I’ve never had a good apparatus for harvesting my vegetable garden. I’ve used a too small plastic bucket, a too small metal basket, a too flimsy plastic tray, and a too deep 5 gallon plastic bucket where everything on the bottom gets crushed. I’ve toyed a few times with buying one of those tub trugs, but they’re expensive and I was noncommittal. I found this pattern, loved the look, and the end result looked like it would work great. So far, so good! I think I’m gonna love it.

Used more than half of a 1/4” by 100 ft roll of Sisal Rope, purchased at Tractor Supply.

Started out using a Susan Bates 4.0 mm size G crochet hook. I hate, hate, hate the Susan Bates hooks and it was especially god-awful with this pattern. I switched to a Boye F hook (3.75 mm) at about the 14th row. The Boye G hook is 4.25 mm, the pattern calls for 4.00 mm which is why I even bothered to start with the SB hook. When I switched, I sized down to make it tighter for structural integrity.

Modifications:
I had a hot glue gun ready and I splooged a small puddle out onto a protected surface. As soon as I opened the roll of sisal, I dipped both ends into the glue, one at a time, to prevent them from fraying. Worked great.

I repeated Round 22 a second time. Call it Round 23.5.

I didn’t like the way the pattern ended in between 2 handles. I thought it looked very noticeable, so instead I continued to SC in next Ch Sp, Ch 2 5 times, SC in next Ch Sp, Ch 1 3 times - to end right at the handle. I then snipped the rope and hot glued the end.

I also fastened off by slip stitching in the next SC. The pattern doesn’t mention fastening off, but it’s gotta be done. I then used the yarn tail to sew down the little nub of the rope to the inside of the basket.

Pattern Issues:
It would be nice if the pattern mentioned which rounds comprise the bottom, and which round starts the side. I studied the pictures to determine Rounds 1-12 are the base and Round 13 starts the side.

I’ve always interpreted something like the following - sc on next st, ch1, repeat * 8 times - as 9 total times (the 1st time, then 8 repeats). The author means 8 total times. This was easy enough to figure out because the stitch count at the end of each round is given, and math. The author is consistent in using that same method throughout the pattern.

The ch st in R20 should be ch sp, as it is everywhere else.

The Handle Instructions should read slst, ch, slstin next ch sp** for clarity.

The final round (26) I worked the 3 sc before and after the handle into the 3 sc from the round before, as there is no longer a ch sp there. Also - where the sl st, ch 1, sl st is done for the handles in this round - I did sl st in next sl st, ch 1, sl st in next sl st.