Archaeorumi II: Prismatic bottle (free pattern)

The second installment in what I've decided to call my archaeorumi are these miniature prismatic bottles. These square bottles in blue glass are a staple in provincial-Roman burials, where they are often found in groups of four as part of lavish dining sets that would include plates, cooking ware, cups and cooked meals for the deceased. Although I've never excavated one myself (such rich burials are quite rare!), I've always had a strange fondness for their shape and their insistence on appearing in sets of four. I'm easily amused.

 

The bottle on the left was made freestyle while watching telly and I find the mouth a little bit too small. For the bottle on the right, I tried to correct that and I like the shape much better. But as ever, there is great variety in prismatic bottles in the archaeological record and both versions resemble the glass originals equally well (or not).

I've used cotton SMC Catania yarn, suitable for a 2.00-2.50mm hook.

Prismatic bottle 1:

Start a magic ring in light blue

R1. Sc 4 in the magic ring (4)

R2. 3sc in every stitch (12)

R3. sc 1, [3sc in the next stitch, sc 2], repeat three times, sc 1 (20)

R4. sc 2, [3sc in the next stitch, sc 4], repeat three times, sc 2 (28)

R5. sc 3, [3sc in the next stitch, sc 6] repeat three times, sc 3 (36)

R6. sc 4, [3sc in the next stitch, sc 8], repeat three times, sc 4 (44) 

R7. sc in every stitch in back loops only (44)

R8-24. sc in every stitch (44)

R25. sc in every stitch in back loops only (44)

 

This is the point where you start decreasing stitches and you need to account for the shift that naturely happens when crocheting in rounds. Depending on how many rows you did to get the required height, sc as many stitches as you need along so you end up in the corner of your work again. Following this pattern, I had the following result (see picture below) and ended up needing to put 2 sc to properly position the starting stitch.

 

R26. [sc3tog, sc 8], repeat three times (36)

R27. [sc3tog, sc 6], repeat three times (28)

R28. [sc3tog, sc 4], repeat three times (20)

R29. [sc2tog, sc 8], repeat twice (18)

R20. sc in every stitch in back loops only (18)

R21-25. sc in every stitch (18)

R26. in back loops only, 2sc in every 3rd stitch (24)

R27. 2sc in every 4th stitch (30)

R28. ss in every stitch (30)

Fasten off and weave in ends. 

 

For the handle, ch 14. 

R1. sc in every stitch starting with the 2nd stitch from the hook. Put an 2nd sc in the last ch and sc along the other side of the chain until the end (26). Fasten off with a ss in the first sc and leave a long tail. Use this to sew the handle onto the rim and onto round 24 of the body.

 

Prismatic bottle 2:

For this bottle, you can largely follow the pattern written above, although I only increased the starting square (the bottom of the jug) to 36 stitches (rounds 1-5). Then make one row in back loops only and then 17 rounds of 36 sc for the body. For the top of the jug, 36 sc in back loops only and then decrease using the method described above until you have 12 stitches:

[sc3tog, sc 8], repeat three times (36)

[sc3tog, sc 6], repeat three times (28)

[sc3tog, sc 4], repeat three times (20)

[sc3tog, sc 2], repeat three times (12) 

The mouth is then made by crocheting one round of 12 sc in back loops only and two rounds of normal sc. For the rim, 2sc in every 2nd stitch (18) and fasten off. The handle in this case was made from ch 4 and crocheting [3sc, ch 1, turn] for 6 rows.