Felted Wool Cylinder Basket Crochet Free Pattern

Felted Wool Cylinder Basket: A Free Beginner-Friendly Crochet Pattern

Introduction

If you have ever wanted to make something that looks like it came from a beautiful Scandinavian home store, this felted wool cylinder basket is the project for you. It is perfect for complete beginners because it uses only one stitch — single crochet — worked round and round in a simple spiral, so there is no joining, no turning, and no complicated shaping to memorize. The magic happens at the very end: you throw the finished basket in the washing machine, and the wool fibers lock together into a dense, firm, felted fabric that holds its shape beautifully. The finished basket is about 9 inches (23 cm) across and 8 inches (20 cm) tall, with a soft rolled top edge that curves gently inward. It feels thick, matte, and woolly — like a cozy piece of felted sculpture — and it is sturdy enough to hold magazines, yarn, towels, or houseplants. You will be amazed that something so simple to make can look so polished.

Materials Needed

• Yarn: Chunky/bulky weight (category 5) 100% undyed wool, non-superwash (this is essential — superwash wool will not felt). Approx. 250 g / 300 m per 100 g skein. You need 2 skeins (approx. 500 g total) of natural cream/oatmeal. The basket is worked with two strands held together throughout.
• Main hook: 6.0 mm (US J/10) crochet hook.
• Edging hook: 5.0 mm (US H/8) crochet hook (used only for the rolled top edge).
• Stitch marker: At least one, to mark the first stitch of each round.
• Tapestry needle: A large-eye blunt needle for weaving in ends.
• Scissors: Small sharp scissors for trimming yarn and any fuzz after felting.
• For felting: A mesh laundry bag or pillowcase, mild detergent, and a few old towels or jeans for agitation.
• Finished size (after felting): Approx. 9 inches (23 cm) diameter x 8 inches (20 cm) tall. Pre-felting size: Approx. 11 inches (28 cm) diameter x 10 inches (25 cm) tall.

Abbreviations and Beginner Glossary

• ch — chain: yarn over the hook, pull the loop through the loop on your hook. (Not used in this pattern, but listed so you recognize it.)
• sc — single crochet: insert your hook into the stitch, yarn over, pull up a loop (you now have 2 loops on your hook), yarn over again, and pull through both loops. One single crochet made.
• 2 sc in next st — work two single crochets into the same stitch. This is an increase and makes the circle grow.
• st / sts — stitch / stitches: the little V-shaped loops you work into.
• magic ring — an adjustable loop of yarn you make with your fingers, then crochet into. It lets you pull the center hole completely closed. (If you prefer, you can chain 2 and work your first stitches into the first chain instead.)
• back loop only (BLO) — every stitch has two loops at the top: a front loop (closer to you) and a back loop (farther away). Working in the back loop only means you insert your hook under just the back loop. This creates a crisp fold line.
• both loops — inserting your hook under both top loops of the stitch, which is the normal way to crochet.
• round — one complete trip around the circle. In this pattern you work in a continuous spiral, so rounds are not joined.
• continuous spiral — you never join the end of a round to its beginning and never turn your work; you just keep going around and around like a spiral staircase.
• fasten off — cut the yarn leaving a tail, then pull the tail all the way through the last loop to secure it.
• weave in ends — thread a yarn tail onto a tapestry needle and sew it back and forth through the fabric so it disappears and cannot unravel.
• felt / felting — washing wool in hot water with agitation so the fibers mat together into a dense, solid fabric.

Gauge

Gauge: 12 sc x 13 rounds = 4 x 4 inches (10 x 10 cm) in single crochet before felting, using the 6.0 mm hook and two strands held together.

Why gauge matters: Gauge is simply how big your stitches come out. If your stitches are bigger than mine, your basket will be wider and taller than the finished size; if smaller, it will be too small. Because this basket is felted, the exact size is a little forgiving — but the density matters most. Too loose, and the felted fabric will be floppy instead of firm.

How to make a gauge swatch: With two strands held together and the 6.0 mm hook, make a magic ring and work 6 sc into it. Work increase rounds exactly like the Base below until your swatch is about 4 inches (10 cm) across. Lay it flat and measure across the middle: 12 stitches should measure 4 inches. If you have more stitches in 4 inches, your tension is tight — try a larger hook. If you have fewer, your tension is loose — try a smaller hook. (You can unravel the swatch and reuse the yarn.)

Beginner Tips Before You Start

• Use a stitch marker every single round. Because you never join rounds, it is very easy to lose track of where a round begins. Place the marker in the first stitch of each round and move it up as you go.
• Do not pull your yarn too tight. Beginners often tug each stitch snug, which makes the fabric stiff and hard to work into. Let the yarn flow — you want even, relaxed stitches.
• Count your stitches at the end of every increase round. The stitch count in parentheses tells you exactly how many you should have. If you are off, fix it now rather than later.
• Hold two strands together as if they were one. Pull from both ends of one skein, or use two skeins at once. Treat the doubled yarn as a single strand for every stitch.
• Check your yarn label for "superwash." Superwash wool is treated so it will not felt. You need plain, untreated 100% wool for this project to work.
• Trust the process. Before felting, the basket looks loose and a little floppy — that is completely normal. The washing machine transforms it.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Base (Flat Circle)

Note: Work in continuous spirals — do not join rounds and do not turn. Hold two strands of chunky wool together throughout. Place a stitch marker in the first stitch of each round and move it up as you go.

