This little pud by designer Brigitte Read contains something better than a sixpence – it’s a basket for your crochet notions! You could also use the basket as an alternative to a traditional stocking, filling it with little gifts and hanging it at the foot of a bed, or you could fill it with wrapped chocolates as a more seasonal alternative to handing around a tin. By using lighter weight yarn and a smaller hook, you could make this pud any size – even small enough for a Christmas tree decoration

Aran-weight yarn
75g of brown, 25g each of white, dark green and dark red

3.5mm crochet hook
8 x 1⁄4in (20cm x 12mm) green velvet ribbon
Five buttons