Plum Cottage Hexagon Crochet Baby Blanket Free Pattern

Plum Cottage Hexagon Crochet Baby Blanket

Introduction

If you have never held a crochet hook before, this is the perfect first blanket for you. The Plum Cottage Hexagon Baby Blanket is made from just six chunky hexagon motifs, so you get a big, satisfying project without learning dozens of new skills. It is worked in super bulky yarn on a large 10 mm hook, which means the stitches are big, easy to see, and grow quickly under your fingers. When it is finished, you will have a small, flat blanket about 27 x 18 inches, soft and squishy, with a vintage 1970s look in alternating deep plum and dusty mauve. The chunky double crochet texture and gently pointed hexagon edges make it look far more complicated than it really is.

Materials Needed

• Yarn: Super bulky (weight 6) acrylic yarn, approx. 4–11 stitches per 4 in (10 cm). Total needed: about 340 yd (310 m) — 3 balls plum (approx. 170 yd) and 3 balls mauve (approx. 170 yd).
• Crochet hook: 10 mm (US size N/15), or whatever size you need to match the gauge below.
• Stitch markers: At least 6, to mark the corners of each hexagon.
• Tapestry needle: A large blunt needle with an eye big enough for chunky yarn, for weaving in ends.
• Scissors: Any sharp pair for cutting yarn.
• Optional: A spray bottle of water and a towel or blocking mat for blocking.
• Finished size: Approx. 27 in wide x 18 in tall (69 x 46 cm), made of 6 hexagons arranged 3 across x 2 down.

Abbreviations and Beginner Glossary

• ch – chain. Wrap the yarn over your hook and pull it through the loop already on your hook. This makes one chain stitch.
• sl st – slip stitch. Insert your hook into the stitch, wrap yarn over, and pull it through both the stitch and the loop on your hook at the same time. It makes a tiny, nearly invisible joining stitch.
• sc – single crochet. Insert hook into stitch, wrap yarn over, pull up a loop (2 loops on hook), wrap yarn over again, pull through both loops. One loop remains.
• dc – double crochet. Wrap yarn over hook, insert hook into stitch, wrap yarn over, pull up a loop (3 loops on hook), wrap yarn over, pull through 2 loops, wrap yarn over, pull through last 2 loops. One loop remains.
• st(s) – stitch(es). One completed loop or unit of crochet.
• sp – space. The little gap made by a chain (for example, a “ch-1 sp” is the hole under one chain stitch).
• beg – beginning. Used in “beg ch-3,” the chain you make at the start of a round.
• rep – repeat. Do the instruction again the number of times stated.
• magic ring – an adjustable loop of yarn you crochet into, then pull tight so the center closes with no hole.
• join with sl st – finish a round by making a slip stitch into the top of the first stitch of that round, closing the circle.
• fasten off – cut the yarn a few inches from your work and pull the tail all the way through the last loop to lock it.
• right sides facing – the pretty, public side of two pieces touching each other.

Gauge

One hexagon motif measures approx. 9 in (23 cm) across flat-to-flat after joining. The single crochet border gauge is approx. 7 sc and 8 rounds = 4 in (10 cm).

Why gauge matters: Gauge is how big your stitches come out. If your stitches are bigger than the pattern's, your blanket will be larger than 27 x 18 inches and you may run short of yarn. If they are smaller, the blanket will shrink and the hexagons may not line up. To check, crochet one complete hexagon exactly as written, then lay it flat and measure straight across from one flat side to the opposite flat side. If it measures about 9 inches, you are spot on. If it is much bigger, try a smaller hook; if much smaller, try a larger hook. Always make the swatch before starting the real blanket.

Beginner Tips Before You Start

• Use stitch markers in every corner. Place a marker in each ch-1 corner space as you make it. When you come back around, you will always know exactly where the next corner goes.
• Do not pull your yarn too tight. Chunky yarn needs a little slack. Keep your loops relaxed so the hexagon stays flat instead of curling into a bowl.
• Count after every round. Each round has a stitch count in parentheses. Stop and count before moving on — fixing one round is easy, fixing five is not.
• Make all six motifs before joining. This lets you block them flat and arrange the colors before anything is sewn together.
• Keep your joining loose. When you slip stitch the motifs together, do not tug. Loose joining is what keeps the blanket flat.
• Leave long tails. A 10 in (25 cm) tail on each motif gives you plenty of yarn to join and weave in later.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Color Plan

Work 3 motifs in plum and 3 motifs in mauve. Arrange them in an alternating checkerboard: Row 1 (top) = plum, mauve, plum; Row 2 (bottom) = mauve, plum, mauve.

