Hexagon How-to

My crochet Hexagons, I am LOVING them right now, can't get enough. For a brief spell I fell out of love, I got fed up with the fiddlesomeness of them, the fact that they are very hard to do whilst simultaneously doing anything else (like drinking cappuccino and nattering). They take concentration folks, but if you are prepared to concentrate then these will reward you handsomely. 

I'm not sure how this post will turn out, maybe a bit of a descriptive pattern/tutorial mixture, but one thing's for certain :: I will do my damndest to help you make these if you are interested. I made my own pattern to suit my own yarn, after not being able to find a pattern anywhere on the web in general. And as my pattern appears to differ slightly from others I've seen, I feel confident in finally sharing it :: ie no plagiarism/copyright issues involved I hope. But I must give absolute credit to Alex of Moonstitches who taught me (via her fabulous tutorial) the method of joining the hex's together. If you look on her blog, in the right hand sidebar, you'll see the tutorial waiting for you there :: it's called Block Meet. You will need to use this when you get to the joining stage.

Another valuable source of information and inspiration is the Hexagon Love pool on Flickr. It is quite simply full of fabulous hexagonal goodness.

And there is more info/blurb to be found in my own archives here and here.

I've had many emails during the past few months asking me for specific yarn info with regards to my various crochet projects. I do intend to put a permanent page in my sidebar where you can reference this info, but that will have to wait a little. For now, lets concentrate on these 'ere Hexagons.

For this blanket, I am using Rowan Handknit DK Cotton. It should cost in the region of £3.50 per 50g ball in the UK. I am using 16 different colours, although the deep yellow I chose for the centres is now discontinued. And as I know you like specifics, these are the other 15 colours I'm using ::

215 (Rosso)

219 (Gooseberry)

239 (Ice Water) 

254 (Bright Orange colour, now discontinued)

287 (Diana)

303 (Sugar)

309 (Celery)

313 (Slick)

314 (Decadent)

316 (Slippery)

318 (Seafarer)

324 (Bermuda)

327 (Aqua)

332 (Rose)

333 (Antique)

I'm crocheting on a 4mm hook, and the size of the finished hexagon as you can see above is roughly  hand-sized. Each straight side measures 6cm, and about 11cm across between the points.

Now I have never attempted to write out a pattern before. But lets just assume that if you're reading this in order to try your hand at crocheting hexagons, then you already know how to make basic stitches right? I'll try and not get too complicated, but as I do SO want you to be able to do it, I'll try to explain things as well as basic pattern-write.

First off chain 4 and join to form a ring. The hole in the centre of the ring will be smallish, but this is where you need to work from for the first round. Tweak it a bit with your fingers to open it out a little.

Chain 3, then work 11 double crochet stitches (US) or treble crochet stitches (UK) into the ring. Join with a slip stitch to the 3rd stitch of the initial chain 3 and fasten off.

You should now have a little whirly wheel circle with 12 stitches/spokes altogether.

 

Join in a new colour for round 2 :: knot the two yarns together, remember like I showed you for the Granny Squares? Remember you can crochet the ends in as you go with the hex's too, to save you darning ends  in at the end.

Pull the new colour yarn through to the front,  through one of the dc/tr stitches :: you are working out of the stitches in this round, not the spaces in between the spokes.

For this round, you're going to be making what I think is known as a Bobble Stitch. It's basically where you work two incomplete dc/tr's into the same stitch, joining them at the end by pulling the yarn through all loops.

I shall describe it to you :: yarn over, insert hook through next stitch, yarn over, hook back through stitch (3 loops on hook), yarn over and pull through 2 loops (2 loops on hook). Then yarn over and insert hook through SAME STITCH, yarn over, hook back through stitch (4 loops on hook), yarn over and pull through 2 loops (3 loops on hook), yarn over and pull through all 3 loops.

I know it sounds complicated, but honestly, it's really not. Try watching the little Bobble Stitch video I've linked to above, it might help if you see the stitch being made.

So this is the pattern for round 2::

Chain 2, then 1 US dc/UK tr in same stitch. Chain 1.

Work a bobble stitch into next stitch as described above, then chain 1 to space.

Repeat 10 more times until you get back to the beginning and have 12 "bobbles" in total. Join round with a slip stitch into the 2nd stitch of the initial chain 2.

OK, you still with me? Onto round 3 :: Nice and easy now, you're doing dc/tr clusters just like you do for granny squares. You are working out of the SPACES now, the spaces between the bobble stitch clusters of your previous row.

