Hexagon Revamp and Half Hexagon Basics

by Kelly


Half hexagons are actually not hard at all.

The trick is to realize that you can't just divide the hexagon in half, that is, make 3 pairs of 2 cluster stitches, because if you do, you're trying to crochet into side spaces that don't exist.

See where the pen is pointing in the picture above? When you make a half hexagon, the spaces between clusters are what you're trying to create, because that's what you're crocheting into on each round. If that still seems a little mind boggling, then just follow the pattern below, and it will make more sense.


I adapted the hexagon pattern from One Loop Short, and here's what I did:

Half Hexagon Recipe

Special stitches Cl St = Cluster Stitch: YO and pull a loop through ring, YO and pull through 2 loops on hook (3 times), YO and pull through all 4 loops on hook.

1. Ch. 5 and join with a sl. stitch to form a ring.

2. Ch. 3, dc in ring, *(Ch2, yo and pull a loop through, [3 loops on hook], yo and pull through 2 loops [2 loops on hook], yo and pull a loop through [4 loops on hook], yo and pull through 2 loops [3 loops on hook], yo and pull through all 3 loops on hook), repeat from * once more, then ch. 3 and dc into ring. End color.

3. Join new color, Ch. 3, dc into the first cluster, ch2, (yo and pull a loop through, yo and pull through 2 loops) twice, yo and pull through all 3 loops, ch2, cl st in same space, ch2, work two cluster stitches in the next ch. 2 space, ch. 2, work one cluster in next space, then ch.3 and dc into the same space.

4. Join new color, Ch. 3, work 2 dc in same space. *(Work 3 dc in next space. In next space, work 3 dc, ch. 2, 3 dc). Repeat from * once more, then 3dc in next space, 3 dc in last space. 

Finish off and weave in all those dangly ends. 

If you try this and find a problem, please let me know in the comments and I'll correct the pattern. Hopefully it's okay, though.

Oh, and here's a picture of the finished afghan.

Now all I need is a border. (*Sigh*) It's always something, isn't it?

Flowers

by Kelly

We interrupt our regularly scheduled crafting post to bring you flowers.

These are the roses that grow in our front yard. The rose bush was given to us by my husband's uncle, a gardening fiend who also gave us two white concrete birdbaths and a small boulder that he was trying to get rid of.

Why did we accept the boulder? Well, because it was free, and I really didn't have much time to think about it. One day I heard a knock on the door, and when I opened it, there was my new FIL, wearing his impatient 'I'm about to do something rash' look, and he asked me "Do you want a boulder for your garden?" Naturally, I said yes. I've never been good under pressure.

Sometime I will have to share the story about how I acquired a whole flatbed trailer full of books at an auction for $2. It was the same kind of high pressure situation. Regardless, though, I think I would have said yes to the boulder just because of the magic words 'for your garden'.

Meanwhile, back to the roses. These are old roses, the kind that only bloom once a year, and they smell heavenly. I wish I could somehow add the scent to this post.

I've never had much luck with the new hybrid tea roses, but I can grow old roses like crazy. My husband says that it's because they tend to be thorny and difficult to live with, much like me. And then, just when I'm about to give him my best thorny look, he adds, 'and beautiful'.

Which, ha, isn't true, but it's a great line, isn't it?