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Hexagon Scrapghan

4/12/2018

27 Comments

 
I was sorting through my yarn stash the other day, when I came to a shocking conclusion: I have too much yarn. Now, I know what you're thinking: "Too much yarn? Is that even possible?" Well, in my dream world, definitely not. But in the tiny apartment world...yeah. It happens. I was most concerned with my growing pile of scrap yarn. You know those little balls of yarn that are too small for most projects but that you can't bear to part with? I've been collecting them for yeeaarrsss (seriously, some of this scrap yarn is from high school). So I decided to give those little yarn balls a new purpose and turn them into a cozy scrapghan!
Hexagon Scrapghan
 In case you're not familiar with the term, "scrap" + "afghan" = "scrapghan" (so basically it's a blanket made from yarn scraps). There are SO many different scrapghan types out there. Stripes, squares, c2c, mitered squares...you get the idea. But out of all the options, hexagons just felt right. So why not? 
Hexagon Scrapghan
Instead of reinventing the wheel, I found a simple hexagon pattern from Crochet in Color, which you can find here. I like this pattern because it's quick and easy, but not too "hole-y," and it's smaller than some of the other hexagon patterns out there so it's perfect for small bits of yarn. I ended up using an I (5.5 mm) crochet hook for mine so that my hexagons would be about 4" across and I did tweak round 3 slightly by using ch-2 spaces for the corners; I found it looked neater than the original ch 3 when I tested it out.
Hexagon Scrapghan
I left a long yarn tail after fastening off each one so that I could stitch the hexagons together later. After some trial and error, I found that a 12" yarn tail is just about perfect. It gives enough length to stitch the sides together while still leaving a few extra inches for weaving in the ends securely. 

After making most of my hexagons, I sorted them by color and then started arranging them to figure out how many more I needed.  My blanket ended up being alternating rows of 13 hexagons and 12 hexagons, with the color changing after 3 rows. ​I ended up making 225 full hexagons for my blanket (whew!) 
Hexagon Scrapghan
But that still left some pretty big gaps along the edge of the blanket. The hexagon pattern I used didn't have a half-hex option, so I improvised a half-hex variation. It's basically the original pattern cut in half, but is worked in turning rows rather than in the round. In case it's helpful for anyone else, here's how I made them:

ch 4, ss to the first ch to join into a ring
Row 1: ch 3 (counts as the first dc here and throughout), dc 5 times into the ring, turn
Hexagon Scrapghan
Row 2: ch 3, dc in the same st, ch 1, [dc twice in the next st, ch 1] 4 times, dc twice into the last st, turn 
Hexagon Scrapghan
Row 3: ch 4 (counts as a tr), dc in the same st, *dc twice in the next ch-1 space, [dc twice, ch 2, dc twice] in the next ch-1 space,* repeat from * to * twice, dc twice in the next ch-1 space, [dc, tr] in the last st
If you want a cleaner edge, you can ss across the flat end (I knew I was planning to add a border, so I skipped that step). Fasten off, leaving a 12" tail for sewing.
Hexagon Scrapghan
I ended up making 18 half-hexagons to fill in the gaps along the length of my scrapghan. 

Once I had all my pieces, I started stitching them together. I sewed the pieces together with a tapestry through the back loops only of each hexagon or half-hexagon. I used the mattress stitch, since I'm rather partial to it and it's never failed me yet. 
Hexagon Scrapghan
After weaving in all the ends (still slightly traumatized from that, if I'm honest...), I decided that a border would be the perfect finishing touch for a more polished look. I went through several different options, including squaring off the short ends, before finally deciding that the simplest approach was best. So I just joined the border color yarn to one end and started working sc evenly down the side. Whenever it was an option, I worked only in the back loops of a hexagon to help preserve the clean edge. 
Hexagon Scrapghan
Then I added a second row of sc. The only tricky element was working across the "rippled" short edge. To help keep everything neat, I worked 2 sc at the top of each point and worked a decrease at each valley. Then I simply fastened off and wove in the last end. 
Hexagon Scrapghan
It was a lot of work and certainly not a quick 1 hour project, but I'm really glad that I did it. I might be permanently scarred from attaching all those pieces together (*Twitches* no more ends to weave...*twitches*), but I think the end result speaks for itself. 
Hexagon Scrapghan
And just look at all of that scrap yarn that's been put to good use! To think, it was just sitting there doing nothing for all this time and now it's a cozy new blanket. Crocheting really is magical. 
Hexagon Scrapghan
I hope that this inspires you to do something fun with your yarn scraps! They might not be as flashy as the full skeins, but they have tons of character. If you have any questions or comments about my hexagon scrapghan, you can reach me in the comments section below or on social media. And if you've made something cool with yarn scraps, I'd love to see it! Happy Hooking!
Hexagon Scrapghan
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27 Comments
Deborah Thomas
4/14/2018 08:04:31 am

This is so beautiful! I too have so many leftovers. I had started making a few small granny squares but I love this idea much better. Thank you for sharing

Reply
Erin
4/17/2018 07:32:39 pm

Thanks! I hope yours turns out well :)

Reply
Catherine A. Connell
4/14/2018 04:49:39 pm

Wowzers!!!
Your pictures of your inspiring work....💖
Your generous heart in sharing...priceless.
Sending you lots of yarn 💘💘💘💘💘
c.

