Basketweave old fashioned doll's pram

by Jenness Fulton December 14, 2018

Introduction

One of my ancestors used to make cane furniture. When I was thinking of what project I should make using the basketweave stitch, I remembered the doll prams that my parents still have that he made (along with other cane furniture) and decided it would be the perfect thing to make. Since I wanted to make it small enough to fit in a dollhouse, I’ve used a 1x1 basketweave stitch so that you can see more of the weave pattern. Originally I added the ‘weave’ to the bottom but I think it looks better with a plain base (especially since, from memory, the doll prams have a solid wooden base rather than a cane one. I have included 2 variations of the pattern - the pram version (with wheels and handle) and a cradle version (with rockers).

Notions

3.5 mm crochet hook

3.25 mm crochet hook (optional, for making the handle firmer, though it is perfectly fine to use the 3.5 mm hook for the whole project)

DK yarn in your main colour (I used a beige/brown variegated yarn), silver and black (if you are adding wheels). You can make the base in your main colour or use a different colour for the base (I used brown for the base). I used the following quantities:

Main colour: 11 g, 31 m, 34 yds. Please note that this is the amount I used the first time I made this pattern using Marvel yarn (the main colour amount includes what I used to make everything except for the wheels). The Craft Wise Tones beige/brown yarn I used the second and third times that I made it does not give yardage on the packaging but appears to be a similar weight to the Marvel yarn so I have used that as an estimate of the yardage. In the versions shown in this pattern I have used plain brown 4 Seasons Marvel 8 ply yarn for the bases (and handles for the pram and rockers for the cradle) and kept the Craft Wise tones for the basketweave part. I haven't calculated exactly how much yarn I used for the cradle rockers but you will probably need a little more than what was needed for the pram version.

Silver/grey: approximately 4 m (4.4 yds)

Black: approximately 4 m (4.4 yds)

Yarn needle

Scissors

Pipecleaner (approximately 20 cm length) and plastic tubing 5 cm wide (the same lengths as the pipecleaner). Optional, for making a cradle. NB: you will need a little extra yarn if you make the cradle.

Size and gauge

Gauge is not important. The approximate finished dimensions of the pram/cradle are: 8 cm long, 7 cm high, 7 cm wide (to the edges of the wheels)

Difficulty Level

Easy

Crochet Abbreviations

US terminology used

BLO Back loop only

BPdc Back post double crochet

Ch Chain

FLO Front loop only

FPdc Front post double crochet

Hdc Half double crochet

Rnd(s) Round(s)

Sc Single crochet

Sc2tog Single crochet two together

Sk Skip

Sl st Slip stitch

St/st's Stitch/stitches

** Repeat instructions between asterisks the number of times specified

[] Repeat instructions between parenthesis the number of times specified

Important notes

The turning ch at the start or end of a row does not count as a stitch. This pattern is mostly worked in rounds but, because you are turning at the end of each round, it is important to ensure that the first stitch of your new round is worked into or around the post of the last stitch of the previous round and not into your slip stitch or your stitch counts will not work.

For the basketweave you will be working fpdc in each fpdc and bpdc in each bpdc but because you work the new round in the opposite direction to the previous round it will look as if you are working into the front post of a back post stitch and vice versa.

Instructions

Main body of pram

With yarn in your base colour ch 9

Rnd 1 3 Hdc into the 2nd ch from hook, hdc in the next 6 chs, 5 hdc in the last ch. Working around the other side of the ch, hdc in the next 6 chs, 2 hdc in the last ch. Sl st to the first st, ch 1 and turn. (22 hdc)

Rnd 2 2 hdc in the first st, hdc in the next 8 sts, 2 hdc in each of the next 3 sts, hdc in the next 8 sts, 2 hdc in each of the last 2 sts. Join to the first st with a sl st, ch 1 and turn. (28 hdc)

Rnd 3 *2 hdc in the first st, hdc in the next st* 2 times. Hdc in the next 8 sts, *2 hdc in the next st, hdc in the next st* 3 times. Hdc in the next 8 sts, 2 hdc in the next st, hdc in the last st. Join to the first st with a sl st, ch 1 and turn. (34 hdc)

Optional: change to a contrasting colour for the rest of the pram body in your turning chain (this is where I changed from plain brown to beige/brown variegated yarn).

