Basket finished

[spoula]

Here is the basket I finished. I first used cornstarch to make it stiff and that worked great. Then my husband found the spray on stiffener and I used that too. Guess what happened? You guessed it the basket dissolved back to a soft crochet piece. Time is running out so I started over again with cornstarch. I dried it with my hair dryer and attached the ribbon. The basket is really pretty but not sturdy enough for Easter eggs. It is the lacy design. I think the basket will be nice to sit on the dresser and put things in it like hair ribbons or bows and headbands. Thanks to choiyuk for the lovely pattern.
Sorry about the quality of the picture
I cannot take any pictures that are not blurry or that my thumb is in the way.
Spoula

[Jean Marie]

Nice job Spoula

[spoula]

Thank you Jean Marie, I am working on the purple dress pattern now. It is so pretty I am doing the 18 months with a size E/4 hook. It measures the right size for 18 months but it looks big to me. I have 48 more rows to go then I will post the picture. I think you will like this pattern. After the long chain it is easy to twist the chains to form a loop you have to be careful.

Spoula

[Jean Marie]

I don't think it was twisting the chain before sl st it to 1st ch to make a circle; it was after I made the circle or sl st the chain to 1st st that it looked like I might've twisted it.

Ps. You can use an old sock that you put stuffing in (I just stuffed it w/pieces of yarn I had left over from weaving in ends) and tie it at the top so the stuffing doesn't come out and use it for an arm/hand rest while typing on the computer. You can put it in the wash machine too.

[Nova55]

Really like your basket, Spoula! I've done a lot of stiffening projects (3D Christmas ornaments) and if you really want a basket to be strong enough to be filled, you really need to use a commercial stiffener - just my opinion. Once a commercial stiffener dries, it really holds well. Aleene's would be the best.

[spoula]

Hello Nova55, I have only done one stiffening project and that was the baby hat I made and posted on this forum. I used corn starch on that one as I did not want any chemicals near the baby's face or in her mouth. My mother use to make these beautiful doilies and use sugar water (I think) or corn starch and her doilies came out beautiful and hard as cement.

I received replies from some of the ladies on this forum some suggestions was mod podge and Aleene's. I made the basket in a hurry to be ready by Easter. When I went to all the craft shops they only had Aleene's fusion and I did not want that one nor the one that Elmer's glue in it.

So I set the basket with cornstarch and it was just what I wanted nice and sturdy and very stiff. My husband had gone to Walmart for something and he found a bottle of Aleene's spray on stiffener. I had already started to decorate my basket when he brought the stiffener in. I didn't want to hurt his feelings as he went out of his way to get it for me. So I asked him to spray the basket. It did not hold up at all so I don't know if it was because I had already used corn starch or the stiffener just didn't work as well as the cornstarch. Or it could have been the basket itself as it did not have a lot of substance to it. So I had to start over again with cornstarch and use my hair dryer to help it dry in time to give it to the baby. She carried it like a pocket book then she was done with it. She prefers her brothers little Hot Wheels cars.

Thanks for the information,

I do appreciate all of the feedback and help.

Spoula