins and a few towels for blocking
- Optional: fine sandpaper for the dowel ends
Abbreviations (US Terms)
- ch: chain
- sl st: slip stitch
- sc: single crochet
- dc: double crochet
- tr: treble crochet
- trtr: triple treble. Yo 3 times, insert hook, pull up a loop, (yo, pull through 2) 4 times.
- rev sc: reverse single crochet (crab stitch), worked from left to right
- BLO: back loop only
- st(s): stitch(es)
- sp: space
- rep: repeat
Special stitches
- Petal (P): [Yo twice, insert hook in the given st, pull up a loop, (yo, pull through 2) twice] 3 times in the same st. Yo, pull through all 4 loops.
- Petal Gather (PG): [Yo twice, insert hook in the first given st, pull up a loop, (yo, pull through 2) twice] 3 times in the same st (4 loops on hook). Skip 3 sts and work the same 3 partial trebles in the next st (7 loops on hook). Yo, pull through all 7 loops. This makes two lower petals that lean in and meet at the flower center.
- Romanian cord: Ch 2, sc in 2nd ch from hook. Turn the work clockwise like a page, insert hook under the loop(s) now on the left side, sc. Rep from * to make a firm, square cord.
Gauge and Checkpoints
Gauge: 16 sc and 18 rounds = 4 in (10.2 cm), in sc worked in rounds.
Finish one whole basket and check it against these measurements before you start the second one.
- After Rnd 5: base about 9 1/4 in x 2 1/4 in (23.5 cm x 5.7 cm)
- After Rnd 11: base 12 in x 5 in (30.5 cm x 12.7 cm), lying flat
- After Rnd 17: wall 1 1/4 in (3.2 cm) above the base edge
- After Rnd 19: wall 2 in (5.1 cm)
- After Rnd 22: wall 3 5/8 in (9.2 cm)
- After Rnd 26: wall 4 1/2 in (11.4 cm)
If the base is too big, go down a hook size. If it’s too small, go up a hook size. If the base cups into a bowl, your increases are too tight. If it ruffles, your tension is too loose. Fix the base before you go on, because every wall count depends on it.
Basket (make 2)
Oval Base
Ch 29.
Rnd 1: Sc in 2nd ch from hook (this is an end st), sc in next 26 ch, 3 sc in last ch. Rotate and work along the other side of the foundation: sc in next 26 ch, 2 sc in last ch (the same ch as the first sc). Join with sl st to first sc. (58 sts: 26 on each long side, 3 at each end)
Rounds 2 to 11 all follow one formula, where k = the round number minus 2.
Rnds 2–11: Ch 1 (does not count), sc in first k sts, 2 sc in next st, sc in next 26 sts, [sc in next k sts, 2 sc in next st] 3 times, sc in next 26 sts, [sc in next k sts, 2 sc in next st] 2 times; join. Each round adds 6 sts, 3 at each end.
| Round | k | Round total |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | 0 | 64 |
| 3 | 1 | 70 |
| 4 | 2 | 76 |
| 5 | 3 | 82 |
| 6 | 4 | 88 |
| 7 | 5 | 94 |
| 8 | 6 | 100 |
| 9 | 7 | 106 |
| 10 | 8 | 112 |
| 11 | 9 | 118 |
The long sides stay at 26 sts throughout. All the growth happens at the two curved ends.
Lower Wall
Rnd 12: Ch 1, sc in BLO of each st around; join. (118) The unused front loops make the fold line where the wall turns up.
Rnds 13–17: Ch 1, sc in each st around; join. (118)
Rnd 18 (conversion round): Ch 3 (counts as dc), dc in next 57 sts, 2 dc in next st, dc in next 58 sts, 2 dc in last st; join to top of ch-3. (118 worked 1 per st + 2 added = 120)
Rnd 19: Ch 1, sc in each st around; join. (120)
Before Rnd 20, fold the basket flat with the long sides together and mark the center st of each curved end. Sl st forward to the marker on the end where your round starts (these sl sts don’t count). That end-center st is now st 1.
Flower Lace Band
The band has 12 repeats of 10 sts: 4 flowers across the front, 2 across each end and 4 across the back.
Rnd 20 (lower petals): Ch 1, sc in first st (base point). Ch 4, skip 2 sts, PG with the first leg in the next st and the second leg in the 4th st after it, ch 4, skip 2 sts, sc in next st (base point). Rep from * around, leaving off the final sc on the last repeat; join to first sc. (12 sc, 12 PG, 24 ch-4 sps)
Rnd 21 (upper petals): Ch 5 (counts as trtr) in the joining sc. Ch 3, skip ch-4 sp, (P, ch 3, P) in top of next PG, ch 3, skip ch-4 sp, trtr in next base-point sc. Rep from * around, leaving off the final trtr; join to top of ch-5. (12 trtr, 24 P, 36 ch-3 sps)
The upper petals fan up and out from each center, so every flower forms an X. The trtr makes the slim upright bar between flowers, with an open diamond on each side of it.
Rnd 22 (top bar): Ch 1, sc in top of ch-5. 2 sc in next ch-3 sp, sc in top of P, 3 sc in next ch-3 sp, sc in top of P, 2 sc in next ch-3 sp, sc in next trtr. Rep from * around, leaving off the final sc; join. (10 sts per repeat x 12 = 120)
Measure the wall now. It should be 3 5/8 in (9.2 cm).