Rnd 4 Working in BLO, hdc in each st around, join to the first st with a sl st, ch 1 and turn. (34 hdc)

Rnd 5 *Fpdc around the post of the first st, bpdc around the post of the next st* 17 times. Join to the first st with a sl st, ch 1 and turn. (17 fpdc, 17 bpdc)

Rnd 6 *Bpdc around the post of the first st, fpdc around the post of the next st* 17 times. Join to the first st with a sl st, ch 1 and turn. (17 fpdc, 17 bpdc)

You will now be working short rows to add the top portion of the pram

Row 7 Working in FLO, sl st 8, ch 1 and turn. (8 sl st).

This row is simply to get your yarn to the right place to add the top part of the pram so that you don't have to cut your yarn and re-attach it. You will not be working into any of these stitches in subsequent rows.

Row 8 In this row you will only be working into or around the posts of stitches from rnd 6. Hdc in the first unworked loop from rnd 6, *bpdc around the post of the next st from rnd 6, fpdc around the post of the next st from rnd 6* 5 times. Bpdc around the post of the next st from rnd 6, hdc in the next st from rnd 6, ch 1 and turn. (6 bpdc, 5 fpdc, 2 hdc)

Row 9 Hdc in the first st, *bpdc around the post of the next st, fpdc around the post of the next st* 5 times. Bpdc around the post of the next st, hdc in the next st, ch 1 and turn.

Row 10 Hdc2tog, fpdc around the post of the next st, bpdc around the post of the next st, hdc2tog, bpdc around the post of the next st, hdc2tog, fpdc around the post of the next st, bpdc around the post of the next st, hdc2tog, ch 1 and turn.

Row 11 Hdc2tog x 2, bpdc around the post of the next st, hdc2tog x 2. Ch 1 and turn.

Row 12 Sc2tog, sc, sc2tog.

Fasten off and weave in the ends.

Base of pram (optional, adds stability to the base)

Repeat Rnds 1-3 for the main body of pram.

Rnd 4 In this rnd you will be joining the base to the rest of the pram. Sl st together the closest loops from rnd 3 to the unworked loops of rnd 3 in the first part of the base. Join to the first st with a sl st. Fasten off and weave in the ends. (34)

The photo above shows the beginning of the first sl st to join the 2 bases of the pram together.

Handle (optional - part of pram but not cradle)

Using your 3.25 mm hook, with your main colour or a contrasting colour (I used brown for this) ch 21

Row 1 Sc in the 2nd ch from hook and each ch across. Fasten off leaving a long tail to sew onto pram. Sew on an angle near the back of the pram on both sides as shown in the photo below.

Wheels (make 4 - optional for pram but not needed for cradle)

These are made in continuous rounds. Do not sl st until the end of rnd 2.

With silver yarn make a magic loop (I make a double loop magic ring to give more stability to the wheels)

Rnd 1 Hdc 8 into magic loop, changing to black in the last pull through of the final hdc.

Fasten off silver yarn leaving a long tail to sew up the back of the wheel.

Rnd 2 Sl st in each st around. Fasten off leaving a long tail to sew onto the pram.

When sewing these on push the silver centre through to the middle as shown in the photo below.

Next secure the 2 shortest tails (one silver, one black) and trim them. Use the longer silver tail to sew the silver stitches together on the wrong side of the wheel as shown in the photo below (this gives more strength to the wheel and allows it to support part of the weight of the pram):

Then sew on to the base of your pram with most of the wheels on the pram rather than below it as shown in the photo below:

Cradle rocker parts (optional, make 2)

With yarn in your chosen colour ch 19

Row 1 Sc in the 2nd ch from hook and each ch across, ch 1 and turn. (18)

Rows 2-4 Sc in each ch across, ch 1 and turn. (18)

Cut 2 lengths of pipecleaner and plastic tubing just a little smaller than the length of your row.

Row 5 Fold in half and sl st rows 1 and 4 together with the pipecleaner and tubing in the middle. Fasten off leaving a long tail to fasten the ends and to sew onto the base of the cradle.

Copyright Information

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Pattern by
Jenness Fulton of Nessie’s Notions