free pattern | lockdown blanket

I’m just not able to concentrate on much at the moment. Are you? Between home schooling Betsy, dealing with us all being all together in the house, finding good stuff for us to do/watch/bake/eat/play and walking the dog (she does not know what is going on!), there doesn’t seem to be much time left or brain space left to do anything else.

We are at the end of week 2 of the current coronavirus lockdown and all of my current projects and designs seem like too much bother, too much thinking, too much boring. I wanted something easy and mindless to pass the time and it had to be colourful, really bright and colourful to cheer me up and help me keep a bit of happiness in my heart.

I have always loved Amy’s scrappy hexagon blanket, she is @noblecharactercrafts on instagram and she also has a great podcast, and so I was inspired by her to start making little scrappy hexis. The pattern I am using is a modified vintage hexagon pattern, if you want to find the original, it is the Golden Hands hexagon motif floor rug, straight out of 1972 and just bloody marvellous, right?

The pattern will work with any weight yarn, I am using fingering weight scraps and a 3.75mm hook but you could use DK or aran weight yarn and just adjust your hook size accordingly.

The pattern is given below in UK and US terminology with details on how I am joining them together as I go. It wasn’t easy to explain the way I’m joining so apologies if it reads as confusing, I will try and get a video tutorial sorted when I get a free moment which in all fairness is probably never, so alternatively you can just sew or crochet join each motif together, no problem at all.

Each motif uses three colours, colour A for the centre round 1, colour B for round 2 and colour C for rounds 3 and 4. I am trying to keep it as bright and cheery as possible and using Betsy for colour picking (her new favourite job), but you can use any colours you prefer or even just use a colour palette if you prefer that kind of thing. You could also use four colours or work rounds 1 and 2 in the same colour (see below picture when I tried that) instead of rounds 3 and 4.

It really should just feel easy and make you happy.

I am planning on adding a few motifs every day that we are in lockdown and/or Betsy is off school. I am hoping that this will serve as a reminder of this unprecedented time when the world stood still, people went out of their way to help others, and Mother Earth was able to breathe again.

// PATTERN STARTS // UK TERMINOLOGY

Using your colour A and a 3.75mm hook, chain (ch) 4 and join with a slip stitch (ss) to form a loop.

Round 1. ch3, 11tr into the loop, join with a ss to top of beg. ch3 and break off yarn. (12tr)

Round 2. join colour B into same place, ch3 and work 1tr in the same place, *2tr in back loop only in all sts, join with a ss to top of beg. ch3 and break off yarn. (24tr)

Round 3. join colour C into any tr, ch4 and work 1tr in same st, *1tr in next 3tr, (1tr, ch2, 1tr) in next tr, repeat from * around and join with a ss to third of beg. ch4. (6 edges, 6 ‘corners’ created).

Round 4. ss into the ch sp and ch4, 2tr into that space, *1tr in next 5tr (2tr, ch1, 2tr) into next sp, repeat from * around ending with 1tr in beg. space, join with a ss to third of beg. ch4 and break off yarn.

If you are joining as you go, all subsequent hexi motifs will be joined on Round 4 so substitute as follows:

Joining Round 4. ss into the ch sp and ch4, 2tr into that space, *1tr in next 5tr, 2tr into next sp, ch1, ss through corresponding st on the hexi you are joining to (this will be the second tr of the ‘corner’ group) and work 1tr into the same ch space of your current hexi, ss through the next st on the hexi you are joining to and work 1tr into the same ch space of your current hexi, repeat from * around joining with a ss to the next hexi/s as needed, ending with 1tr in beginning space, join with a ss to third of beg. ch4 and break off yarn.

// PATTERN ENDS //

/ PATTERN STARTS // US TERMINOLOGY

Using your colour A and a 3.75mm hook, chain (ch) 4 and join with a slip stitch (ss) to form a loop.

Round 1. ch3, 11dc into the loop, join with a ss to top of beg. ch3 and break off yarn. (12dc)

Round 2. join colour B into same place ,ch3 and work 1dc in the same place, *2dc in back loop only in all sts, join with a ss to top of beg. ch3 and break off yarn. (24dc)

Round 3. join colour C into any dc, ch4 and work 1dc in same st, *1dc in next 3dc, (1dc, ch2, 1dc) in next dc, repeat from * around and join with a ss to third of beg. ch4. (6 edges, 6 ‘corners’ created).

Round 4. ss into the ch sp and ch4, 2dc into same space, *1dc in next 5dc (2dc, ch1, 2dc) into next sp, repeat from * around ending with 1dc in beg. space, join with a ss to third of beg. ch4 and break off yarn.

All subsequent hexi motifs will be joined as you go so substitute Round 4 as follows:

Joining Round 4. ss into the ch sp and ch4, 2dc into that space, *1dc in next 5dc, 2dc into next sp, ch1, ss through corresponding st on the hexi you are joining to (this will be the second dc of the ‘corner’ group) and work 1dc into the same ch space on your current hexi, ss through the next st on the hexi you are joining to and work 1dc into the same ch space on your current hexi, repeat from * around joining with a ss to the next hexi/s as needed, ending with 1dc in beginning space, join with a ss to third of beg. ch4 and break off yarn.

// PATTERN ENDS //

I hope you enjoy the pattern and it helps to pass the time until we return to some kind of normality.

I want to take this opportunity to say how grateful I am for all the key workers and NHS staff who are out there putting themselves at risk and doing a marvellous job for us all at this time, it really has shown who the important people in this country (in this world) are and I am forever grateful to them all. Also sending healing love and warm wishes to all those who are directly affected by this virus, we are thinking of you.

Happy crocheting, yo!