Join a new colour, pull loop through a space between 2 bobble clusters to start.

Chain 3 (counts as 1 dc/tr), work US dc/UK tr twice into same space, then chain 1.

Work US dc/UK tr three times into next space, chain 1.

Repeat 10 more times until you get back to the beginning and have 12 "clusters" in total. Join round with a slip stitch into the 3rd stitch of the initial chain 3 and fasten off.

Round 4 :: the chain-loop round ::

Join in a new colour and pull loop through a space between the dc/tr clusters of the previous row.

Chain 3, then make a slip stitch into the next space between your dc/tr clusters :: this anchors the chain loop.

Continue making little chain-3's, slip stitching them in place in the gap between the dc/tr clusters of the previous round. Join the last chain-3 with  slip stitch into the first chain stitch you made. Do not fasten off as you will use the same colour for round 5.

Round 5 is the final round that forms the hexagon shape. I'm going to tell you how to crochet this as a single hexagon before we talk about the joining-as-you-go method.

You are using the same colour as the last round, and you will be working the stitches under the chain-3 loops you created. So to begin, make a slip stitch under the nearest chain-3 loop.

Chain 3 (counts as one dc/tr), then US dc / UK tr twice. Chain 2 (this is the corner spacing), then in the SAME chain-3 loop,  US dc / UK tr three times. This is your first corner, it should look like a double cluster of 6 dc/tr's with a pointy corner bit in the middle.

Into the next chain-3 loop, work US dc / UK tr three times. This is a single cluster and makes a straight side.

Into the next chain-3 loop, work US dc / UK Tr three times, chain 2, then US dc / UK Tr three times. This is your second corner.

Continue working your way round making your clusters of 3 dc's /tr's, alternating between making a double cluster corner group (with chain 2 spacing) and a straight side single cluster. You should be ending the round on a straight-side group of three dc's/Tr's. Join the round with a slip stitch and fasten off.

See?????? It's not so hard?????? You've made your first hexagon!!!

Now if you're happy to make lots of single hexagons and join them all by stitching, then that's absolutely fine. But joining them as you go is fairly easy, although a little fiddly.

You will be working anti-clockwise, starting with a corner, as shown above.

To begin, you make a single cluster as before (chain 3, then dc/tr twice). Then instead of chaining 2 to make your corner spacing, chain ONE, then replace your second chain space with a slip stitch into the corner space of the ajoining hexagon.
Then working into the SAME chain-3 loop, dc/tr three times to finish your corner cluster.

Now you need to slip stitch into the next space of the ajoining hexagon to secure (see above). Basically, you have to insert hook into the space, hook the yarn from the back and pull it through to the front :: first through the space, then through the loop on the hook. It takes a bit of practice, it can be fiddly. But persevere.

You continue to work your way round, forming the hex shape in the same way as described above, but making sure that after each cluster you slip stitch into the relevant space on the ajoining hexagon which makes the attachment. When you get to a corner where you would normally chain 2, you make 2 slip stitches instead (in picture above, one slip stitch is made into the corner of the bright blue hex, and the next slip stitch into the corner of the sage green hex). This is quite hard to explain in words :: please do look over Alex's tutorial, she has some great photos to illustrate. But keep in mind that her pattern is different to mine, she uses more stitches so try not to get confused.

I so hope that if you are inspired to give this a go, then you will be able to follow my blurb. I've done my very best with this, tried not to be too wordy, and its taken me a very long time to write it all out. But you are worth it, every word! I am happy, SO happy to be spreading the Hexagon Love. And if just one of you manages to make a hexagon out of this post, then I am gonna be MiGhTy HaPpy :)

I'm going to put this post over in my sidebar so you can reference it easily :: look over to the left, down at the bottom, and it will be listed as a Page.

If you find you need further help, please just leave a comment and I will do my best to reply and help out.

HAPPY HOOKING!

Comments

[Samantha C]

Wow! This is absolutely amazing! Can't wait to give it a go.... thank you for such detailed instructions... they are the clearest by far out of all the sites I've visited looking for an easy pattern. Thanks again! xx

[Kami]

Thanks for sharing!!

[Antonia]

Very genorouse and direct.Thank you so much!

[freya]

omge! This is amazing! Can i make one of these to sell at a school fete?

[Carlyn Darrah]

thank you so much for your hexagon granny square, that was easy. I am doing the turtle for my 5th new grandbaby and the squares have been so confusing till now. Thank you again so much. I'll be back.

