Free Pattern: Red Patchwork Drawstring Bottle Pouch in Basketweave Crochet

A Cozy Little Home for Your Water Bottle

If you have ever wished your water bottle could wear a tiny handmade sweater, this is the project for you. This rustic farmhouse bottle pouch is crocheted in the round with a beautifully textured basketweave stitch, then sprinkled with soft pink patchwork squares for a charming, woven look. It is perfect for anyone who has mastered the basic stitches and wants to try post stitches for the first time, because the basketweave pattern is simply double crochets worked around the posts of the row below. The finished pouch is a snug, slightly stretchy cylinder with a flat circular base, a raised woven texture that feels wonderful in the hand, and a pink drawstring cord that gathers the top closed. Slip it over a 500 ml bottle or travel cup and it looks like a little piece of farmhouse art.

Materials Needed

• Yarn: Worsted-weight linen-blend yarn (approx. 50% linen / 50% cotton; about 180 yd / 165 m per 100 g skein). Color A (cherry red): approx. 90 yd / 82 m. Color B (soft pink): approx. 35 yd / 32 m.
• Hook: US H-8 / 5.0 mm crochet hook, or the size needed to match gauge.
• Stitch marker: at least one, to mark the start of each round.
• Tapestry needle: a blunt-tipped needle with a large eye for weaving in ends.
• Scissors.
• Optional: a small wooden bead for the drawstring ends.
• Finished measurements: Body circumference approx. 9 3/4 in / 25 cm (unstretched). Height from base to eyelet round approx. 6 1/2 in / 16.5 cm. Fits standard 500 ml water bottles and travel cups up to approx. 3 in / 7.5 cm in diameter. Drawstring cord approx. 24 in / 61 cm long.

Abbreviations and Beginner Glossary

• ch – chain: yarn over the hook, pull the loop through the loop on your hook. This makes a small link.
• sl st – slip stitch: insert the hook into the stitch, yarn over, and pull the loop through both the stitch and the loop on your hook at once. It joins rounds without adding height.
• sc – single crochet: insert hook into stitch, yarn over, pull up a loop (2 loops on hook), yarn over, pull through both loops.
• dc – double crochet: yarn over, insert hook into stitch, yarn over, pull up a loop (3 loops on hook), yarn over, pull through 2 loops, yarn over, pull through remaining 2 loops.
• fpdc – front post double crochet: work a double crochet, but instead of inserting the hook into the top of the stitch, insert it from front to back around the vertical "post" (the body) of the stitch below. This pushes the stitch forward.
• bpdc – back post double crochet: same as fpdc, but insert the hook from back to front around the post, so the stitch sits behind the work.
• sc2tog – single crochet 2 together: a decrease. Insert hook into first stitch, pull up a loop, insert hook into next stitch, pull up a loop, yarn over and pull through all 3 loops.
• st(s) – stitch(es).
• rnd – round: one complete circle of stitches worked in the round.
• A – cherry red yarn. B – soft pink yarn.
• Magic ring – an adjustable loop that you crochet into, then pull tight to close the center hole.
• Block – a group of 4 stitches worked all as fpdc (front block) or all as bpdc (back block).

Gauge

14 sts and 12 rounds = 4 in / 10 cm in basketweave pattern (fpdc/bpdc blocks) after blocking. Each basketweave block (4 sts) measures approx. 1 1/8 in / 2.9 cm wide, and each block row (2 rounds) measures approx. 5/8 in / 1.6 cm tall.

Why gauge matters: if your stitches are too big, the pouch will sag and slide off the bottle; if too small, it will not fit over the bottle at all. How to swatch: chain 22, work 2 rows of dc, then work Rnds 9–10 style blocks back and forth for about 12 rows. Measure the middle 4 inches. If you have more stitches than 14, try a larger hook; if fewer, try a smaller hook.

