I
have been pretty vociferous about my love (not ! ) for granny squares and motifs.. but I love their beauty .. I’m just
against the ends we need to weave in and fasten off and all that extra hard
work!
That said, there are some patterns that you
can just not miss out on, and this pattern is one of them. Sound like fun? Come on then, let’s get to it.
For today's pattern I've used some Polyester purse yarn, with a 3.5 mm crochet hook
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For
this beauty, I’ve used the superb African flower pattern for a donation project
with Project Chemo Crochet. So I thought
I’d make a hexagon instead of an eight-sided one.
My
earlier African flower was a granny square here
Edited
to add :
After I’d made this bag, I showed it to my friend before I posted
it anywhere.. and she said she’d thought she’d seen this somewhere and that's here
Thispage has a neat photo tutorial as well – so do go ahead and check it out.. so you can get the best of all worlds!
Thispage has a neat photo tutorial as well – so do go ahead and check it out.. so you can get the best of all worlds!
Materials used : Polyester purse
yarn, about 7 cones (5 + 2 black), with a 3.5 mm crochet hook ; Embroidery
needle
Size : (of each hexagon) is 4”
Skill level : Intermediate to advanced
While the stitches used are easy enough, this is a
bit of a long(ish) project and needs patience
Stitches used :
Starting slip knot : https://youtu.be/lJcqsVcs8cw
Starting slip knot 1 or the Sloppy Slip knot : https://youtu.be/YfC7KmGpifs
What is a chain stitch ? https://youtu.be/pXx5ukBjKkY
Magic circle : https://youtu.be/ISC39yOqWro
Foundation Single Crochet : fsc : https://youtu.be/mcT85fwh4mA
Half Double Crochet : Hdc : yo, insert hk into st ; yo (3 lps on hk) ;
yo, draw through all 3 lps. One hdc made.
Check out the video at https://youtu.be/sDiELJdB2Dg
Chainless start for Half Double Crochet : I dislike the ch-2 start, and this is what I do to start my row of hdc. Check out the video at https://youtu.be/lWXpl1KdbZ8
Whipstitch to join : https://youtu.be/wZ-9LNzftMA
Invisible join : https://youtu.be/a6XZQ6VzJFM
Single crochet to join : https://youtu.be/6FXoW_47_dI
Abbreviations used :
lp(s) : Loop(s) sc : Single crochet
dc : Double crochet sp : Space
sl-st : Slip stitch ch : Chain
st(s) : Stitch(es) hk : Hook
yo : Yarn Over
Instructions : (Using U.S terminology)
Please note that I start all my rows with a ch 1, turning chain for ease.
Please check the top of this blog for easy video tutorials on all stitches used in today's pattern.
Please read through all my notes before you pick up your hook, so you know just where we're heading in our pattern.
In my patterns I work with the principle of stitch count and body measurement. This means that you need to work the stitch count in pattern, till you get the measurement (length and/or width) that you need for your project.
So let’s start on our first motif for our beautiful
bag, shall we?
I’ve made an eight-petal African flower in a granny
square for an earlier project. Using the
similar idea, I thought of starting with 6 sts and making a hexagon for this
one, just so that there are lesser sides to attach.. Trust me to find an easier
way out and enjoy the laziness of lesser work, if I could!
Our African flower is a set of stitches worked
around in a hexagon. To get this flower look, one usually changes colour with
each round or alternate round.
Now that said, I decided to have only two colours,
but I have given you suggestions on the colour changes.
I used this chart for my African flower motif.
Magic circle : https://youtu.be/ISC39yOqWro
Single Crochet : Sc : yo, insert hk into st ; yo (2 lps on hk); yo, draw through both lps. One sc made. Check out the video at https://youtu.be/ghACqBpA-3k
First stitch for Single Crochet : This is how I like to start my row of sc. Check out the video at https://youtu.be/6pVYRfsf4_M
Start (Using
Colour 1) : with a magic circle and 6 sc in that circle.
