The Ruffle Basket is a quick knit pattern worked from the bottom up with a full video tutorial and several picture aids. The 8-round repeat creates a sturdy fabric, while the two-color design and cute picot ruffle add a playful touch. This knit basket is perfect for holding baby toys, knick knacks, or extra yarn and since it uses weight 6 yarn, it works up fast for those last minute gifts.
Looking for a fun and functional knit project?
The Ruffle Basket is a free knit pattern that has a tight gauge that makes the fabric tight enough for perfect home decor basket piece.
Worked from the bottom up with weight 6 yarn, this sturdy basket features beautiful ruffle edges that give it a soft, decorative touch.
It’s quick to make, beginner-friendly, and comes with a full video tutorial and photo aids to guide you every step of the way. Use it to store toys, yarn, or everyday essentials.
Or give it as a gift to someone for additional organization!
DESCRIPTION
The Ruffle Basket is worked entirely in one piece with no seaming, making it both seamless and satisfying to complete.
It begins at the base, where you’ll work in rounds to create a flat circle.
Once the base is complete, a round of purl stitches is done to turn the work upward, shifting the direction from flat to vertical to form the sides.
From there, an 8-round repeat is worked to build the body of the basket. This repeat gives the piece a lovely texture and visual interest while maintaining a sturdy form.
When the basket reaches your desired height, it’s time for the finishing touch and the star of the basket—the ruffle.
You’ll pick up the designated stitches along the top and work the ruffle directly onto the basket.
A picot bind off completes the look, adding a delicate, frilly edge that gives the basket its signature charm. The ruffle can be made in a contrasting color for a playful accent or kept in the same shade for a subtle, elegant look.
To create a dense and stable fabric, the pattern uses smaller needles than normal, along with a garter stitch and slip stitch repeat.
This combination, paired with tight tension, helps eliminate the natural drape that knit fabrics usually have—making the basket firm enough to hold its shape.
There aren’t many knit basket patterns out there because achieving this level of structure with knitting can be tricky, but this design was created specifically to solve that challenge.
Be sure to check your gauge before starting to ensure your stitches are tight enough for a sturdy finish.
For even more structure, you can apply a fabric stiffener to help your basket stand tall and keep its shape over time.
YARN
The yarn used for the Ruffle Basket is Lion Brand Yarn Hometown—a bestseller and classic weight 6 yarn that’s perfect for creating a thick, sturdy fabric that I needed for a knit basket.
One of the main reasons why I chose this yarn is because of the wide variety of colors it comes in. It’s made of 100% acrylic, which makes it both durable and easy to care for.
The solid colors come in 81 yards (74 meters) per 5 oz (142 grams) skein, while the prints include 64 yards (59 meters) per 4 oz (113 grams) skein.
For my basket, I used Athens Blue Sky as the main color and Catskills Corner as the contrast color.
The deep, rich blue of Athens Blue Sky pops beautifully against the soft cream tones of Catskills Corner. Catskills Corner features subtle flecks of bone white, making it a neutral shade that balances the bold blue perfectly.
With 47 colors available, it’s easy to mix and match shades to suit your home decor or personal style—this variety is one of the main reasons I love using Hometown yarn.
Another big reason I chose this yarn is its machine washability and durability.
Since baskets are meant to be used and handled often, I wanted something that could be easily cleaned and would hold up over time. Hometown is machine washable and dryable, making it a no-fuss option for everyday use.
For the sister crochet version of the Ruffle Basket, I used the color Phoenix Azalea, a vibrant pink that shows just how many gorgeous shades this yarn line offers.
With so many beautiful colors, it truly feels like the options are endless!
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DIFFICULTY
The Ruffle Basket is a Level 2, Easy knit pattern, making it a great project for confident beginners or anyone looking to try something new.
With the full video tutorial and 13 additional step-by-step pictures, you’ll have plenty of guidance to help you create your own sturdy knit basket.
To watch the full video tutorial, you can click on the video above, or click HERE.
The pattern features an 8-round repeat, but don’t let that intimidate you.
You’ll be alternating rounds 2 and 3 with rounds 6 and 7 to create a staggered look—so it really feels more like a 4-round repeat once you get into the rhythm.
The fabric of the basket is essentially garter stitch with slip stitches worked every other stitch. This technique gives the basket its dense, stiff texture, which is exactly what’s needed for structure and durability.
The project begins with Judy’s Magic Cast On to form the base, and if you’re new to it, there’s a separate video tutorial along with detailed photos and explanations to guide you through each step.
The basket is knit all in one piece, so there is no seaming involved making this basket.
So let’s begin!
