Valley Yarns Glacial Project Basket Crochet Pattern

Valley Yarns Glacial Project Basket

What Is Being Made

The Glacial Project Basket is a functional crocheted storage basket designed by Sara Delaney. After felting, the finished basket measures approximately 20 inches wide and 18 inches deep, making it suitable for storing yarn, craft supplies, or household items. The design draws inspiration from glacial potholes found in Shelburne Falls, with swirling layers that create visual depth and dimension.

Craft and Techniques

This project uses crochet as the primary craft technique combined with felting to achieve its final appearance and structure. The felting process transforms the crocheted fabric, creating a denser, more structured basket while enhancing the color gradations. The basket begins as a flat crocheted piece that is later felted to add body and shape. This combination of techniques makes the project both accessible to beginners and visually striking in its finished form.

Stitches Used

The pattern employs fundamental crochet stitches suitable for beginners:

• Chain (ch) - used to form the foundation ring at the project's base
• Single Crochet (sc) - the primary stitch throughout most of the basket construction, worked in continuous rounds
• Back Loop Single Crochet (blsc) - a variation of single crochet that creates textural interest by working into only the back loop of stitches, used in specific rounds to add dimension
• Slip Stitch (sl st) - used to join the foundation chain into a ring

The pattern uses a straightforward increase method, doubling stitches at strategic intervals to expand the circular base and create the basket's bowl shape.

Materials

The basket is crafted using Valley Yarns Berkshire Bulky, a yarn blend of 85% wool and 15% alpaca. This fiber content is ideal for felting, as the wool content allows the yarn to shrink and bond during the felting process. The pattern calls for a total of 17 skeins across six coordinating colorways, each containing 100 grams and 108 yards per skein:

• 5 skeins of #42 Dark Grey Heather (C1) for the base
• 3 skeins each of #43 Medium Grey Heather (C2), #41 Light Grey Heather (C3), #38 Stone Blue (C4), and #24 Light Blue (C5)
• 1 skein of #25 Blue (C6) for accent details

The pattern specifies a US size 17 (12.00mm) crochet hook or the size needed to achieve proper gauge. A distinctive feature of this project is working with three strands of bulky yarn held together simultaneously, which accelerates the construction process significantly while creating a thick, substantial fabric suitable for felting.

Gauge and Construction

The pattern is worked to a gauge of approximately 5 single crochets and 8 rows equaling 4 inches when using three strands held together. The basket is constructed in continuous rounds beginning from a small ring, with increases worked at regular intervals to expand the circular base outward. The color-changing ombre effect created by transitioning through the grey and blue colorways becomes a subtle, flowing gradient once the basket is felted, adding visual interest while maintaining a cohesive, sophisticated appearance.