Crochet Hexagon Cardigan
My Hexagon Cardigan is finally finished! 💜
What started as a fairly straightforward hexagon cardigan turned into a little more of an adventure than expected, with plenty of measuring, colour planning and adjustments along the way. But that's part of the fun of crocheting, as every unexpected challenge brings something new to learn!
Supplies & Tools
| Yarn | Snowball QinRou [雪球沁柔] - 593g |
| Hook | 4.5mm |
| Size | L |
Pattern
| Pattern | Horizon Cardigan by Crafty Maz Designs |
One thing I particularly appreciate about this pattern is its flexibility. Rather than prescribing a fixed number of rounds for each size, the designer provides measurements to work towards. Made-to-measure crochet patterns aren't uncommon, but not every designer chooses to leave the instructions this open-ended. It's a brilliant approach that allows the cardigan to be adapted to different body proportions, yarns and gauges.
The original pattern calls for Hobbii Horizon and Kind Feather yarns with a 5 mm crochet hook. For my cardigan, I opted for 雪球沁柔 (Snowball QinRou), a blown yarn, in four colours, using a 4.5 mm hook instead.
Colours
| Colour Code | Colour | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 50 罗兰 | Main purple | Dominant colour |
| 49 桔梗 | Deeper purple | Accent and cuffs |
| 22 浅紫 | Pale purple | Accent |
| 01 奶白 | Cream | Accent, joining and borders |
Planning the Colours
I wanted a predominantly purple cardigan with irregular bands of lighter and darker shades, using cream to break up the colours and highlight the hexagonal shapes.
The challenge was deciding where each colour should appear. I didn't want a rigid repeating sequence, but choosing colours spontaneously at every round wasn't particularly appealing either. Eventually, I settled on a roughly planned arrangement of one- to three-round accents, with 50 罗兰 appearing frequently throughout.
Below is the colour sequence I used for the two matching hexagons, including the three-side extensions.
| Round / Row | Band | Colour |
|---|---|---|
| Hexagon | ||
| R1–2 | 1 | 49 桔梗 |
| R3–5 | 2 | 50 罗兰 |
| R6 | 3 | 22 浅紫 |
| R7–8 | 4 | 50 罗兰 |
| R9–10 | 5 | 01 奶白 |
| R11–13 | 6 | 50 罗兰 |
| R14 | 7 | 49 桔梗 |
| R15–16 | 8 | 50 罗兰 |
| R17–18 | 9 | 22 浅紫 |
| R19–21 | 10 | 50 罗兰 |
| Three-Side Extension | ||
| R22 (Row 1) | 11 | 01 奶白 |
| R23 (Row 2) | 12 | 50 罗兰 |
| R24 (Row 3) | 13 | 22 浅紫 |
| R25 (Row 2) | 14 | 50 罗兰 |
| R26 (Row 3) | 15 | 49 桔梗 |
| R27 (Row 2) | 16 | 50 罗兰 |
Growing the Hexagons
I began with a small swatch before starting the actual cardigan. Although the pattern is measurement-based, I still wanted a rough idea of how quickly the hexagons would grow using my yarn and hook.
Keeping the six sides even became one of my main concerns. I checked their lengths regularly and paid attention to my tension, especially when some sides began growing slightly faster than others. Fortunately, the differences gradually became smaller, and the finished hexagons were remarkably even.
Extending Three Sides
Once the hexagons reached the required arm depth, the pattern moved on to extending only three sides to achieve the Quarter Chest measurement.
This stage required a little more planning, as the extension had to reach the specified measurement while finishing on a repeat of Row 2. With Rows 2 and 3 alternating, I had to estimate how much each row would add and adjust my colour sequence accordingly. I was also mindful of not stopping short, allowing for potential shrinkage after washing. Quite a bit of measuring and tweaking for just six rows!
With the extensions completed, both hexagons were finally ready to be joined.
Joining & Working the Sleeves
With both hexagons completed, I joined them along the back using 01 奶白. The cream joining stitches became part of the overall colour design rather than simply a way of connecting the pieces.
For the sleeves, I continued mainly with 50 罗兰. I continued turning after every round to maintain the same stitch appearance as the hexagons, while keeping the starting CH-3 and joining line along the underside of each sleeve.
One advantage of the made-to-measure construction was being able to determine the additional sleeve length after joining the two hexagons. In my case, the sleeve extension required just 10 rounds to reach my chosen Centre Back to Wrist measurement.
The decrease rounds lead directly into the ribbed cuffs, which I worked in 49 桔梗. The deeper purple gives the sleeves a distinct finish without introducing another colour. I also worked one fewer round to achieve my desired sleeve length.
Finishing the Edges
To complete the cardigan, I worked another two rounds of edging in 01 奶白, creating a continuous cream border around the garment.
I particularly like how the cream ties everything together. It highlights the hexagonal outlines, defines the front opening and hem, and provides a contrast against the predominantly purple body.
The Finished Cardigan
Here are the final measurements of my completed cardigan, laid flat.
| Measurement | Finished Size |
|---|---|
| Size | L |
| Pit to Pit (PTP) | 58 cm |
| Centre Back → Cuff | 69 cm |
| Length | 54 cm |
| Neck Opening Width | 18 cm |
Overall, I appreciate the freedom that this pattern offers, even though working with measurements instead of fixed round counts required considerably more planning.
From figuring out the colour combinations to repeatedly checking measurements and making little adjustments along the way, I've certainly learnt a few things from this project. There were moments when I questioned my decisions, but seeing how the different shades of purple and cream borders came together made it all worthwhile. I'm really happy to finally have a Hexagon Cardigan that I made just the way I wanted! 💜
Comments
Post a Comment