Knitted Hexagons Blankie

This is a perfect project for scrap yarn. Knit individual hexagons or knit strips. Change colors after each one, knit them all the same, or do a planned layout like a Grandmothers Flower Garden quilt. Have fun with it! (I’ve include a blank grid you can print out if you’d like to plan and color your chart to use as a guide.)

Worsted weight yarn
(full hexagon - 17 yards; half hexagon - 9 yards; fish - 19 yards
Size 7-10 needles (I used a U.S. 10.)

The size of the needles and yarn you choose will determine the size of your hexagons.

The first stitch of each row will be slipped purl wise to make a chain stitch along the edge.

Cast on 10 stitches with a long tail cast on.

Rows 1-2. Knit 2 rows. (Second or more hexagon in a strip, knit 3 rows here.)
Row 3. Slip 1, M1 (i.e., Make one - increase one stitch), knit across to 2 stitches from end, M1, knit 1.

Rows 4-5. Knit 2 rows.
Continue to increase repeating rows 3-5 until 20 stitches are on your needles.

Row 6. Slip 1, ssk (i.e., slip 1, knit 1, psso), knit across to 3 stitches from end, K2tog, knit 1.
Rows 7-8. Knit 2 rows.

Repeat rows 6-8 until you’re back to 10 stitches.

Individual hexagons:
Bind off now. If you choose this option, you’ll be doing a lot of sewing when you get done. :-) Cut yarn, and weave in your ends.
See directions below if you want to knit some half hexagons to fill in the ends of your blanket.

To knit a strip of hexagons:
Don’t bind off after you complete the first hexagon. Change colors and knit one row. Then begin at row 1 of the directions above. (The extra row makes up for not having a cast-on row.)

Change colors on the right side of the strip on the first row of a garter ridge. Otherwise, instead of solid color garter ridges, you’ll get a ridge made up of two colors. (See photo above for an example of this where the red and gray hexagons meet.) You want these all on the wrong side of the blanket.

As you can see from the grid, the first strip will all be full hexagons. The second or every other strip will start and end with half hexagons. This allows the strips to fit together.

Beginning Half Hexagon:
Cast on 20 stitches. Knit one row. Then work rows 6-8.
Change color and begin at row 1 to knit the next hexagon.

Ending Half Hexagon:
At the end of the strip you’ll work a half hexagon. Change colors and start knitting using rows 1-5. Bind off all stitches when the strip is complete.

Finishing:
If you knit individual hexagons, arrange them they way you like and start sewing them together. (I warned you about this. LOL!)
If you knit strips, arrange the strips they way you want them and start sewing the strips together.
Weave in all your ends, and you're done!

Join-as-you-go:
If you’re knitting strips, it’s easy to join-as-you-go so you don’t have to sew them together later. Have your completed strip right side up. Cast on for your second strip. Knit across the first row until you have 1 stitch left. Slip this stitch to the right needle. Put your needle through the first chain loops on the side of the completed strip, pull up a loop on your needle. Slip the slipped stitch over the new stitch or return the slipped stitch to the left needle and knit the 2 stitches together. Experiment to see which method you prefer.
You won't need to slip the first stitch because you did the join. Turn your work and knit the next row. Slip the first stitch as you knit back toward the join.

Options:
You can knit these with any size yarn. Just change the needle size to go with the yarn you choose.

Upsize them by doubling the yarn or adding more stitches to your cast on. For example, you want to make them 5 stitches larger. Cast on 15 stitches instead of 10. Follow the directions as written, increasing until you have 25 stitches on your needle instead of 20. Then begin decreasing per the directions until you have 15 stitches left. Bind off or change colors and start another hexagon.

Knit a strip of these to make a scarf.

Sew them together into a ball.

Knit a strip in just one color and make each strip a different color.

Offset colors by one hexagon on different strips for a diagonal look.

Google Grandmother’s Flower Garden quilt or other quilts made with hexagons to get different layouts you can use.

Knit 1-1/2 hexagons in one color and it becomes a fish! You can knit them nose to nose and tail to tail.

© July 2007 Vicki Mikulak
All rights reserved. Please print only one (1) copy of this pattern for your own personal use. Do not sell items made using this pattern without the permission of the designer.