Crochet a nesting set of your favorite forest spirits with the free pattern for these Totoro baskets!
If you’ve ever seen the movie My Neighbor Totoro then you are probably familiar with these solemn and sweet creatures. Since they’re licensed characters, I’m offering this pattern for free FOR PERSONAL USE ONLY. Please do not sell these items or reproduce the pattern anywhere! Below you’ll find the instructions and charts for these Totoro baskets.
These baskets are made with bulky yarn, but would also make lovely home storage with fluffy, super bulky yarn. Made slightly smaller with worsted or sport weight yarn, they’ll be great tabletop catch-alls for smaller items. It just so happens that the gray Totoro basket made with bulky yarn is just the right size for a junior Studio Ghibli fan to fill with Halloween candy. 😉
If you’re not familiar with intarsia, I’d recommend watching a few Youtube videos of this technique first. The colorwork section for each Totoro’s face uses intarsia, and this pattern is fairly basic and doesn’t include a tutorial for color changing. Now let’s get started!
Materials
- Bulky weight yarn in gray, blue, white, cream, and black (Samples made with Knit Picks Brava Bulky)
- ~175 grams (225 yards) gray
- ~100 grams (140 yards) blue
- ~15 grams (20 yards) black (less if you’re not making all 3 baskets)
- ~85 grams (115 yards) white (less if you’re not making all 3 baskets)
- A small length of cream or pink bulky weight yarn just for the white totoro’s feet
- 3.75mm crochet hook
- Yarn needle for weaving in ends
- Stitch marker to keep track of beginning of round
Small White Totoro
The base of the basket is worked in the round, without turning at the end of each row.
R1: sc 6 in magic ring (6)
R2: 2 sc in each st around (12)
R3: (2 sc in next st, sc 1) 6x (18)
R4: (2 sc in next st, sc 2) 6x (24)
R5: (2 sc in next st, sc 3) 6x (30)
R6: (2 sc in next st, sc 4) 6x (36)
R7: (2 sc in next st, sc 5) 6x (42)
R8: (2 sc in next st, sc 6) 6x (48)
R9: (2 sc in next st, sc 7) 6x (54)
R10: In BLO, sc in each st around (54), then sl st to 1st st, ch. 1, turn
From this point forward, the sides are worked in joined rows, so you will turn at the end of each row.
R11-31: Sc in each st around, changing colors according to the chart (54 sts) Sl st in 1st st, ch. 1, turn
R32: Sc in each st around (54) then sl st in 1st st. After that, fasten off and weave in the ends.
Ears/Handles – optional (make 2)
R1: Ch. 4. Starting in 2nd ch. from hook, sc 3, then ch. 1, turn. (3)
R2-28: Sc 3. Ch. 1, turn. (3)
Fasten off, and then sew the handles to the basket above the eyes.
Blue Totoro
The base of the basket is worked in the round, without turning at the end of each row.
R1: sc 6 in magic ring (6)
R2: 2 sc in each st around (12)
R3: (2 sc in next st, sc 1) 6x (18)
R4: (2 sc in next st, sc 2) 6x (24)
R5: (2 sc in next st, sc 3) 6x (30)
R6: (2 sc in next st, sc 4) 6x (36)
R7: (2 sc in next st, sc 5) 6x (42)
R8: (2 sc in next st, sc 6) 6x (48)
R9: (2 sc in next st, sc 7) 6x (54)
R10: (2 sc in next st, sc 8) 6x (60)
R11: (2 sc in next st, sc 9) 6x (66)
R12: In BLO, sc in each st around (66), then sl st to 1st st, ch. 1, turn
From this point forward, the sides are worked in joined rows, so you will turn at the end of each row.
R13-35: Sc in each st around, changing colors according to the chart (66 sts), then sl st in 1st st, ch. 1, turn
R36: Sc in each st around (66) then sl st in 1st st. After that, fasten off and weave in the ends.
Ears/Handles – optional (make 2)
R1: Ch. 5. Starting in 2nd ch. from hook, sc 4, then ch. 1, turn. (4)
R2-34: Sc 4, then ch. 1, turn. (4)
Fasten off, and then sew the handles to the basket above the eyes.
Gray Totoro
The base of the basket is worked in the round, without turning at the end of each row.
R1: sc 6 in magic ring (6)
R2: 2 sc in each st around (12)
R3: (2 sc in next st, sc 1) 6x (18)
R4: (2 sc in next st, sc 2) 6x (24)
R5: (2 sc in next st, sc 3) 6x (30)
R6: (2 sc in next st, sc 4) 6x (36)
R7: (2 sc in next st, sc 5) 6x (42)
R8: (2 sc in next st, sc 6) 6x (48)
R9: (2 sc in next st, sc 7) 6x (54)
R10: (2 sc in next st, sc 8) 6x (60)
R11: (2 sc in next st, sc 9) 6x (66)
R12: (2 sc in next st, sc 10) 6x (72)
R13: (2 sc in next st, sc 11) 6x (78)
R14: (2 sc in next st, sc 12) 6x (84)
R15: (2 sc in next st, sc 13) 6x (90)
R16: In BLO, sc in each st around (90) Sl st to 1st st, ch. 1, turn
From this point forward, the sides are worked in joined rows, so you will turn at the end of each row.
R17-42: Sc in each st around, changing colors according to the chart (90 sts), then sl st in 1st st, ch. 1, turn
R43: Sc in each st around (90) then sl st in 1st st. After that, fasten off and weave in the ends.
Ears/Handles – optional (make 2)
R1: Ch. 6. Starting in 2nd ch. from hook, sc 5, then ch. 1, turn. (5)
R2-42: Sc 5. Ch. 1, turn. (5)
Fasten off, and then sew the handles to the basket above the eyes.
I hope you enjoyed this pattern! Don’t hesitate to fill these cute baskets up with all kinds of crafting goodies.
