Basketweave Bat Wrist Wrap Pair: Free Crochet Pattern for Velvet Lifting Cuffs

Basketweave Bat Wrist Wrap Pair: Free Crochet Pattern for Velvet Lifting Cuffs

Introduction

If you have ever wanted to make something that looks expensive but feels like a hug, this is the project for you. These Basketweave Bat Wrist Wraps are short, wide cuffs worked as two simple flat rectangles, then seamed into cozy tubes that slip over your hands and sit snugly at your wrists. The plush velvet yarn in cherry red and bubblegum pink makes every stitch feel soft and luxurious, while the raised basketweave texture creates a woven checkerboard that looks far harder than it actually is. A tiny black crocheted bat appliqué on each cuff adds a playful Halloween-bohemian finish that is completely optional but completely charming. This pattern is perfect for a confident beginner who has mastered single and double crochet and is ready to try post stitches for the first time, and it makes a wonderful gift pair for a friend, a lifting buddy, or yourself.

Materials Needed

• Yarn: Worsted-weight (CYC 4) velvet yarn, approximately 130 yd / 119 m per 100 g skein. You will need 1 skein in Cherry Red and 1 skein in Bubblegum Pink. You will also need a small amount of Black velvet yarn for the bat appliqués (about 15 yd / 14 m total).
• Main hook: 5.0 mm (US H-8) crochet hook.
• Small hook: 4.0 mm (US G-6) crochet hook for the bat appliqués.
• Stitch markers: at least 4 (to mark the first stitch of each row and to mark block boundaries if you like).
• Tapestry needle: a blunt-tipped needle with an eye large enough for velvet yarn, for seaming and attaching the bats.
• Scissors for cutting yarn.
• Finished size: Each cuff measures approximately 7 in / 18 cm long by 3.5 in / 9 cm wide when flat, before seaming. Once seamed, each cuff has a circumference of approximately 6.5 in / 16.5 cm and a height of approximately 3.5 in / 9 cm. One size fits most adult wrists. You will make 2 identical cuffs, one in each colorway.

Abbreviations and Beginner Glossary

Every abbreviation used in this pattern is listed below in plain English. Read this section once before you begin and you will never feel lost.

• ch – chain. Make a loop of yarn on your hook, then pull the yarn through the loop. Each loop you pull through is one chain stitch. Chains form the foundation of your first row.
• sc – single crochet. Insert your hook into the stitch, pull up a loop (you now have 2 loops on your hook), then pull the yarn through both loops. One single crochet made.
• dc – double crochet. Yarn over (wrap the yarn around your hook), insert the hook into the stitch, pull up a loop (3 loops on hook), yarn over and pull through 2 loops, yarn over and pull through the last 2 loops. One double crochet made.
• FPDC – front post double crochet. Work a double crochet exactly as above, but instead of inserting your hook into the top of the stitch, insert it around the post (the vertical body) of the stitch from the front, going in front of the post and out the back. This pushes the stitch forward and creates the raised front block.
• BPDC – back post double crochet. Same as FPDC, but insert your hook around the post from the back, going behind the post and out the front. This pushes the stitch backward and creates the recessed back block.
• sl st – slip stitch. Insert your hook into the stitch, yarn over, and pull the yarn through both the stitch and the loop on your hook in one motion. Used here for seaming.
• st(s) – stitch or stitches.
• rep – repeat. Do the instruction again the number of times stated.
• RS – right side. The front, public-facing side of your work.
• sc2tog – single crochet two together. Insert hook into the first stitch, pull up a loop, insert hook into the next stitch, pull up a loop (3 loops on hook), yarn over and pull through all 3 loops. This decreases two stitches into one.
• sc3tog – single crochet three together. Same as sc2tog but across three stitches, leaving 1 loop on your hook.
• Magic ring – an adjustable loop of yarn that you crochet into, then pull tight to close the center hole. Used to start the bat body.
• Front block – a group of 4 FPDC worked around the posts of the 4 dc directly below.
• Back block – a group of 4 BPDC worked around the posts of the 4 dc directly below.

Gauge

Gauge: 14 stitches x 12 rows = 4 in / 10 cm in the basketweave pattern using the 5.0 mm (H-8) hook.

Gauge matters because it is how you make sure your finished cuff actually fits a wrist. If your stitches are too loose, the cuff will be too big and slide off; if they are too tight, it will not slip over your hand. To check your gauge, crochet a small practice swatch: chain 26 and work Rows 1–3 of the cuff pattern exactly as written, then measure the middle 4 inches of the swatch with a ruler. Count how many stitches fit in 4 inches and how many rows fit in 4 inches. If you have more stitches than 14, your tension is tight, so try again with a larger hook. If you have fewer than 14, your tension is loose, so try a smaller hook. Velvet yarn can be slippery, so do not skip this step.

Beginner Tips Before You Start

• Use stitch markers to track your blocks. Place a marker in the first stitch of every row and another marker between each group of 4 stitches. This makes it easy to see where one block ends and the next begins, which is the whole secret of basketweave.
• Do not pull your yarn too tight. Velvet yarn has a pile that can crush and mat if you tug hard. Keep your tension relaxed and even so the plush texture stays fluffy.
• Count your stitches at the end of every row. You should always have 24 stitches. If you are off by one, fix it before moving on, because the block pattern depends on perfect multiples of 4.
• Work the post stitches loosely. When you insert your hook around a post, give the stitch a little extra room. Tight post stitches make the fabric stiff and hard to work into on the next row.
• Change colors at the end of the row, not the beginning. Finish the last stitch of the old color, then pull the new color through the final loop. This keeps the color change clean and hidden.
• Keep your turning chain consistent. The ch 3 at the start of each double crochet row counts as your first dc, so do not work into the very first stitch below it.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Part 1: The Cuff (make 2, one in each colorway)

Basketweave note: The basketweave is worked in blocks of 4 stitches. A front block is 4 FPDC worked around the posts of the 4 dc directly below. A back block is 4 BPDC worked around the posts of the 4 dc directly below. Blocks alternate every 4 rows to create the woven look.

