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

[Monica]

I'm using this pattern to make a baby blanket. Any idea on how many you would use for a baby ?blanket?

[Susan]

Such great pics for the visual! Good instructions also. Am going to try this.
Thank you!

[Denise Kalinowski]

This is very kind and generous of you to share this knowledge with others! I just started to crochet (long time knitter branching out!!!), and this will be enormous help to me. I love all the colors that pop! Thanks, Denise

[sue smith]

I love this pattern, I have only one critasym(not sure about tha spelling there) that is that it is very difficult to print out without using loads of paper as it also prints out the rest of the webb site too........but thank you any way for a realy pretty pattern...x
............sue..........

[Anne-Kari]

Holy crap, I can finally crochet a hexagon THANKS TO YOU and your awesome instructions and pictures!
When are you going to write a book????

[Maria]

This blog is amazing! I'm going to make a hexagon blanket for my new baby boy. I love that everything is in 12's and he will be born in 2012 :) Thank you so much for writing this.

[Ruta]

They look wonderful! I've started working on a hexagon blanket too but I don't understand how to make the edges even when you sow them all together....I know this is a very old post but I was still hopping to get some advice from you....Thank you for sharing!

[Sheila]

I just wanted to thank you for putting things in such easy to understand directions. I bought a book a long time ago and I was never able to understand what they were telling me to do and thanks to you I can now understand some of it. the book I have uses the bobble stich a lot but they call it something completely different. I was able to do the pattern that you posted in one try and was also able to start doing ones from my book so again thank you!!!:)

[Nastja]

Thank you!

[Mabel L. Pepper]

Lucy, I'm from Independence, MO & in the process of making a shawl out of hexagon granny squares (only 3 rows make up each square). My problem is they are to be connected at the POINTS of the hexagons. I already have the 54 squares made (18 in each row) & do not know how to go about joining them now. Can you help me, please?

[sandra]

I loved your hexagon and I'm getting rather good at it now.

[Froufrou et capucine]

Thank you very much Lucy, I have my blanket too and I'm really happy !! Your blog is so beautiful, congratulations !!

[Vanessa Ryan]

How do you make the 3-sided triangles for the edges?

[Tink74]

Thank you so much for this great tutorial. I came upon it through a post on Pinterest that took me to Ravelry and then to your blog. I was working another hexagon pattern that never worked out and alomost gave up until I found your instructions. I love ease of the pattern...thanks to you!! =D C

[hgilbert0001]

Thanks so much this is beautiful!! In the process of making one now!

[Alice Kay]

I know that you made this post ages ago. I hope that you are still responding to questions on it. My question is: Once you have all the hexy's made, and joined, do you do a border on the entire afghan? Or, do you leave it as is? If you do, how is it done? I'm attempting my first, adult sized afghan starting tonight, and settled on this pattern.

[Bex]

Just discovered this post! So much more fun than circles or squares :-) Thank you and well explained. Making some individually at the moment.

[nancy Toner]

you have a great eye for the colour combos, I love them, I am a crochet maniac myself

[lola keamey]

OMG, Thank you. When I was growing up all the kids in my family had Christmas stockings that were like this, but in red, green and white. They always made Christmas seem so special to me. Now I can try and make one for my son, thanks to your beautiful pattern.

I love your website and all of your projects. I am envious of your design skills.

Go in peace,
lola

[PATRICIA CASAL]

Ya estot haciendola, la blusa.... Ya te envio... los comentarios. Muchas gracias
Patricia

[RithaBates]

I love this! I can't wait to start :)

[Patty]

Isn't it amazing that you posted this 3 years ago, and you're still getting comments? It's because this is truly a well put together explanation with beautiful, captivating photos. Thank you :-) I will be subscribing to your blog, just based on this post. I hope there are more things to come.

[ms. kelly pauls]

I love this pattern and would like to learn how to do it. I crochet afghans for a charitable organization here in Winnipeg, Manitoba Canada and would like a new pattern to use left over yarn from other afghans that I have made. One gets tired of doing the same patterns all the time. I would like to know how I can print this pattern without having the comment section printed with it. I just want the pattern. Thank you for your time!

[Cathy]

Chère Attic24
I discovered your blog thanks to Granny Mania of whom I am a member. I like all that you make. I made a docker in hexagons by serving me as your tuto : http://catherine-solange.over-blog.com/article-caraco-hexagone-enfin-fini-80700494.html
Many persons ask me how I made. I put a link towards your blog. I shall want to make a tuto in my language(French). I thus ask you for the permission to translate your tuto.
Thanks for your works, it is a delight for eyes !

[ms. kelly pauls]

I really like this Hexagon How - To crochet pattern for an afghan. it would be a great way to use up scrap yarn that I use for other afghans that I crochet. I crochet afghans for a charitable organization here in Winnipeg, Manitoba and I always have leftover yarn. I am on a fixed income and I am always looking for patterns to use the leftover yarn. I would like the pattern for this afghan but do not want to print all the comments and would like to know how I can get just the pattern from you?