Make All Pieces
- Baskets: 2, identical, wheat beige
- Dowel tabs: 4, wheat beige
- Side cords: 2, wheat beige, 13 in (33.0 cm) each
- Hanger cord: 1, wheat beige, 27 in (68.6 cm)
Dowel tab: Ch 7. Row 1: Sc in 2nd ch from hook and in each ch across, turn. (6) Rows 2–14: Ch 1, sc in each st, turn. (6) Each tab measures 1 1/2 in x 3 1/8 in (3.8 cm x 7.9 cm). Leave a 12 in (30.5 cm) tail for sewing.
Cords: Work Romanian cord to the lengths above, measuring with the cord lightly stretched. You’ll get roughly 5 rows per 1 in (2.5 cm), but go by length, not row count.
Layout (front view):
^ <- 2 in (5.1 cm) hanger loop
/ \ <- hanger cord, about 7 in (17.8 cm) rise
[tab]============[tab] <- top dowel
| BASKET 1 |
| (12 x 5 in) | <- side cords, 9 in (22.9 cm) dowel to dowel
[tab]============[tab] <- bottom dowel
| BASKET 2 |
| (12 x 5 in) |
Joining
Tabs to baskets. Center a tab on each curved end, with 3 sts on each side of the trtr bar. Lay Row 1 of the tab against the inside of the wall, line up its 6 sts with the 6 sts of Rnd 24 and whipstitch them together one-to-one. Fold the tab up over the rim and down the outside, with the dowel inside the fold. Whipstitch Row 14 to the same 6 sts of Rnd 24 on the outside, again one-to-one. The loop stands about 1 1/4 in (3.2 cm) above the rim.
Tension. Pull the sewing yarn just snug. The tab should hug the dowel with no slack, but the rim should not pucker.
Cords to dowels. Wrap 2 in (5.1 cm) of one side cord around the top dowel, just outside a tab. Fold the end back and sew it to the cord. Wrap the other end around the bottom dowel in the same position and sew it the same way. Repeat on the other side. Next, wrap each end of the hanger cord around the top dowel just outside the side cords and sew it down. Fold the center of the hanger cord into a 2 in (5.1 cm) loop and sew across its base.
Size checkpoint. Hang the organizer empty. The dowels should be level and 9 in (22.9 cm) apart. There should be about 3 1/4 in (8.3 cm) of clear space between the bottom of the top basket and the bottom dowel. If one side hangs lower, unpick that cord wrap and adjust it.
Border
Work the border on each basket straight after Rnd 22, before you attach the tabs.
Border gauge: 16 sc = 4 in (10.2 cm), the same as the body. The baskets are ovals, so there are no corner stitches. To make counting easier, divide each round into zones: front 40 sts, end 20, back 40, end 20.
Rnd 23: Ch 1, sc in each st around; join. (Front 40, end 20, back 40, end 20 = 120)
Rnds 24–25: Rep Rnd 23. (120)
Rnd 26: Ch 1, rev sc in each st around; join and fasten off. (120)
Why the math works: The base perimeter is 118 sts, about 29 1/2 in (74.9 cm). Rnd 18 adds exactly 2 sts so the lace band divides into 12 repeats of 10. Rnd 22 gives back exactly 10 sts per repeat, so the border starts with 120 sts, which is 30 in (76.2 cm) at gauge. That 1/2 in (1.3 cm) of ease keeps the rim straight over the lace without pulling it in. Every border round is worked 1 st into each st, so the wall stays vertical.
Final Blocking
- Slide the dowels out.
- Soak both baskets in cool water for 10 minutes. Press the water out in a towel; don’t wring them.
- Stuff each basket firmly with rolled towels, or fit it over a box about 12 in x 5 in (30.5 cm x 12.7 cm).
- Shape the base flat and the walls straight up. Check that each wall is 4 1/2 in (11.4 cm) tall.
- Pin the petals so they lie smooth, and open each diamond evenly.
- Lay the cords out straight at full length: 13 in (33.0 cm) for the side cords and 27 in (68.6 cm) for the hanger cord.
- Let everything dry completely, then put the dowels back in.
Final Quality-Control Checklist
- Both bases measure 12 in x 5 in (30.5 cm x 12.7 cm) and lie flat.
- Rnds 19, 22 and 23–26 each have 120 sts.
- Each basket has 12 complete four-petal flowers.
- Both walls are 4 1/2 in (11.4 cm) tall.
- The tabs are centered on the end bars, sewn one-to-one and snug on the dowels.
- The dowels hang level, 9 in (22.9 cm) apart.
- All yarn ends are woven in and secured.
Troubleshooting
- The base cups into a bowl: Your increases are too tight. Loosen them or go up a hook size.
- The base ruffles: Check each round’s count against the table.
- The lace band leans: A PG leg went into the wrong st. Recount the 10-st repeat.
- The petals look thin: Pull every loop up to full treble height before closing the cluster.
- The rim flares: Work Rnds 23–26 with a hook one size smaller.
- A loaded basket tilts: Make the cord wraps even and recenter the tabs.
Care
Take the dowels out first. Hand wash the baskets and cords in cool water with mild soap, press out the water, and dry the baskets over a shape stuffed with towels.
Final Notes
Each measurement leads to the next. A gauge of 16 sc = 4 in (10.2 cm) gives a 118-st base of 12 in x 5 in (30.5 cm x 12.7 cm). Rnd 18 turns that into 120 sts for 12 flower repeats. The wall reaches 3 5/8 in (9.2 cm) before the border, and the 7/8 in (2.2 cm) border brings it to 4 1/2 in (11.4 cm). With the dowels 9 in (22.9 cm) apart, the finished organizer hangs about 21 3/4 in (55.2 cm) from the hanging point. Check each stage as you go and the next one will come out right.
Happy crocheting!