Perfect Puff Stitch Hexagons – Free Pattern!

I have a love-hate relationship with custom orders. They are a fantastic opportunity to try out new patterns and learn new techniques. They are a pain from a business standpoint as they usually take longer to complete due to the learning component of a new pattern. This makes my profit margin quite low if I properly account for my time spent on the project. I usually underestimate by quite a few hours. Oh the things we sacrifice for love.

I received a custom order for a baby blanket from a new customer. After discussing yarn, price, and what she was looking for, she ended up finding a free pattern online that she wanted to be replicated. I usually decline these types of requests as it takes away the creative side of my love for yarn. I like to adjust patterns, or see just a picture and figure out how I could make it truly “mine” rather than just reproducing someone else’s design. I ended up accepting the order as I am in my slow season and my fingers are itching to make.

The pattern was simple enough. It was a combination of an African Flower and hexagon-shaped granny square. Half way through the hexagon I could tell something was weird with the pattern and must have worked out extremely uniquely for whoever wrote it. It was wrinkly, misshapen, and holey in weird areas. Definitely not cute baby blanket worthy.

I was almost excited at this point. Since the first pattern didn’t work, that meant I got to make up my own hexagon design!

I used the original pattern as inspiration and added my own personal flair to make it truly adorable. The end result was a perfect hexagon with a clean, smooth edge, and a floral center. Girly, but not too girly. The sturdy edge proved to be excellent for easy joining. It was an amazing moment of discovery.

What better way to celebrate this discovery than to share it with the world?!

I have done my best to write out the instructions. This hexagon combines quite a few different techniques, so I would consider it to be an intermediate design. To make this hexagon you will need to know how to do the following:

• Sl st – slip stitch
• Ch – chain
• Sc – single crochet
• Dc – double crochet
• Puff stitches
• Bobble/Popcorn stitches

If you are new to puff stitches or bobble stitches, I have included the steps required for each stitch if you’re like me and prefer reading step-by-step instructions. I have also provided links to some of my favourite video tutorials for each stitch. The first hexagon you make may take a while to figure out, but they will go by faster and faster. It took me about half an hour to tinker with the original pattern and come up with this design. Now that I’ve made about 20 of them, I can finish one in roughly 7 minutes!

The Pattern

This hexagon is made by working in the same direction the entire time. There is only one turn which is done immediately after completing the magic loop for the beginning center of the hexagon. After each round completion you continue working in the same direction. Do not turn.

Supplies

• Any worsted (4) weight yarn in any colours you’d like!
  • I used a combination of Loops & Threads yarn from Michaels for the chartreuse and eggplant colours, and Caron Simply Soft for the gray
    • I used three colours of yarn just to show the different rounds, but in the baby blanket order I am making right now I am only using two colours
• Size H/8-5.00mm crochet hook
• Yarn needle for weaving in ends and joining
• Scissors

Here we go!

• Start with a magic loop with 6 sc in the loop, join with a sl st, turn
• ROUND ONE: We are going to be completed a series of puff stitches. Do not ch 1 to start. Complete one puff stitch in the first sc from the hook, ch 2, complete another puff stitch in the following sc, ch 2, repeat around for a total of 6 puff stitches and 6 sections of ch 2. Join to top of first puff stitch with a sl st

• PUFF STITCH WRITTEN INSTRUCTIONS
  • Yo and insert hook into sc
  • Yo again and draw up the loop
  • Yo and insert into same sc
  • Yo and draw up the loop
  • Repeat 4 times total (a total of 9 loops on the hook)
  • Yo and pull through all loops except for the last two
  • Yo and pull through last two loops

• Change to second colour (or continue if you are using the same colour throughout)
• ROUND 2: Sl st into the first ch 2 space
  • Complete all of the following in the same ch 2 space: Cluster 1, ch 3, Cluster 2
  • Ch 1 and move onto the next ch 2 space. Complete all of the following in the ch 2 space: Cluster 2, ch 3, Cluster 2
  • Repeat around until you have completed all six ch 2 spaces (total of 12 clusters and 6 ch 3 spaces), join to top of first cluster with sl st
  • NOTE: The clusters are very similar to making bobble or popcorn stitches, just with far fewer “posts” in the same stitch. This makes sort of an oval shape, but without the puffed out look of a bobble stitch

• CLUSTER ONE: Ch 2, yo, insert into ch 2 space, yo, pull up loop, yo, pull through two loops, yo, insert into ch 2 space, yo, pull up loop, yo, pull through two loops, yo, pull through all loops
• CLUSTER TWO: Yo, insert into ch 2 space, yo, pull up loop, yo, pull through two loops, yo, insert into ch 2 space, yo, pull up loop, yo, pull through two loops, yo, insert into ch 2 space, yo, pull up loop, yo, pull through two loops, yo, pull through all loops

• Change to third colour (or second colour, or don’t change at all)
• ROUND 3: Sl st into ch3 space, ch 2, 3 dc, ch 2, 3 dc all in same ch 3 space, 3 dc in ch 1 space, repeat around (total of 54 dc and 6 sections of ch 2 spaces that create the corners of the hexagon)

And there you have it! Weave in all of your ends in whichever way is your favourite, or save your ends for joining your hexagons together to make a big beautiful blanket.

I am still working my way through my little baby blanket, so I haven’t quite figured out how many hexagons you need for all of the different blanket sizes. As soon as I finish, I will create a chart and either make a new post or add to this one so you have a helpful guide to refer to. So far I have only made about 35 of these hexagons and I am maybe 1/3 through my blanket, so I’ve got a bit more to do.

The best part about these hexies is that they scale so nicely! I tried making a few in very light weight yarn and also very bulky yarn and I had no issues.

I seriously love this pattern. I am constantly day dreaming about which beautiful colours will go together to make a blanket for every room in my house. I was also pleasantly suprised with the way my sample colours worked together. I just grabbed three really random contrasting colours in order to show the different rounds in the pattern, but they look so cool together that I am now debating buying more of these colours to make a full sized blanket. Chartreuse and eggplant are such beautiful colours!

Please let me know if you have any questions by commenting on this post or sending me an email at stringsandthings16@gmail.com. I am here to help!