Hexagon blanket planning

Part One – on the computer

The first way was plan out exactly what it would look like since I wanted it to be apparently random and yet harmonious.

I found a picture of a pattern for a hexagon patchwork quilt that seemed to have 11 different sorts of hexagon and I used this to set up a ‘random’ arrangement of hexagons in Corel Draw my favourite graphics drawing program.

I then tweaked the colours till I had a combination I liked and tweaked the size till that was right and adjusted the placement of colours a little to make almost equal numbers.

I was delighted to find that I had 220 hexagons. (2 x 110). Since 11 colours combined with themselves with both colours different gives 110 different circles.

Then I discovered an easy way of recreating the whole of a hexagon in all the colours in Corel Draw and set about planning a way to chose and arrange the circles for each row to create that apparently random, yet harmonious and unique result.

Part Two – getting into practice

As I started the above I began to make a few hexagons with the yarn I had available as practice, so that when I started in earnest I would have overcome any difficulties.

As these mounted up I decided that it would be good to make something with them and I thought of my eldest daughter who also loves hexagons.

After I bit of thought I found a way to arrange them so I could make a shopping bag with only two triangular holes that I would need to fill in.

I knew that they might not be strong enough in themselves so I went to John Lewis to see if I could find the materials to make a lining and handles. Then I had a stroke of luck. John Lewis was selling cloth shopping bags that could be adapted to my use for just £1. I bought one for me too.

Cotton bag — My bag and the gusset I removed

I simply removed the gusset cut it to the necessary shape and seamed it round with the sewing machine. I then made some more hexagons till I had enough, practised the edging I had planned for the blanket round the top and covered the handles with trebles.

And lo a shopping bag.