Round 1: With the 6.0 mm hook and two strands held together, make a magic ring. Work 6 sc into the ring. (6 sts)

Round 2: 2 sc in each st around. (12 sts)

Round 3: [2 sc in next st, 1 sc in next st] around. (18 sts)

Round 4: [2 sc in next st, 1 sc in each of next 2 sts] around. (24 sts)

Round 5: [2 sc in next st, 1 sc in each of next 3 sts] around. (30 sts)

Round 6: [2 sc in next st, 1 sc in each of next 4 sts] around. (36 sts)

Round 7: [2 sc in next st, 1 sc in each of next 5 sts] around. (42 sts)

Round 8: [2 sc in next st, 1 sc in each of next 6 sts] around. (48 sts)

Round 9: [2 sc in next st, 1 sc in each of next 7 sts] around. (54 sts)

Round 10: [2 sc in next st, 1 sc in each of next 8 sts] around. (60 sts)

Round 11: [2 sc in next st, 1 sc in each of next 9 sts] around. (66 sts)

Round 12: [2 sc in next st, 1 sc in each of next 10 sts] around. (72 sts)

Round 13: [2 sc in next st, 1 sc in each of next 11 sts] around. (78 sts)

Round 14: [2 sc in next st, 1 sc in each of next 12 sts] around. (84 sts)

Round 15: [2 sc in next st, 1 sc in each of next 13 sts] around. (90 sts)

Round 16: [2 sc in next st, 1 sc in each of next 14 sts] around. (96 sts)

The base should now measure approx. 11 inches (28 cm) across. Do not fasten off.

Sides (Straight Cylinder)

Round 17: Working in the back loops only of Round 16, sc in each st around. (96 sts) This creates a crisp fold line between the base and the sides.

Rounds 18–46: Sc in each st around, working through both loops as normal. (96 sts per round; 29 rounds total for the sides)

The sides should now measure approx. 10 inches (25 cm) tall from the fold line. Do not fasten off.

Rolled Top Edge

Change to the 5.0 mm hook. The tighter gauge on the smaller hook naturally draws the top edge inward, forming a soft rolled rim.

Round 47: Sc in each st around. (96 sts)

Round 48: Sc in each st around. (96 sts)

Round 49: Sc in each st around. (96 sts)

Round 50: Sc in each st around. (96 sts)

Round 51: Sc in each st around. (96 sts)

Fasten off, leaving a 12-inch tail. Weave the tail through the final round of stitches and pull gently to close any gap, then weave in the end securely.

Felting

Step 1: Weave in all ends before felting.

Step 2: Place the basket in a mesh laundry bag or pillowcase to protect your machine.

Step 3: Wash on a hot cycle (at least 140°F / 60°C) with a small amount of mild detergent and a few old towels or jeans for agitation. Check every 10 minutes.

Step 4: The basket is felted when the stitches are no longer distinct and the fabric is dense and firm, usually after 20–40 minutes of agitation. Do not over-felt or the basket will lose its shape.

Step 5: Rinse in cold water, then shape the basket by stuffing it firmly with towels or a bowl to hold the cylinder form while it dries.

Step 6: Dry completely away from direct heat, reshaping the rolled top edge by hand as it dries.

Assembly and Finishing

There is no seaming in this pattern — the basket is crocheted in one continuous piece, so "assembly" is really about finishing and shaping.

Weaving in ends: Thread each yarn tail onto your tapestry needle. Working on the inside of the basket, sew the tail back and forth through about 2 inches (5 cm) of fabric, changing direction once or twice so it cannot work loose. Snip the yarn close to the fabric. Do this before felting so the ends become permanently locked into the felted wool.

Blocking and shaping: Blocking means setting the piece into its final shape while damp. After felting and rinsing, gently squeeze out excess water (do not wring or twist). Stuff the basket firmly with rolled towels or place a bowl inside it to hold the cylinder shape, and press the rolled top edge into a neat curve with your fingers. Set it on a dry towel away from direct heat and let it dry completely — this can take 24–48 hours. Reshape the rim by hand once or twice as it dries.

Final touches: Once dry, remove the stuffing and gently steam the rolled top edge if needed to set its shape. Trim any fuzz with small scissors. Your basket is now ready to use.

Pro Tips and Variations

• Change the color: Use a heathered gray, charcoal, or soft sage wool for a different look. You can also work the base in one color and the sides in another — simply change yarn at Round 17, holding two strands of the new color together.
• Adjust the size: To make a wider basket, continue the increase rounds in the same pattern (each round adds 6 stitches) until the base is your desired size, then work the sides straight. To make it taller, add extra plain rounds before the rolled top edge. Remember the basket will shrink by roughly 20% when felted.
• Substitute yarn: Any chunky 100% non-superwash wool works well. Avoid acrylic or cotton blends — they will not felt. If you use a thinner yarn, hold three strands together instead of two.
• Add a contrasting rim: Work the rolled top edge (Rounds 47–51) in a second color for a subtle two-tone detail that looks lovely in a minimalist home.