Crocheted Baskets...

I had planned to tat another cross today, but my Mother-In-Law was coming into town and I wanted to finish this up to give to her today...so this is how I spent my morning...

This crochet basket pattern is from Crochet in Color and the pattern for this "Chunky Crocheted Basket" is one of several great patterns she offers for free on her blog.  This is the fourth one I have completed and I really enjoy working this pattern.

I have added a rose to the baskets for embellishement, I used this pattern for the rose from Pom Pom Emporium.  It makes a nice large bloom and is quick to work up. 

On this bloom, I added a row of single crochet in the oatmeal colored yarn on the last 6 petals or so, to accent the flower.  I like the effect of that a lot...really makes the flower pop.

This is the larger of the two basket sizes given in the pattern.  When crocheted with 4 strands of yarn, as I have done here, it is large enough to hold a stack of magazines...so it is an ample basket. 

The yarn I used today was 3 strands of worsted weight and 1 strand of sport weight yarn.  The type of yarn you select really makes a difference in the size of the basket...I have simply been creating these from yarns I have in my stash, so the sizes of my baskets vary quite a bit.  It's also been fun to select colors to blend together, the effect is lovely and really different depending on what you choose to use.  Here I've used an oatmeal, forest green, and olive green yarn in varying combinations.

Each basket uses up a good 4 skeins of yarn...it's been a great way to use up some of the acrylic yarns in my stash.  I really like the washability and durability of that fiber for this purpose...and I find that I use acrylic yarns less and less for other things as there are so many nice cotton, bamboo, wool blend, and other lovely yarns available these days.

This was what I chose to make each of the mothers on my list this year (as well as one for myself)...I think it makes a nice gift and is not only beautiful but a functional item, and they can be thrown in the wash if needed as well.  Hopefully they will all enjoy these baskets!  My Mother-In-Law seemed to like hers today...so I am hopeful that they will be appreciated, one does wonder sometimes.

I'll try to photograph and show the other baskets to you all before I mail them off in the next day or so.  Still finishing up one for my sister, about half done on that one.  It takes me just over 3 hours to complete a basket with the rose embellishement.  I'm off to work on that last basket now...