MATERIALS
- 210 yds/3 balls of Lion Brand Yarn Hometown Yarn, “Athens Blue Sky” (135-116G), weight 6, 100% acrylic, 81 yds/74 m, 5 oz/142 g (A)
- 46 yds/1 ball of Lion Brand Yarn Hometown Yarn, “Catskills Corner” (135-238J), weight 6, 100% acrylic, 64 yds/59 m, 4 oz/113 g (B)
- US 10.5/6.5mm circular knitting needles
- Stitch Markers
- Scissors
- Tapestry Needle
- Row Counter (optional)
GAUGE
12 stitches 26 rows = 4″/10 cm
SIZE
11″/27.5 cm by 8.5″/21 cm
TERMINOLOGY
- A – color A
- B – color B
- BO – bind off
- CO – cast on
- k – knit
- kfb – knit front and back
- p – purl
- rep – repeat
- RS – right side
- sl – slip
- st(s) – stitch(es)
- wyib – with yarn in back
- WS – wrong side
NOTES
- You will be working in a continuous round. Use a stitch marker to mark the beginning of each round.
- The Base is made first using the magic loop, and then the Main Body of the basket is made on circular needles.
- The ruffle is added by picking up sts with color B after the basket is made.
- The gauge is important to create a stiff fabric so the basket holds its shape. Go down a needle size or two if the basket doesn’t hold its shape.
VIDEO TUTORIAL
There is a full video tutorial to help you make the Ruffle Basket. Click on the picture above, or click HERE to view it.
And check out my shops if you want to get the concise, ad-free, printable pattern. I have three different shops you can purchase it from:
you can get the Lion Brand Yarn kit HERE which includes all of the yarn to make the tee as well as the digital download of the pattern.
SPECIAL STITCHES
Judy’s Magic Cast On (see this blog post for more help HERE):
- Hold two needles in the right hand and position yarn in left hand for a long-tail cast-on: tail over index finger and working yarn over thumb.
- Loop the yarn onto the top needle.
- Keeping left hand still, move the tip of the bottom needle over and under the yarn connected to index finger.
- Keeping left hand still, move the tip of the top needle over and under the yarn connected to thumb.
- Rep Steps 3-4 ending with the bottom needle and equal sts on both needles.
- Twist tail and working yarn, knit first needle sts like normal.
- Knit first st on second needle, knit remaining sts on second needle through the back loop.
Picot BO – k2, *BO 1, sl to left needle, CO 2 sts using knitted CO, BO 4 sts, rep from *
PATTERN
BASE
Using the Judy’s Magic CO method (view blog post HERE for more details of how to do method) and A, CO 8 sts,
Using magic loop,
Rnd 1: Twist tail and working yarn, k 5 sts, k 3 sts through the back loop because they are mounted with the left leg in front, place marker for beginning of round (8 sts)
Rnd 2: kfb into every stitch (16 sts)
Rnd 3: k around
Rnd 4: *k1, kfb* all around (24 sts)
Rnd 5: k around
Rnd 6: *k2, kfb* all around (32 sts)
Rnd 7: k around
Rnd 8: *k3, kfb* all around (40 sts)
Rnd 9: k around
Rnd 10: *k4, kfb* all around (48 sts)
Rnd 11: k around
Rnd 12: *k5, kfb* all around (56 sts)
Rnd 13: k around
Rnd 14: *k6, kfb* all around (64 sts)
Rnd 15: k around
Rnd 16: *k7, kfb* all around (72 sts)
Rnd 17: k around
Rnd 18: *k8, kfb* all around (80 sts)
Rnd 19: k around
Rnd 20: *k9, kfb* all around (88 sts)
Rnd 21: k around
Rnd 22: *k10, kfb* all around (96 sts)
Rnd 23: k around
Rnd 24: *k11, kfb* all around (104 sts)
Rnd 25: k around
MAIN BODY
Using A,
Rnd 1 (RS): p around (104 sts)
Rnd 2: k1, *wyib, sl 1 purlwise, k1, rep from * around, wyib, sl 1 purlwise
Rnd 3: p1, *wyib, sl 1 purlwise, p1, rep from * around, wyib, sl 1 purlwise
Rnd 4: k around
Rnd 5: p around
Rnd 6: * wyib, sl 1 purlwise, k1, rep from * around
Rnd 7: * wyib, sl 1 purlwise, p1, rep from * around
Rnd 8: k around
Rnds 9-47: Rep Rnds 1-8, ending on Rnd 7
Switch to B,
Rnd 48: k around
Rnds 49-56: Rep Rnds 1-4
BO.
PICOT RUFFLE
Using B, RS facing, and turning the work so the top of basket is facing down, pick up first rnd of B,
Rnds 1-2: k around (104 sts)
Picot BO (see Special Stitches above). Weave in ends.
BLOCKING
Do not block the basket. It will made the fabric less stiff.
If your ruffle is sticking up/out, wet it with your fingers and lay the ruffle down.
Spot clean to clean.
Code Word: Picot
And that’s how you make the Ruffle Basket!
Make sure that when you post to social media or another platform, please refer back to me as the designer. If you are on Instagram, tag @CozyNooksDesigns for a change to be featured!
ABOUT THE DESIGNER
Cozy Nooks Designs
Rachel Alford from Cozy Nooks Designs was on the PBS TV show Knit and Crochet Now! season 13. She also designs for Lion Brand Yarn, has been in several crochet/knit magazines, and freelances by filming videos for Annie’s online episodes. Be sure to check out her YouTube Channel for tips, tricks, & tutorials!