Hexagon Motif (make 6: 3 plum, 3 mauve)

With your chosen color, make a magic ring.

Round 1: Ch 3 (counts as first dc), work 11 dc into the ring, join with sl st to top of beg ch-3. (12 dc)

Round 2: Ch 3 (counts as first dc), dc in same st, [ch 1, 2 dc in next st, skip next st] rep around, ch 1, join with sl st to top of beg ch-3. (6 ch-1 corner spaces, 12 dc)

Round 3: Sl st into next dc and into first ch-1 sp. Ch 3 (counts as first dc), (dc, ch 1, 2 dc) in same ch-1 sp, [ch 1, (2 dc, ch 1, 2 dc) in next ch-1 sp] rep around, ch 1, join with sl st to top of beg ch-3. (6 corners of 2 dc each side of a ch-1, 24 dc)

Round 4: Sl st into next dc and into first ch-1 corner sp. Ch 3 (counts as first dc), (dc, ch 1, 2 dc) in same corner sp, [ch 1, 2 dc in next ch-1 sp, ch 1, (2 dc, ch 1, 2 dc) in next corner sp] rep around, ch 1, 2 dc in last ch-1 sp, ch 1, join with sl st to top of beg ch-3. (6 corners, 6 side spaces, 48 dc)

Fasten off, leaving a 10 in (25 cm) tail for joining. Weave in the starting tail only.

Repeat this motif 5 more times, for 6 motifs total (3 plum, 3 mauve).

Blocking the Motifs

Lightly mist each hexagon with water and pin it flat to a towel, matching all six sides so it lies perfectly flat. Let them dry completely — this makes the motifs join evenly.

Joining

Lay out the 6 motifs in the checkerboard arrangement above. Using the matching yarn color and your 10 mm hook, join motifs with slip stitch through both loops of matching stitches along each shared edge: work 1 sl st in each dc and 1 sl st in each ch-1 sp along the edge, keeping tension loose so the blanket stays flat.

Step 1: Join the 3 motifs of Row 1 together along their shared edges.

Step 2: Join the 3 motifs of Row 2 together the same way.

Step 3: Join Row 1 to Row 2 along the long shared edge.

Fasten off and weave in ends.

Border (single crochet, worked in mauve)

Round 1: With mauve, join yarn with sl st at any corner of the joined blanket. Ch 1, work sc evenly around the entire outer edge — 1 sc in each dc and 1 sc in each ch-1 sp along the hexagon edges, and 3 sc in each outer corner point to keep corners flat. Join with sl st to first sc.

Round 2: Ch 1, sc in each sc around, working 3 sc in each corner sc. Join with sl st to first sc.

Round 3: Ch 1, sc in each sc around, working 3 sc in each corner sc. Join with sl st to first sc. Fasten off.

Assembly and Finishing

Weaving in ends: Thread each yarn tail onto your tapestry needle. Turn the blanket to the wrong side and weave the tail in and out through the backs of several stitches, changing direction once or twice so it cannot work loose. Trim the yarn close to the fabric.

Blocking the finished blanket: Lightly steam-block the blanket, pinning the border flat and gently squaring the corners. This settles the hexagon points and evens the blanket out to approx. 27 x 18 in (69 x 46 cm). Let it dry completely before using or gifting.

Pro Tips and Variations

• Change the colors: Swap plum and mauve for any two colors you love, or use a single color for a calm, modern look. A soft cream and sage green would give a fresh nursery feel.
• Make it bigger: Add more hexagons in the same 3-across pattern. Each extra row of motifs adds about 9 in (23 cm) to the height; each extra column adds about 9 in (23 cm) to the width. Remember to buy extra yarn.
• Substitute yarn: Any super bulky (weight 6) yarn will work, but always crochet a test hexagon first, because different brands can change the finished size.
• Add a contrast border: Work the three border rounds in a third color, such as a soft cream, to frame the plum and mauve hexagons and make the pattern pop.