[Jill]

Hi, these are amazing and I'm about 100 hexagons deep into my own colorful blanket...thanks for the inspiration! Question- about how many single hexagons did you need for your blanket? Also, how do you join them after you've made them all? I was too overwhelmed to join as I go. And one more question...I am thinking of doing a deep blue border around each hexagon and using that to join them...any tips would be greatly welcomes!!! Can't wait to see how my blanket turns out!

Thanks again for all your directions. Really inspiring.

[Deirdre McKenna]

Hi Lucy - Im about 1/2 way through mine, its turning out smaller that I thought - Ive run out of one colour with no option of getting more, so might use the remaining colours or one of them to crochet a border - did you do this, its hard to see in the photos of projects completed on Ravelry. Thanks for a great pattern.

[Mike]

I love how nice you are. Most people wouldn't be willing to help other people with fabric Hexagon's. You are a truly good person.

[Ginny]

Thank you for the pattern. I was especially interested in the "connecting" rather than tiresome sewing together. This will be a good winter "piece meal" afghan. Excellent for left over yarn you don't have enough of for any one project.

[Stephanie]

Thank you for the step by step. I have been looking for a new "granny square" pattern to use to make my blankets with. This will be fun!

[Carol Archer]

Absolutely adorable! I think this will be my next project. Thanks for sharing. And, I love that you used cotton!

[Maria]

Even if I'm Italian, so I don't speak English very well, I find your explication very easy to understand. Thank you very much :) I love the colours of your life!

[Amber]

I know I'm a few years late in commenting, but I just found this pattern and can't wait to give it a go. I've made a practice hexagon and it came out beautifully. Now, I'm off to the store to purchase the correct colors. Thanks so much for sharing!

[Karl Gjoerloff]

This is just beautiful! I am also going to make one :)

Thanks,

Karl

[Rosie]

any advice on attaching a fringe to a hexagon bed spread please????

[caffeinatedkatie]

I just wanted to say that I am new to crocheting and I have fallen in love with your patterns...the problem is that I have spent the past two days learning the terminology for US crochet, but I love your tutorials so much ,do you know of any web sight that will translate the stitches...

[Patricia Pike]

You do great job joining. I join my granny squares in this manner also. Works out great. beautiful.

[Kumari Suda]

I will give it a go. Ta

[Jen]

I just stumbled across this, and....YOU ARE AMAZING! THANK YOU SO MUCH!! I have always had a hard time doing squares and hexagons. You've made it so easy!

[Conni]

So much for the President Elect LOL but the Hexagon Pattern is just WONDERFUL thank you!!

[Cecilia]

Lucy you are an amazing artist!! I absolutely love your creations and color management that you have! You're a great inspiration for me !!! I follow you forever!

[Alex]

I love your work!!! You are a true artist in every since of the word. Your work speaks to me and makes me want to learn to crochet even more. Thank you for the inspiration.

[Manoli C.]

I love your blog...
Great tutorial, you are so talented,thanks for sharing.
Congratulations!!!

"Enjoy your day and your sewing"

[Jennie from Mrs Beckinsale]

I've been crocheting for 12 hours (not straight; I first picked up a hook 12 hours ago). I made one granny sqaure, pretty simple, so I found your wonderful tutorial via Ravelry and am working on my first hexagon. I'm afraid I'm stumped on Round 2:

"So this is the pattern for round 2::

Chain 2, then 1 US dc/UK tr in same stitch. Chain 1.

Work a bobble stitch into next stitch as described above, then chain 1 to space."

I can't for the life of me figure out if 'chain 1 to space' means I'm meant to anchor it to the space somehow, or if I chain one and then chain another two to start the sequence again. Studying the photo, it doesn't look like I'm meant to anchor it to the space. So should I just be chaining three?

I bet you love getting questions like this, four years after publishing a tutorial! I'm going to proceed with chaining three and see how I go. If I'm wrong I'm sure I'll find out soon enough!

[Sama]

Hi Lucy!!
I absolutely love love love your blog, I follow it unconditionally, check in everyday juuust in case :).
I am halfway through a project, a pillowcase made entirely of hexagons, but I've hit a snag- I have NO idea how to make up the corners for the pillow case, so I don't know what to do with it. I was wondering if you knew how to make the hexagon corners or if you know of any blog which might help.
Just wanted to say thank you in advance not just for the help, but if you can't provide any for the simple act of reading this and trying to help anyway. Thanks ever so much!! xxxx