Egg-collecting aprons are perfect for people who raise chickens

With so many families staying home during COVID-19 lockdowns, interest in raising chickens has spiked. One chicken supplier said sales grew 400% in 2020 as people looked to farm their own eggs, which were often in short supply at the grocery store in the early days of the coronavirus pandemic.

If you’re one of the many families now raising backyard chickens, you know the challenges of gathering all those precious eggs. You can’t carry them all in your hands, so where do you put them? Some clever crocheters have come up with a simple solution: An egg-gathering apron!

Crocheter Ashlea Konecny put her stitching skills to practical use to create an “Egg-cellent Apron” crochet pattern that she’s selling at her Etsy shop HeartHookHome. The apron has individual pockets to harvest up to 19 fresh eggs and keep them safe while your hands are free to continue working. It also has a larger pocket to store a cell phone or pad of paper for your to-do list.

The ad-free pattern is available for instant download via Konecny’s Etsy shop or on Ravelry for just $4, but she’s also offering it for free on her blog (with ads, though).

You’ll only need a few supplies to make this apron, including:

• A size J (6-millimeter) crochet hook
• Approximately 725 yards of cotton/acrylic blend worsted-weight yarn
• An upholstery needle
• Bobby pins

The pattern also looks suitable for beginner crocheters, as it only requires knowing the basic chain stitch and the half-double crochet stitch.

A quick search of Etsy showed many other egg-gathering apron patterns and finished projects. Whether you want to make your own or buy one that is ready-made, there are many options available.

This cute egg-gathering apron from the Belledria Etsy shop is available in 15 different fabric options. The handmade cotton apron is $22.50 and holds eight eggs. The pockets are pleated to help prevent egg breakage.

If you want to sew your own fabric egg-gathering apron, you’ll want to check out this Pocket Apron pattern for sale by Etsy shop owner SweaterDoll. The shop owner recently updated the pattern to include lots of photos and hand-drawn illustrations to help make this project as simple as possible. The pattern download is $9, and you’ll need to supply your own materials.

These egg-gathering aprons make a fun DIY project or gift to the DIY farmer or gardener in your life. Happy egg hunting and gathering!