Reply
Erin
4/17/2018 07:33:02 pm

Thanks so much!

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~T~ link
4/18/2018 12:39:34 pm

Definitely magical!

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Erin
5/2/2018 01:19:59 pm

It's basically a superpower ;)

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Pamela
4/18/2018 02:13:08 pm

Wow this is so pretty. Am I the only one that would buy yarn to make this and defeat the purpose of the scrap part? Someone send help!

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Erin
5/2/2018 01:21:21 pm

Haha I know the feeling, You definitely could make a hexagon afghan with new yarn, it just wouldn't be as scrappy looking. But you could do a cool striped effect, or even just one color.

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Tracy King
5/2/2018 01:03:08 am

Gorgeous! I’m not sure I want to be traumatized by the weaving on of the ends either, but yours is super.

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Erin
5/2/2018 01:22:19 pm

Thank you! I won't be making anything else with so many pieces until the trauma fades a little haha...but I think it was worth it :)

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Tlhruby
5/2/2018 08:50:26 am

Absolutely beautiful! This is on my next to do list

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Erin
5/2/2018 01:22:49 pm

Awesome! I hope yours turns out well! :)

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Judy
5/2/2018 10:26:39 am

Truly inspiring! Thank you so much for sharing, especially your half-hex pattern, which is brilliant. It may take me years to finish it, but if I work a few hexies in between other projects or when I'm too tired to follow a complex pattern, I'll eventually have a blanket. Hope it's as lovely as yours.

Reply
Erin
5/2/2018 01:27:01 pm

Thanks! And I think that's a great idea. The little hexagons work up really quickly and they're perfect for crocheting on the go (in waiting rooms, on the bus, etc). You could also make something smaller like a pillow case or a wall hanging if you want a quicker project. Either way, it'll be awesome :)

Reply
Kathy
5/6/2018 03:09:19 am

Loving all the colors, but how do you know what color to use to sew all pieces together

Reply
Erin
5/8/2018 01:48:22 pm

I left a long yarn tail at the end of each hexagon and then used those tails to weave the pieces together. So I just used the tail for the next hexagon I was attaching. Since I used the mattress stitch to sew the pieces together, the colors of the yarn tail aren't very visible either way, so it didn't really matter which color tail I was using.

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Carletta
12/19/2018 11:43:50 am

I am doing a hexagon Afghan out of my scrap yarn. I would like to share a picture of it on your website.

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Erin
12/20/2018 01:49:08 pm

How wonderful! I'd love to see a picture of your scrapghan! If you're on social media, you can always post a picture on my facebook page or just tag me. Or, if it's easier, you can email me directly. Just click the little envelope icon at the top right hand side of the screen :)

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Margaret
2/21/2020 01:20:31 am

Did you use one weight through out? Absolutely stunning!

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Brie
5/2/2020 07:59:11 pm

I’m wondering the same thing...

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Erin
5/5/2020 08:52:32 pm

I'm sorry! I don't know how I missed your question for so long.

Yes, I used all worsted weight yarn. Since there's a pretty big variation in what's considered a worsted weight, some of the yarn I used is definitely thicker than others, but they're all technically the same weight (yarn weight 4).

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Deirdre Magner link
4/15/2021 08:11:37 am

I love this! I have so many "little balls of wool" and this is the perfect use for them. Many were from projects my mom, now deceased, did. She taught me to knit as a child (I taught myself to crochet) and I didn't want to just throw them away. Now I have a project to use them! I am so happy. It's a great "carry around" project as well. Throw a bit of wool in a bag and you can make them up in a few minutes. Thank you for sharing it!

Reply
Mare
7/16/2021 11:17:53 am

Mine is going to be in a rainbow colors (Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Indigo, Violet, Grey, Black) would it work if I started from the center and worked my way out? Or do I have to do strips?

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Erin
7/26/2021 04:04:38 pm

Hi! You can join the hexagons in any way that you'd like. You can definitely join as you go if you'd like or sew them together at the end. Either will work great.

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Steph
8/29/2022 05:14:37 pm

Thanks for sharing this! Does all the yarn have to be about the same weight?

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Tracey Pendleton
2/21/2023 05:46:50 pm

Excited to find this beautiful pattern. Can't wait to start! Thanks for sharing.

Reply
Samantha
8/13/2023 10:47:54 pm

I'm currently attempting this as a gift for my daughter for Christmas next year. I have so much thrifted remnant yarn balls and this is the perfect use for them!

Reply



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