Beginner Tips Before You Start

• Use a stitch marker. Place it in the first stitch of every round so you always know where the round begins and ends.
• Do not pull the yarn too tight. Post stitches need a little slack to wrap around the post below. Keep your tension relaxed and even.
• Change color on the last yarn-over. When the new color block begins, finish the stitch before it with the new color so the change is invisible.
• Carry the unused color loosely. Let the resting color travel up the inside of the pouch; do not pull it tight or the pouch will pucker.
• Count your blocks. Every round of the body must have exactly 12 blocks (48 sts). Count in groups of 4 to stay on track.
• Try it on as you go. Slip the pouch over your bottle after Rnd 16 to check the fit before you finish the top.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Base (worked in A)

Rnd 1: Make a magic ring, ch 1, work 8 sc into the ring, join with sl st to first sc. (8 sc)

Rnd 2: Ch 1, 2 sc in each sc around, join. (16 sc)

Rnd 3: Ch 1, [2 sc in next sc, sc in next sc] 8 times, join. (24 sc)

Rnd 4: Ch 1, [2 sc in next sc, sc in next 2 sc] 8 times, join. (32 sc)

Rnd 5: Ch 1, [2 sc in next sc, sc in next 3 sc] 8 times, join. (40 sc)

Rnd 6: Ch 1, [2 sc in next sc, sc in next 4 sc] 8 times, join. (48 sc)

Rnd 7: Ch 1, sc in each sc around, join. (48 sc) Base measures approx. 3 1/4 in / 8.3 cm across.

Body — Basketweave Patchwork

Set-up Rnd 8: Ch 2 (counts as first dc), dc in each sc around, join with sl st to top of ch-2. (48 dc = 12 blocks of 4 sts)

Rnd 9: Ch 2, [fpdc around each of next 4 sts, bpdc around each of next 4 sts] 6 times, join. (48 sts; 6 front blocks, 6 back blocks)

Rnd 10: Ch 2, [bpdc around each of next 4 sts, fpdc around each of next 4 sts] 6 times, join. (48 sts; blocks swap position, completing first block row)

Rnds 11–12: Repeat Rnds 9–10 once more in A. (48 sts)

Rnds 13–14: Change to B and repeat Rnds 9–10 (pink block row). (48 sts)

Rnds 15–16: Change to A and repeat Rnds 9–10 (red block row). (48 sts)

Rnds 17–18: Repeat Rnds 9–10 in A. (48 sts)

Rnds 19–20: Change to B and repeat Rnds 9–10 (second pink block row). (48 sts)

Rnds 21–22: Change to A and repeat Rnds 9–10 (final red block row). (48 sts)

Body now measures approx. 6 in / 15 cm from base; 7 block rows worked, with pink patchwork squares at Rnds 13–14 and 19–20.

Eyelet Round (in A)

Rnd 23: Ch 1, sc in each st around, join. (48 sc)

Rnd 24: Ch 1, [sc in next 2 sts, ch 2, skip next 2 sts] 12 times, join with sl st to first sc. (12 eyelets)

Rnd 25: Ch 1, [sc in next 2 sc, 2 sc in ch-2 space] 12 times, join. (48 sc)

Rnd 26: Ch 1, sc in each sc around, join. Fasten off A, weave in ends. (48 sc)

Drawstring Cord (in B)

Cord: Leave a 4 in / 10 cm tail. Ch 90, or work a chainless foundation cord until the cord measures approx. 24 in / 61 cm. Fasten off leaving a 4 in / 10 cm tail. Tie a small overhand knot at each end to prevent fraying.

Assembly and Finishing

1. Thread the cord. Weave the pink cord through the 12 eyelets, beginning and ending at the same eyelet so both ends emerge on the same side. The cord should roll and gather the top when pulled.

2. Finish the cord ends. Thread both cord ends through a small wooden bead, or tie a decorative knot, if desired.

3. Weave in ends. Using the tapestry needle, thread each yarn tail through the back of several stitches on the inside of the pouch, then trim close to the work.

4. Block. Lightly mist the pouch with water and shape it over a bottle or cylinder of matching size. Allow it to dry fully so the basketweave texture opens up and the patchwork squares sit flat.

Pro Tips and Variations

• Change the patchwork colors. Swap the pink rows for mustard, sage, or cream to match your kitchen, or use a different color for every block row for a bolder patchwork look.
• Adjust the size. For a larger bottle, add one increase round to the base (56 sc) and work 14 blocks per round; all other rounds follow the same block sequence. For a smaller bottle, stop the base at 40 sc and work 10 blocks per round.
• Substitute yarn. Any worsted-weight cotton or cotton-blend yarn works well; avoid fuzzy or slippery yarns, which hide the basketweave texture.
• Make a matching set. Work the same pattern in a smaller hook size for a cup cozy, or add a second drawstring cord in a contrasting color for a double-tie finish.