Project introduction
This pattern overview introduces the Highbury pen holder from Stitching Together, a small desk accessory presented as a mini version of the Hartfield Hanging Crochet Basket. Like the larger basket, it can hang or stand upright on its own, which makes it flexible for a desk, craft table, or study corner. Start with the Original designer’s pattern and instructions for the complete pattern from the creator.
Sized to fit around a 15 oz aluminum can, the holder gets useful support from that inner form while keeping pens and pencils gathered in one place. The source presents it in a school season context, with organization for offices and classrooms in mind. It also suggests filling a finished holder with pencils as a cute teacher gift, a practical idea because classroom pencils are always in demand.
Stitches for the Pen Holder Crochet Pattern Overview
The feature stitch is a modified half double crochet, described as nearly as easy as a regular half double crochet once the movement feels familiar. Instead of a yarn over, it begins with a yarn under, bringing the yarn around the front of the hook rather than around the back. The designer provides photos with step by step explanations at the source to help you learn this small change.
In the notes, the modified stitch is summarized as yarn under, insert the hook into the stitch, pull up a loop, then yarn over and pull through all three loops on the hook. A yarn under wraps the yarn from front to back, the opposite direction of a standard yarn over. After the main part, the final section uses one strand and regular half double crochet, then folds in for extra sturdiness.
Adding a Strap or Handle
An optional leather strap gives the holder its hanging option, echoing the Hartfield Hanging Baskets. The strap is secured with rivets, and the sample used leftover leather from the larger basket project. To suit the smaller scale, the strip was cut in half lengthwise, resulting in a narrower handle that looks more balanced on the little holder while still providing a simple way to hang it.
For the sample strap, the cut length was approximately 8 inches, starting from a strip originally 0.75 inches wide and ending at approximately 0.375 inches wide. Follow the directions that come with your own rivet kit when attaching it. The source cautions that these rivets are not the strongest, so they suit hanging baskets well but are not recommended for items that will pull a lot, such as belts or shoes.
Crochet Pen Holder Pattern Overview
Rated easy, this holder is worked mainly with two strands of yarn held together, then finished with a single strand for the final section. Check the checklist below before you start so the optional pieces are decided in advance, especially whether you plan to use the inner can and whether you want the leather strap. All amounts are the sample estimates given by the designer.
- US size 7, 4.5 mm crochet hook
- Lily’s Sugar’n Cream in Jute and White, approximately 2.6 oz total, approximately 1.37 oz Jute and approximately 1.23 oz White
- Large eye yarn needle
- Stitch markers, to mark joins and the last stitch as directed in the notes
- Leather strap and rivet kit, optional, with 0.31 inch rivets listed among the favorite supplies
- Empty 15 oz can, optional
The pattern uses US terms and lists these abbreviations: ch for chain, st for stitch, sc for single crochet, sl st for slip stitch, inc for increase, worked as 2 single crochets in the same stitch, mhdc for modified half double crochet, and hdc for half double crochet. Gauge is 4 inches by 4 inches equals 14 mhdcs by 11 rows. The finished size is approximately 5 inches tall and approximately 3 inches across the bottom.
To help keep the join straight instead of spiraling, the design alternates a normal round with a round that skips the first stitch and places the last stitch into the slip stitch from the round below. Markers help identify where that last stitch belongs. Because this article is only an overview, follow the designer for exact round by round placement rather than relying on this summary alone.
Modified half double crochet photo tutorial
The photo tutorial focuses on the yarn under movement in clear stages, from bringing the working yarn from the front of the hook to the back, through inserting the hook and pulling up a loop, to the final yarn over that pulls through all three loops. Read those images alongside the stitch notes above, especially if the modified stitch is completely new to you.
In broad construction terms, the holder begins with a magic circle worked in two strands, builds a flat base in joined single crochet rounds, then rises into sides worked in the modified stitch, with a color change noted after row 12. The closing section changes to regular half double crochet in a single strand, then the ends are woven in and the top is folded over, with or without a can inside.
Access is straightforward to plan for: the pattern is available to read for free at Stitching Together, and a separate ad free PDF is available to purchase if you prefer a printable format, with no price stated here. For more useful projects to browse next, see Crochet Ghost Pot Holder: Pattern Overview and Opossum Bag Holder & Dispenser by wORM cUBE: Pattern Overview.