Double Crochet : dc : yo, insert hk into st ; yo (3 lps on hk); [yo, draw through 2 lps] twice. One dc made. Check out the video at https://youtu.be/xdnjB27zpYo
Chainless start for Double Crochet : I dislike the ch-2 / ch – 3 start, and this is what I do to start my row of dc.
Check out the video at https://youtu.be/wskv3iTjRx0
Round 1 : (Using Colour 1) : 2 dc in the 1st sc ;
*ch 1, 2 dc in the next sc* ;
rep *to* all around ;
ch 1 and join with a sl-st to
the 1st dc.
How to change colors seamlessly : https://youtu.be/fRzSBja9jno
How to carry your yarn when using two colors : https://youtu.be/NuascBU3pxQ
Round 2 : (Using Colour 2) : sl-st into the 1st ch-1 sp ;
(2 dc ; ch 2, 2 dc) all in the same 1st
ch-1 sp ;
*sk next 2 dc ;
rep (to) in the next ch-1 sp* ;
rep *to* all around ;
and join with a sl-st to the
1st dc.
Round 3 : (Using Colour 2) : sl-st into the 1st ch-2 sp ;
7 dc in the same
ch-2 sp ;
*7 dc in the next ch-2 sp* ;
rep *to* all around and join with a sl-st to the 1st
dc.
In the following round, we will be marking the
edges of our flower.
For this, we will
work sc’s around the ‘petal’ of our African flower, and to mark two petals
apart, we will work a dc into a st on Round 2.
So let’s take a look at Round 2 and see where
our dc goes in.
In Round 2, we’ve worked (2 dc ; ch 2, 2 dc),
right? So at the ends of these sts there
are two sets of 2 dc without any stitch between them. It is in between this set of 4
stitches that we will work our long dc.
Now in most cases, when we work our dc or sc, we
work in the stitch. To get the effect we’re looking for here, we
will work in between. So right
now, take a look at where your dc will go – as I will not write all this
long explanation below.
I will just
state that the dc goes into the stitch in Round 2, and I hope you know
which one it is now. It is this row that defines and *makes* our African flower.
Round 4 : (Using Colour 3) :
(dc into the stitch in Round 2) ;
*sc in the next 7 dc ;
rep (to) once* ;
rep *to* all around and join with a sl-st to the 1st
st.
In the following final round, we will work a dc
only in all the sc, ignoring all the dc that we have worked. This will pull our flower back together and
give it the definitive hexagonal shape.
Round 5 : (Using Colour 4) :
skipping 1st dc,
(dc in the next 4 sc ;
ch 1, dc in the same sc
; dc in the next 3 sc) ;
*sk next dc, rep (to) once* ;
rep *to* all around and join with a sl-st to the 1st
st.
Fasten off and weave in ends.
You have completed the first superb African flower
motif.
Now you go ahead and make more of these lovely
hexagon motifs and check out the attachment ideas.
So I first made 21 hexagons. I then attached them
as per my chart below.
So the 5 blue hexagons with the red line running
across the centre is the bottom of the bag.
The red arrow shows you that that’s where you fold it upwards.
We then have the centre row of orange 4 hexagons that are neatly ending on a
straight line, so that’s your end neatly matched up.
The top row has 5 green hexagons, and the bottom
one has 3 green hexagons. As you have
figured, (and following the green arrows on either side), you fold the top
green hexagons and attach them to the lower 3 green hexagons.
Now the slight confusion in joining is in the two
corner blue hexagons, which are outlined in yellow. So the top of that blue hexagon will be
attached to the orange hexagon BUT there will be 3 sides of one hexagon to be
attached to 2 sides of the other hexagon – but you will manage to join these in
neatly and this gives our bag a nice plump rounded bottom.
Now
depending on the size you’re looking for, go ahead and join hexagons to the top
of your project and increase the height or width as you desire.
One small hexagon and so many ideas – this is just
fantastic, isn’t it?
I’ve given links on how to line the bag. I have personally given my bag to a
professional for a better finish than I am able to get.
Enjoyed
this ?? I sure did.. come back right here for more patterns.
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