Small Panda Basket
You’ll need:
50m of worsted weight cotton yarn in white color;
25m of the same yarn, but in black color;
Crochet hook 4,5 mm;
2 black buttons 2,5 cm.
Size: Diameter: 10 cm
Height: 9 cm (excluding ears/eyes)
Notes
Work in the round: The baskets are worked in the round without joining at end of rnd. Place marker at beg/end of rnd and move it upwards as you crochet, when you have finished 1 rnd, continue to next rnd with sc in next sc (1st sc in next rnd).
Adjustable ring (magical ring): Make a loop by putting the yarn tail behind the working yarn, leaving a 15 cm tail for closing the ring, draw the working yarn through the loop, so you have one loop on the hook, ch 1, work scs in the ring until you have the number of scs specified in pattern, close the ring by pulling the tail on WS, secure it with a few sts on WS.
Sc dec: work 1 sc - but wait with last pull through, work 1 more sc in next st in the same manner, make 1 yarn over and pull yarn through all 3 sts on hook = 1 sc decreased over 2 scs.
Switch color: At the end of rnd, work last yarn over of last st with the new color, pull the new color through the loop on hook, continue to next rnd with new color.
Instructions
Make an adjustable ring with black. Work 8 scs in the ring - read work in the round above.
Rnd 1: Work 2 scs in each of the scs = 16 scs - AND switch to white at the end of rnd, read switch color under notes above.
Rnd 2: * 1 sc in next sc, 2 scs in next sc *, rep *-* across - AND switch to black at the end of rnd = 24 scs.
Rnd 3: * 1 sc in each of next 2 scs, 2 scs in next sc *, rep *-* across - AND switch to white at the end of rnd = 32 scs.
Rnd 4: Work 1 sc in each sc - AND switch to black at the end of rnd = 32 scs. Rnd 5: * 1 sc in each of next 3 scs, 2 scs in next sc *, rep *-* across - AND switch to white at the end of rnd = 40 scs.
Rnd 6: * 1 sc in each of next 4 scs, 2 scs in next sc *, rep *-* across - AND switch to black at the end of rnd = 48 scs.
Continue with 1 sc in each sc (= 48 scs on each rnd) - AND switch color at the end of each rnd, until you have worked 3 rnds with black after the last inc (rnd 6). Continue upwards with white, until you have worked 12 rnds of scs in white after the last rnd in black. Do no fasten off!
Ear
Make an adjustable ring with black. Work 5 scs in the ring - read work in the round above.
Rnd 1: Work 2 scs in each of the scs = 10 scs.
Rnd 2: * 1 sc in next sc, 2 scs in next sc *, rep *-* across = 15 scs.
Rnd 3: Work 1 sc in each sc = 15 scs.
Rnd 4: * 1 sc in next sc, dec 1 sc over next 2 scs - read Sc dec under notes above *, rep *-* across = 10 scs
Rnd 5: * Dec 1 sc over next 2 scs *, rep *-* across = 5 scs, 1 sl st in next st, fasten off - but leave a tail of 20 cm for sewing.
Make 1 more ear in the same way.
Tail
Make an adjustable ring with black. Work 5 scs in the ring - read work in the round above.
Rnd 1: Work 2 scs in each of the scs = 10 scs.
Rnd 2: Work 1 sc in each sc = 10 scs. Rnd 3: * Dec 1 sc over next 2 scs *, rep *-* across = 5 scs, 1 sl st in next st, fasten off - but leave a tail of 20 cm for sewing.
Assembly
Turn the basket so that the end of rnd (seam) is positioned in the middle back, flatten the ears and pin them on each side at front, this will help you to determine the position for eyes and nose. Sew 2 black buttons for eyes with white thread, sew a few sts with black for nose between the buttons, sew the ears on both back and front to top edge (adjust position first if necessary).
Now work 1 sc in each sc with white on the last rnd of the basket, until you have reached the 1st ear, work 1 sl st in the sc closest to the bottom of the ear, fasten off. This will make the end of rnd for the basket invisible.
Sew the tail on the back of basket, just above the last rnd in black.