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2001 Sept 11
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Katrina |
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HOW TO MAKE A HEXAGON GRANNY
Please click on the thumbnails to see a larger image How to Make a Hexagon in one color A hexagon is a six-sided figure worked in rounds, on one side only. You know about working in rounds from learning the granny square, right? I have repeated some of that instruction in this lesson, but if you are not familiar with the granny square, you may want to work that lesson first. Remember, when I say "working in rounds" I am talking about where you start in the middle and your piece grows outward, getting larger, until it is the size you need. You can use the hexagon (or any other shape) in afghans and different projects. You just have to be creative in how you join them. Depending on hook and tension, you might find your hexagon won't lie flat. It is sometimes helpful to use fewer stitches per side. As noted before, every piece of crochet begins with the slip knot and then a foundation chain. If you haven't learned how to make the slip knot and work a foundation chain, go to that tutorial as you can't go further without that knowledge.
Very briefly, to make the foundation chain, you put the slip knot on your hook, then holding the piece that hangs down from your hook with the thumb and middle finger (or forefinger if that is more comfortable) of your left hand, bring the yarn over the hook coming from the back, then pull the yarn through the loop on your hook. If you don't hold that piece, it may move as you're trying to pull your thread through, making it more difficult to complete your chain. If you have trouble, you might try turning your hook slightly downward to catch the yarn.
Here is a picture of a foundation chain (Figure 2). Notice how each looks like a little sideways "v". For the picture I've made 6 chains to have enough space to hold my shells. Important: The loop ON the hook is NOT counted as a stitch. Okay, now that you've got your foundation chain, you need to make that foundation chain into a ring.
Figure 3 shows you where to insert your hook to make your circle and then completes the circle. Place your hook into the first chain that you made, to the right of the slip knot. Then YO (yarn over) and pull the yarn through the place where you've inserted your hook AND through the loop that is on your hook. This is a slip stitch. You will have a little hole in the middle of the circle you've just made. Congrats! Depending on what size hook you are using and what kind of yarn, your hole may be smaller or larger. You might have to wiggle your finger in the center if it's small, so you can see the center hole. This entire round will be worked into the center of the circle.
Round 1:
Yo, insert your hook in the center hole. (The hole will stretch as you go, though it may still be rather small, depending on what size hook you chose for the project. I am working with an I Boye hook) Work a double crochet in this space, around the foundation chain loop. (Fig. 5) This is the second dc of your first shell since the chain always counts as the first dc of each round.
Note: A shell is a
group of double crochets worked into the same space or stitch.
For purposes of this tutorial, a shell is 2 dc. In some other
applications, I use a 3dc shell. The 3dc shell would also work fine for a small hexagon of three or four
rounds, then it starts to fold and bunch up. However, using 2dc shells, I was able to get 10 rounds to lie flat. That's as far
as I went so I don't know if it would have continued to lie flat with succeeding
rounds. Now you are going to make some more shells. In between each shell you will put 2 chains. These shells will be the first "corners" of the first round. So here's what you do after you complete your last double crochet of the first shell:
Now you need to join your last shell to your first shell. There are two ways to do this. The subsequent steps are affected by your choice. One way is to join with a slip stitch in the top chain of your double crochet, then slip stitch to the next ch-2 space. Another way is to join with a half-double crochet in the top chain of the beginning ch-2 and continue working in that space. I am using the second method here and I suggest you also do this with this first hexagon. Once you understand how to make the hexagon, you can switch to the first method if you so choose. The reason for this is not to say "do it my way", but because you won't be able to follow along if you do it the other way as the rounds start in different places. Where is the top chain, you are wondering? Look closely at your stitches. You will see that there are 2 "double crochets" with one being your original ch-2 or 3. Look at the post of your first dc on the left. You can see that on top of it sits 2 loops that make a sort of sideways "V". Then you have your chain-2 or chain-3 that you began with. Depending on which you did, it may sit slighter lower or higher than your double crochet. Your goal is to get it at the same height of the other stitches, but if not exact, it should at least be close. The top chain of that stitch is where you are going to insert your hook after you yarn over, which is the first step in making a hdc. (Fig. 10) (I'm sneaking in a brief lesson on making the hdc here)
Joining completed! (Figure 14) (YES! Give yourself a pat on the back. Okay, go get a Hershey bar but don't let the chocolate melt on your yarn - as if it will last that long! Ha!) To get your focus back on crochet after that chocolate rush, remember that your objective is to make a hexagon from your original circle. Well, what does a hexagon have that a circle doesn't? Corners! You have just made 6 corners. I know they don't look much like corners yet, but they will. Now you are ready to tackle the second round of your hexagon. First thing you have to do is bring your stitch up to height. You do this by chaining up. You can chain 2 or 3, which ever brings you to the proper height. (Fig 15) Round 2:
Round 3:
Round 4: You should have the idea by now, so I will give a pictorial demonstration of one side and just insert a few comments where necessary to be sure you understand. As you work more rounds, your sides will get wider. Remember that sides consist of 2 dc shells divided by a ch-1, and corners are (2dc, ch 2, 2dc). So there is a ch-1 between all shells except corner shells. You will join all beginning and ending shells with a single crochet, except for the last round you make. On the last round of your hexagon, you will work the invisible finish.
Fig 36 Here's your complete pattern: Hexagon Granny shell = 2dc Pattern: Note: you can ch-3 to bring up to height if you prefer Rnd 1: ch 2, dc in ring, (ch 2, 2dc in ring) five times (6 shell groups), join with a hdc to top st of beg ch-2
Rnd 2: ch 2 for height, in same sp wk
(1 dc, ch 2, shell) (first corner),
ch 1 Rnd 3: in
same sp wk (ch 2, dcl)
for first side
Round 4:
ch2, 2dc in same sp, ch 1, shell in next ch-1 sp
(first side), You can increase the size of the hexagon by continuing the pattern, adding a shell along every side. An actual pattern would be shorter because the repeats would be noted as such. For example, rather than spell out every corner and side, it would be abbreviated as below. * ch 1, shell in ch-1 sp, ch 1, shell in next ch-1 sp for side, ch 1, in next corner ch-2 sp work (shell, ch 2, shell) for corner, rep from * four times OR it might be written: When you say "repeat" that means you've already done it once, so the number of repeats is smaller than if you say "do this so many times". Some might even cut it shorter by putting (corner) in place of every (shell, ch 2, shell). If they do this, they will define "corner" in the special stitches at the beginning of the pattern, or the first time it is used within the pattern. This is but one way to work the hexagon. I'm sure there are many more. Just google "crochet hexagon" to find some. You can try them all. Thought I'd add pics of the 3 dc shell hexagon, just so you can see what it looks like.
Hope this has been helpful to you in making your hexagon. Remember that if you find your piece won't lie flat, you might choose to use one chain between corner shells, and/or no chains between shells along sides. Use whatever works for you. Since everyone has different tension when they crochet, what works for me might not work for you and vice versa. I have patterns for other shapes on my shapes page. The pentagon has its own tutorial as well.
Last updated 2006-10-01
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