Learn to Make This Boho Storage Basket with Chunky Yarn

This month, Apartment Therapy teamed up with a bunch of talented knitters — like Anne Weil from Flax & Twine — to give you a rich mix of informative posts about this useful and meditative craft, including resources and original patterns. If you’ve never picked up knitting needles before, this is a great time to start. See the entire knitting series right here, and here’s Anne:

I love all the amazing chunky fiber that is out on the market these days. Big yarns mean you can make something adorable in no time at all. I love having a knit basket or two around my home to add texture in a surprising way! This basket project is knit flat with only knit and purl stitches. Seam it up, gather the end, and fold it over and you’re done. You only need a couple hours, and you have a perfect gift or special piece to warm up your winter décor.

Knit Collage Cast Away Yarn in Prism (100% wool; 68-70 yds, 100g), 1 skein (For a replacement, look for 70 yards of a bulky or chunky yarn)

US 11 (8 mm) or size needed to obtain gauge.

Darning Needle Gauge 10sts = 4″ in pattern on US 11 needles (gauge isn’t all that important for this project, it may just affect your basket size.

Unfinished piece measures 10″ x 14″. Fully folded basket measures 4″ high, 6″ in diameter (though you can fold to varying heights.

Cast on 26 stitches, leaving about 10″ of tail. Row 1: Knit all stitches. Row 2: Purl all stitches. Row 3: Purl all stitches. Row 4: Knit all stitches.

Repeat rows 1-4, until your piece measures approximately 14″ long. Leave a tail of 18″ remaining to seam up basket.

Place your knitted piece on a table. Fold the short edges toward each other, bringing the cast-on and bound-off edges together and lining them up, stitch for stitch. Using the mattress stitch, seam the knit piece’s ends, collecting stitches from side to side. This magically brings the seam to the inside of your tube. To do this, bring the tail from the bound-off edge underneath the two legs, or “V”, of the first stitch on one side.

Bring the tail back to the other side, and thread it underneath both legs the first stitch there.

Continue to feed the tail through the same adjacent stitches from side to side, working up the entire edge length. The how isn’t as important as the consistency of the seaming. Pick one way of threading and stick to it. Now turn the tube you’ve made on its edge with the tails at the top. Feed the original tail from the cast-on edge around the outside leg of every other end stitch.

Pull the tail tight to draw the tube completely together like a drawstring bag, and tie a knot back to the basket to secure the closure. Cut all ends about 6 inches long and weave them into the knit fabric.

Turn the basket inside out so the seam is facing out and the drawn-together edge is on the bottom.

Fold the top edge over, making the sides of the basket double-thick for structure. Alternatively, roll down a smaller amount of the top to create a cuff for the basket.

Fill as desired!

Designer Anne Weil is the creative voice behind Flax & Twine. A lover of beautiful things, she designs knit and crochet patterns and DIYs for the modern maker. She recently published a book, Knitting Without Needles. On most days, you can find Anne in her sunny studio in Denver, CO relishing joyful making moments.