Colorful Hexagon Pieced Star Blanket

Hexagon Pieced Star Blanket

By Crochet Kate

https://crochetkate.blogspot.com/

This hexagon star was really fun to create.  It was nice to work on individual stars and made it seem to go a lot faster than tackling row after row on a blanket.  This is a really nice project to take on the go. I could bring a hook and few small pom-poms with me on vacation and just work on the individual stars without having to pack around an entire blanket. 

Besides taking it on trips, I was able to easily work on it just about anywhere.  I made this blanket over the summer. After putting the kids to bed and getting done what I needed in the house, I'd grab a couple pom-poms and my hook and head out the the back yard to sit in a lounge chair. There's something so calming about crocheting stars under the dark sky with my hanging twinkle lights, the comfortable night air, and the sound of crickets to serenade me.  

One of my favorite things about working on projects with someone specific in mind is the hours I spend thinking of that friend as I stitch. This blanket is special to me because I made it for a dear friend of mine with cancer who has shown such grace and humility throughout her journey.  On one of her blog posts she talked about kindness.  She mentioned the Dr. Suess book about the sneeches with stars and how we are all unique and deserve kindness.  I thought of that a lot as I worked on this star blanket.  

The colored yarn I used was 3 DK weight and the white yarn was 4 DK weight. I used a size 6 mm hook.  Each hexagon measures about 10.5".  The finished product measures about 31 inches on each side or 52 inches at its widest cross-sections.  You can use different yarn weights, colors, or hook sizes depending on what you have available and what size you want the finished product to be. This would be a great project to use all of your scrap yarn with (each pom pom I used was about 25 grams or 50 yards). I would just make sure to use the same weight yarn for all of the stars to keep them a consistent size.

Yarn

Colors: Yarn bon bons- 50 yards each color. 
I used these: https://amzn.to/2E0ZZaW and https://amzn.to/2Quqkop 
Here's other options: https://amzn.to/2MyQ2Hx or https://amzn.to/2Wltqdb 

White: About 2 skeins https://www.joann.com/caron-simply-soft-yarn/prd23209.html

Hook size: J or 6 mm

3x3 stitch= 3 dc, 3 chain, 3 dc

3x3 stitch = 3dc, 3ch, 3dc
This forms the six points of the star.

Individual Hexagon Stars:

Round 1: Chain 5, dc in first ch (put all dc stiches in this first chain for round 1), ch 3, *dc, ch 3* repeat from * 3 times.  Join with a slip stitch in chain 3 of the original chain 5.  There should be 6 spokes and 6 spaces.

6 spokes and 6 spaces

Round 2: Working in first open space, chain 3, dc 2, chain 3, dc 3, do the 3x3 stitch in each of the additional 5 open spaces.  Join with a slip stitch. 

Round 3: Ch 3 the 2nd dc, dc in the next stitch.  3x3 in the chain three space, dc in the next 2 dc, skip 2, *dc in the next 2 dc, 3x3 in the chain 3 space, dc in the next 2 dc, skip 2*.  Repeat 4 more times from *.  Join with a slip stitch.

The "skip 2" space forms the angles of the star and creates a triangle space that adds character to the blanket.

Round 4: Ch 3, dc in the next 3 stitches.  3x3 in the chain three space, dc in the next 4 dc, skip 2, *dc in the next 4 dc, 3x3 in the chain 3 space, dc in the next 4 dc, skip 2*.  Repeat 4 more times from *.  Join with a slip stitch.

Round 5: Ch 3, dc in the next 5 stitches.  3x3 in the chain three space, dc in the next 6 dc, skip 2, *dc in the next 6 dc, 3x3 in the chain 3 space, dc in the next 6 dc, skip 2*.  Repeat 4 more times from *.  Join with ss, tie off, and weave in ends

The star may not lay completely flat. I like it that way. It adds dimension and character to the finished blanket.  

You may choose to completed each hexagon as you go or make all the stars first, and then add the white border to all, or even do them in batches as I did.  (It was a nice keep my rhythm by doing multiple stars and then multiple borders, but it also gave me a break from the monotony by alternating in batches of four or five at a time.)  

Hexagon Border:

Change color to white.

Round 6: Starting in the first stitch after a 3x3, *2 sc, 2 hd, 2 dc, 1 tc, skip 4, 1 tc, 2 dc, 2 hdc, 2 sc. 3 sc in the ch 3 space*.  Repeat from * 5 times.

Round 7: Ch 3, 6 dc, skip one, 7 dc, 3 dc in same st (in the 2nd sc of the ch 3 space), *8 dc, skip one, 7 dc, 3 dc in 2nd sc of the ch 3 space.* Repeat from * 4 times.  1 dc. Join with ss.

Round 8: Chain 3: 6 dc, skip 1, 8 dc, 3 dc in same st (in 3rd dc stitch 3 dc cluster), *8 dc, skip 1, 8 dc, 3 dc in same st (in 3rd dc stitch 3 dc cluster).* Repeat from * 4 times.  1 dc.  Join with ss, tie off, and weave in ends. 

  Make 19 hexagons total. 

 Choose one star as the center and arrange all additional hexagons around center star.  

Join sides with your favorite lacing stitch.  If you're yarn has a lot of give (as the Caron brand that I used), it may be a good idea to measure as lace each side and tighten or loosen the lacing as needed so that each side is uniform in size.  

The final blanket will be a hexagon shape. 

Here is a more concise, printable pattern.

©Crochet Kate, https://crochetkate.blogspot.com/