Crochet Hexagon Baby Sweater

© Copyright 2011 Patrice Walker All rights reserved

When I first came across the crochet hexagon baby pattern on the Internet, I fell in love with it despite the fact that I'm really not a huge fan of granny squares. But I thought this sweater was absolutely adorable.

It wasn't until I read the written instructions for making it, however, that I realized it wasn't created from two granny squares, which have four sides, but from two hexagons, a six-sided geometric shape.

The original instructions for the sweater are contained in four YouTube videos that are narrated in Portuguese by a Brazilian crochet designer named Elaine, who began demonstrating how to make crochet patterns on YouTube in 2006. These are the videos that Tina created her pattern from.

If you know how to crochet but don't speak Portuguese, that's okay. I found it fairly easy to follow the videos because they are extremely well made, demonstrating each step required to create the sweater.

There is no gauge for the sweater, and as a result, only one size (around 3 to 6 months). But you can make a slightly larger and heavier sweater by using a heavier yarn. I've made the sweater in worsted weight acrylic (G hook), a DK weight cotton/wool blend (F hook), as well as a DK weight mercerized Egyptian cotton (E hook).

Elaine uses a fingering weight yarn called Cristal (68% acrylic 32% polyester) and probably an E or F hook. That's one of the drawbacks of the Portuguese video - unless you understand the language, you don't know what size hook she is using. However, the yarn label recommends a size 4 knitting needle, which translates to a size "E" crochet hook.

The great thing about using an acrylic yarn is that your item is machine washable, and with baby clothes, that's a convenience that many harried mothers will probably appreciate. Some other yarns that you can use to make this sweater are:

• Red Heart "Luster Sheen" (F hook)
  
• Plymouth "Dreambaby" (G hook)
  
• Bernat "Softee Baby" (D hook)
• Patons "Astra" (F hook)

Whatever yarn you choose as a substitute for the Cristal, always crochet some swatches to make sure you like the feel and drape of the fabric your chosen yarn creates.

In my version of the sweater, I used Plymouth "Boku," a worsted weight wool (95%)/silk (5%) blend, and a G hook. I got the yarn at a wonderful, new yarn store here in Honolulu called, YarnStory, where I teach classes on how to make the sweater.

The hexagons in Elaine's sweater, made from fingering weight yarn, have a total of 10 rounds. My "Boku" sweater uses a heavier yarn; therefore the hexagons only have nine rounds total.

The trickiest part of the sweater was creating the center back seam. Actually, it's very easy, but when I used Tina's instructions, my center back seam wasn't ending in the same way that Elaine's center back seam ended in the video. There's a portion of one of the videos where I know she's explaining it in, but since I don't know Portuguese, I had to watch that video a thousand times (at least it felt like it) until I realized that one of the hexagons has a round less than the other.

Why? Because the last round of that hexagon is crocheted as part of the center back seam where the two hexagons are joined. Once the center back seam is made, the other five sides of this hexagon are crocheted.

Finally, because the two hexagons are crocheted together to create the center back seam, there are no seams to sew, only ends to weave in

... is in the works. When I finish it, I'll publish it on my crochet blog as a free pattern. But that shouldn't stop you from trying to make it now. The four videos and Tina's instructions (with the corrections noted here) are really all you need to make it. But if you are new to crochet and want some help, or want some personalized instruction, and are on O'ahu, click the YarnStory link above to call for details on the class.

My sweater differs from Elaine's in that I crocheted a "ribbed" bottom edge using front and back post double crochet stitches (same as the cuffs which are explained in the videos). I also incorporated button holes and sewed on buttons for the front closure (not shown in the photo).

The great thing about this sweater is that you can change the sleeve cuffs, bottom edge, collar, and front edges to suit your own tastes. If you decide to make it, please include a link in the comments below to show it off.

The sweater pattern is finished, finally! I haven't tested it, so if you have problems with it, I'd appreciate your leaving comments either here or at my blog where it's published. Just follow the link to the Free Crochet patterns page and scroll down. Enjoy!