Row 1 (RS): With Cherry Red, ch 26. Dc in the 4th ch from hook and in each ch across. (24 dc, counting the turning ch as the first dc)

Row 2: Ch 3 (counts as first dc), turn. Dc in each st across. (24 dc)

Row 3: Ch 3, turn. *FPDC around next 4 posts, BPDC around next 4 posts; rep from * across, ending with FPDC around last 4 posts. (24 sts: 3 front blocks, 3 back blocks)

Row 4: Ch 3, turn. Work FPDC around the posts of the front blocks and BPDC around the posts of the back blocks, matching the block directly below. (24 sts)

Rows 5–6: Repeat Row 4. (24 sts) The block section is now 4 rows tall.

Row 7 (color change): Change to Bubblegum Pink. Ch 3, turn. Work the opposite block over each block below (front blocks become back blocks and vice versa) to begin the offset weave. (24 sts)

Rows 8–10: Continue working each block opposite to the block directly below. (24 sts)

Row 11 (color change): Change to Cherry Red. Ch 3, turn. Offset the blocks again (opposite of the block below). (24 sts)

Rows 12–14: Continue offsetting each block opposite the block below. (24 sts)

Row 15 (color change): Change to Bubblegum Pink. Ch 3, turn. Offset blocks once more. (24 sts)

Rows 16–18: Continue offsetting each block opposite the block below. (24 sts)

Row 19 (final row): Ch 1, turn. Sc in each st across. (24 sc) Fasten off, leaving a 12 in / 30 cm tail for seaming.

Part 2: The Bat Appliqué (make 2, Black velvet yarn, 4.0 mm hook)

Body: Make a magic ring.

Rnd 1: 6 sc into ring. (6)

Rnd 2: 2 sc in each st around. (12)

Rnd 3: *Sc in next st, 2 sc in next st; rep from * around. (18)

Rnds 4–5: Sc in each st around. (18)

Rnd 6: *Sc in next st, sc2tog; rep from * around. (12) Stuff lightly with yarn scraps.

Rnd 7: Sc2tog around. (6) Fasten off and close the remaining hole.

Wings (make 2 per bat): Ch 6.

Row 1: Sc in 2nd ch from hook and in each ch across. (5)

Row 2: Ch 1, turn. Sc2tog, sc in next st, sc2tog. (3)

Row 3: Ch 1, turn. Sc3tog. (1) Fasten off. Sew one wing to each side of the body with the pointed tip facing outward and slightly upward.

Ears (make 2 per bat): Ch 3.

Row 1: Sc in 2nd ch from hook and in next ch. (2)

Row 2: Ch 1, turn. Sc2tog. (1) Fasten off. Sew one ear to each side of the top of the head.

Assembly and Finishing

Block the cuff first. Lightly mist the flat rectangle with water and pin it to measurements of 7 in / 18 cm long by 3.5 in / 9 cm wide on a towel or blocking mat. Let it dry completely. This opens up the basketweave texture and makes seaming easier.

Seam the cuff. Fold the rectangle in half with the right side facing in, so the two short ends meet and form a tube. Thread your tapestry needle with the 12 in / 30 cm tail. Whipstitch the short ends together: bring the needle through the matching stitches of both edges, working from one end to the other, keeping your stitches small and even. Alternatively, you can slip stitch the edges together with your 5.0 mm hook. Fasten off and weave in the end.

Turn right side out. Gently turn the cuff right side out. It should slip easily over your hand and sit snugly at your wrist. If it feels too tight, your seam may be too bulky; flatten it with your fingers.

Attach the bat. Pin one finished bat to the center front of each cuff, approximately 1 in / 2.5 cm below the top edge. Using Black yarn and a tapestry needle, stitch around the bat's body and wing edges to secure it flat against the velvet. Do not pull too tight or the bat will pucker.

Weave in all ends. Thread each tail onto the tapestry needle and run it through the back of several stitches, then trim close to the fabric. Never knot your ends; weaving hides them securely.

Final block. Give both finished cuffs a light mist of water and lay them flat to dry. This sets the shape and fluffs the velvet pile.

Pro Tips and Variations

• Change the color story. Swap Cherry Red and Bubblegum Pink for charcoal and cream for a neutral pair, or use pumpkin orange and black for a bolder Halloween look. Any worsted velvet in two contrasting colors will work.
• Adjust the size. To make a smaller cuff, begin with a chain of 22 instead of 26 (20 dc) and work the same row sequence. To make a larger cuff, begin with a chain of 30 (28 dc). Keep your stitch count a multiple of 4 so the basketweave blocks stay even.
• Try a different yarn. If velvet is hard to find, a worsted-weight chenille or a soft acrylic works well. Just check your gauge again, because different fibers behave differently.
• Skip the bat or make it a pin. The bat is optional. You can leave the cuffs plain for an everyday accessory, or sew a small safety pin to the back of each bat so you can remove it whenever you like.