Sunday, May 20, 2012

New WIP - Circus Hexagon Blanket

I've recently become very fond of crochet hexagons. Not the solid ones but rather the good ole granny kind! These beauties have been bumbling around in my head for the past couple of weeks and yesterday I decided to make a hexagon blanket.

I really liked the look of Lucy's hexagons here but I don't have alot of time for colour changing and fiddling around - Lucy herself describes them as taking concentration which I'm very short of at the moment!

So I decided on single colour granny style hexagons and I got out my coloured pencils and began to mess about. I'm not going to post pics of my doodles but suffice to say that when I'd finished the word 'circus' leapt into my head! Don't ask me why cos I've never seen coloured hexagons at a circus but there you are. Anyway, the Circus Hexagon Blanket was born and I began this morning.


I made up the pattern as I went along (although there are a zillion patterns on the internet). If you'd like to join me in making a Circus Hexagon Blanket, see below for the tutorial for the hexagon. It's really easy and I think it'll be a great project for all those bit and pieces of yarn that we all end up with!

I wanted to keep the project fairly fast growing so I've kept the hexagons pretty large. They measure approximately 14cm across and consist of 5 rounds each. I'm using an acrylic double knit but I think it would look fab in a cotton yarn too. Here goes with the tutorial....

Round 1

Make 6 chain and work into a circle with a slip st.
Work 2tr, 2ch into the ring 6 times. You should have six 2tr clusters ending with 2ch. Join to top of first 2tr with a sl st.
(I use a magic circle technique for starting my hexagons and it gives a really next centre circle.)


Round 2

Sl st into the first space between two clusters. Ch3 - this counts as your first tr.
1tr, 2ch, 2tr all into the same space - this is your first corner. Ch1.


* (2tr, 2ch, 2tr) into next space, ch1
Repeat from * until the round is complete ending with ch1.





Join to top of first ch3 with a sl st.


Round 3

Sl st into the first space between two clusters. Ch3 - this counts as your first tr.
1tr, 2ch, 2tr all into the same space - this is your first corner. Ch1.


*2tr into next space, ch1.
2tr, 2ch, 2tr into next space (corner), ch1*


Repeat from * - * until round is complete. Join with a sl st into first ch3.


Round 4

Sl st into the first space between two clusters. Ch3 - this counts as your first tr.
1tr, 2ch, 2tr all into the same space - this is your first corner. Ch1.
*2tr into next space, ch1 - repeat this twice.
2tr, 2ch, 2tr into next space (corner), ch1*
Repeat from * - * until round is complete. Join with a sl st into first ch3.


Round 5

Sl st into the first space between two clusters. Ch3 - this counts as your first tr.
1tr, 2ch, 2tr all into the same space - this is your first corner. Ch1.
*2tr into next space, ch1 - repeat this three times.
2tr, 2ch, 2tr into next space (corner), ch1*
Repeat from * - * until round is complete. Join with a sl st into first ch3.
Bind off.


So, there you have it. A glorious granny hexagon!!! I hope you'll join me in making a blanket. Please comment if you do and email me your hexagon pics and I'll post them with links to your blog!

Here are the instructions without pics:

Round 1
Make 6 chain and work into a circle with a slip st.
Work 2tr, 2ch into the ring 6 times. You should have six 2tr clusters ending with 2ch. Join to top of first 2tr with a sl st.
(I use a magic circle technique for starting my hexagons and it gives a really next centre circle.)

Round 2
Sl st into the first space between two clusters. Ch3 - this counts as your first tr.
1tr, 2ch, 2tr all into the same space - this is your first corner. Ch1.
*(2tr, 2ch, 2tr) into next space, ch1
Repeat from * until the round is complete ending with ch1.
Join to top of first ch3 with a sl st.

Round 3
Sl st into the first space between two clusters. Ch3 - this counts as your first tr.
1tr, 2ch, 2tr all into the same space - this is your first corner. Ch1.
*2tr into next space, ch1.
2tr, 2ch, 2tr into next space (corner), ch1*
Repeat from * - * until round is complete. Join with a sl st into first ch3.

Round 4
Sl st into the first space between two clusters. Ch3 - this counts as your first tr.
1tr, 2ch, 2tr all into the same space - this is your first corner. Ch1.
*2tr into next space, ch1 - repeat this twice.
2tr, 2ch, 2tr into next space (corner), ch1*
Repeat from * - * until round is complete. Join with a sl st into first ch3.

Round 5
Sl st into the first space between two clusters. Ch3 - this counts as your first tr.
1tr, 2ch, 2tr all into the same space - this is your first corner. Ch1.
*2tr into next space, ch1 - repeat this three times.
2tr, 2ch, 2tr into next space (corner), ch1*
Repeat from * - * until round is complete. Join with a sl st into first ch3.
Bind off.















6 comments:

  1. Now I rEAlly want to join in with this, (something simple but not square, appeals to me), but I simply have toooo many things going on at the moment, so I have bookmarked the tutorial - cos I would forget where I'd seen it I know I would - and shall re-visit asap.
    Love the colours you've started with and I look forward to seeing it progress - lickety split too probably ;)
    Thank you for the tutorial :D

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  2. Hi Laura, I just popped over to your site to have a look, after replying to the comment that you left for me. I love all your hooky projects and I was laughing at some of your photo's (the funny one's of course). It seems that you have a crazy sense of humour like mine so I have joined your 'members' and look forward to receiving all your future news.

    Daisy X

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    Replies
    1. Thanks so much for such a lovely comment! It's nice to know I'm not the only crazy around here! lol x

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  3. Thank you for sharing your pattern Laura, I do love those hexagons they are lush, I look forward to seeing your completed project. all the best Shelley

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  4. This is a great tutorial - really clear and easy to follow and those hexagons.... hmm, yes I see the allure entirely. Might just join you in a hexagon fest. Have seen a lovely crocheted hexagon bag so might turn mine into that rather than a blanket. Got to do some research on the way the bag is assembled though first. Love the idea of a circus blanket and would love to see the doodles of what you envisaged. it's always fascinating I think how the end result differs from one's initial sketch no matter how definite it feels at the time. There's always something that changes in terms of colour or arrangement or something. Happy Hexagon-Making! E x

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