Crocheted Wool Basket

Have I ever told you of my lucky find at the Salvation Army? I don't think I have.... Anyway, I was donating a bunch of stuff in the back area and I saw someone else's donation. Cuz I gotta look, ya know? There was an old chest sitting there, some of the detail had been broken off and the top was peeling a bit. And I was in love. So I bought her for $10, right from the donation area. What I didn't know at the time was that this baby was full of old yarn, rug making supplies and old stationary. Like, 40 years old. There were old bags, notes and receipts in the chest along with the supplies. I sold a lot of the yarn on Ebay last year so that chest more than paid for itself. I still have a bit of yarn that I had planned on re-listing buuuut, I decided to see what I could do with it myself. My first project with the 40 year old yarn is a soft wool basket.

Crocheted wool basket

The yarn was completely raw wool, unprocessed with the exception of weaving it into yarn. Delightfully uneven and nubby.

Crocheted wool basket

I was picking out grass and little foxtail weeds from the yarn. Imagine, old little weeds picked from wool shorn from the sheep 40+ years ago.

Crocheted wool basket

By the time I was done crocheting this basket, my fingers were so shiny and slightly sticky from the lanolin still in the wool. Yes, my fingertips are so soft right now.

Crocheted wool basket

 Isn't the texture of this basket just amazing? I love it.

Crocheted wool basket

Its very soft and won't hold its own shape without something in it. I can fold it up and put it away when I'm not using it. I didn't use an actual pattern, I made a magic circle with 10 sc. I then increased each row by 10 dc until it was the size I wanted. I then just dc all the way around without increasing or decreasing until I was happy with the height. Kind of like a beanie for a very large head, upside down.

Crocheted wool basket

I had lots of "help" taking photos from Beethoven. Until he caught his reflection in my mirror. I know the mirror is dusty, please don't judge
I think he is at least half as gorgeous as he obviously thinks he is. <3 him.

Beethoven