The Jessie Chunky Crochet Basket from TL Yarn Craft
You know those yarns that sit in your stash forever, the ones you don’t remember buying or—better yet—didn’t buy at all? That was me with Bernat Maker Big in the color Volcanic. It arrived in my mailbox by accident years ago when Yarnspirations mixed up my order, and for some reason, I held onto it. Maybe it was yarn guilt, maybe it was fate. Either way, it sat untouched in a bag for years.
Why? Well… I thought it was ugly. There, I said it. A weird tubular, super bulky yarn in a color that just didn’t match my vibe. I thought about making a seat cushion, maybe a bag, but every time I picked it up, I lost crojo. It was bulky, a bit tiring to work with, and I just wasn’t feeling it.
Lately, though, I’ve been on a mission to use what I have—partly for the satisfaction of busting my yarn stash, and also to clear out clutter. This yarn needed to go. So when I was scrolling TL Yarn Crafts looking for Tunisian crochet projects, I stumbled on the Jessie Chunky Basket. It’s not Tunisian, but those gorgeous ridges and that sturdy texture drew me in. And then it hit me: This yarn might actually be perfect for this project.
The Making of a Basket (and a Lesson in Patience)
The Jessie Basket works up fast—if your hands don’t tap out first. Maker Big isn’t exactly the easiest yarn to work with, but once I found my rhythm (and took plenty of breaks), I started to enjoy the process. The pattern itself? So easy to follow. Toni Lipsey always breaks things down beautifully, and her video tutorials made any special stitches a breeze.
That’s not to say I followed the pattern exactly. I ran out of yarn before I could match the original size, so I started over and shortened the starting chain to make up for it. But honestly? It still turned out great, and I love that I only had about 12 inches of yarn left—just enough to toss in my scrap jar for some future project. (Bag strap? Keychain? Who knows.)
The Surprise Twist: I Actually Like It
Even though I wouldn’t have chosen Volcanic on purpose, I have to admit… once the basket was done, I kind of loved it. It holds its shape beautifully, thanks to that tubular yarn structure, and it’s already proving to be the perfect catch-all for my projects. Would I go out of my way to buy this color? No. Do I hate it now? Also no.
This was such a satisfying make—not just because I ended up with a functional piece, but because I finally put that stubborn yarn to good use. And if there’s a moral to this story, it’s this: Just because a yarn doesn’t inspire you at first doesn’t mean it won’t surprise you in the end.
So if you’ve got some neglected yarn taking up space, maybe it’s time to challenge yourself to turn it into something useful. Who knows? You might just end up loving it.
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The Jessie Chunky Basket crochet pattern is by Toni Lipsey.
The photos in this post are my own and may not be reproduced, distributed or resold, translated, published, altered, shared or posted in any way over the internet or offline.
If you have any questions, you can email me at patricia@popsdemilk.com
