Friday, February 25, 2011

The Hex Tote Video Crochet-A-Long - Episode 2



Episode 2 - How to crochet row 4 of a hex motif and how to join as you go.

Here's the chart for Row 4.  You definitely need to watch the video if you aren't familiar with joining as you go.

This is the tricky part - making a 3-D object assembly chart.  Here is the clean chart so if someone has questions, I can direct them to a numbered hex.

Black numbers are full hexes.  Red numbers are half-hexes.  Half-hexes will be covered in a later episode.

You don't have to attach your hexes in this order.  Connect them up however you'd like.  I do suggest that you lay your hexes on the floor and arrange them before you start assembling your tote.

Be sure to move one edge's hexes to the other edge before you settle on the final placement (meaning, move 24, 25, & 26 over to the left edge -- and 7 & 14 to the other side's bottom edge) to make sure there are no color conflicts.

Or, you can just put them in a pile and connect them one at a time by pulling the next one out.  It 's a granny hex tote, not brain surgery.  You don't have to over-think it. :)

Here is the ridiculously overly-noted chart. :)

Red lines are the side and bottom folds.  

The colored painted lines are where hexes match up.  The colors don't mean anything in particular.  I used different colors so you could see what matches up where: pink to pink - blue to blue - green to green - and gold to gold.

The blue stars under Hex 3 and Hex 17 are where the bottom corners are.  I will cover this in the next episode, but for those of you that want to attempt this ...

Hex 3 and Hex 17 are folded in half and the bottom edge is not attached to anything when you crochet Row 4 (as you can see since there is no colored painted line along the bottom edge).

I had trouble attaching the corner hexes, so don't feel bad if you have to wait for the video to get it.  It's tricky.
29 Comments (comments are disabled)


Wendy TC said ...
Hurray! I've been waiting for this next step, as I got my hexies crocheted for a few days now. I can connect them as I wait out this miserable rain. I need to go out and buy more colors for another tote....these are addicting!
2/25/2011 9:00 AM

futuregirl replied ...
Wendy TC ... Yay! Glad you're enjoying yourself. :)
2/28/2011 12:22 AM

Seanna Lea said ...
What do you use for markers? I have done some crochet (mostly mediocre) and I find the hardest thing about crochet is doing rounds and making sure I am starting the new round in the correct space.
2/25/2011 9:14 AM

futuregirl replied ...
Seanna Lea ... I use paperclips: http://www.futuregirl.com/craft_blog/2006/9/paper-clip-stitch-markers.aspx They work great and are easy to put in and take out one-handed.
2/25/2011 10:56 AM

Olubunmi said ...
I have to tell you, that I haven't tried a hexagon motif. I am going to follow these instructions and see what I can create using the Hexagons. (My junior high school teacher would be very proud that I am using hexagons.) I like making hats, and I would love to try a hexagon hat. The challenge would be to connect the hexagons in such a way, that as you are closing the hat it will not look bunched up. It might take simple math. This will be one of the works to do list. Thank you for posting this.

FYI (I can see myself making this for a FABULOUS bag!)
2/25/2011 10:21 AM

futuregirl replied ...
Olubunmi ... Can't wait to see what you come up with!
2/25/2011 10:58 AM

Love the combination of charts, drawings, written instructions and video that you've shared here. Everyone learns in different ways so I think that's great for people!
2/25/2011 10:30 AM

futuregirl replied ...
CrochetBlogger ... Thanks! Part of it is a little preemptive on my part. The more info I provide the less questions I have to answer one-on-one. ;)
2/25/2011 10:59 AM

Martha Winger said ...
Thank you for the video! It makes everything so much easier to understand! I just couldn't visualize by reading about it.
2/25/2011 11:19 AM

futuregirl replied ...
Martha Winger ... Definitely. Some things are easier to demonstrate than explain. :)
2/27/2011 9:42 PM

naama said ...
great tutorial! thank you for the video and chart, that combination is very helpful. i'm going to try this with plastic bags yarn (plarn).
2/25/2011 12:06 PM

futuregirl replied ...
naama ... Sounds cool!
2/28/2011 12:22 AM

cara said ...
I was curious about the join-as-you-go technique, but I really liked the way you started the rounds and finished them off with a knot. Niftacular! Hadn't seen this before.
(...I don't usually watch videos online because mah intarwebber struggles with it so very much, so this is the first video of yours I've really watched!).
2/27/2011 9:07 AM

futuregirl replied ...
cara ... Double-awesome (knots and videos)!
2/27/2011 9:41 PM

Tina from Omaha said ...
I am really enjoying making this bag! You're instructions are super easy to follow. Thanks!
2/27/2011 12:17 PM

futuregirl replied ...
Tina from Omaha ... Glad they are helping you!
2/27/2011 9:40 PM

Jennifer Rose said ...
this is great :D i might have to give up with the wave blanket and do this instead :D
2/27/2011 5:57 PM

Michelle said ...
You are so awesome, I keep expecting you to announce your new book deal. Any day now, right? Thank you so much for all the work and effort you put into these tutorials!
2/28/2011 7:06 PM

futuregirl replied ...
Michelle ... I love doing tutorials! Seriously, I could do craft tutorials for a living, if it paid. ;) As for the book deal, you are a crack up. :)
3/1/2011 11:44 AM

retropink said ...
I went away for the weekend and came back to the best surprise. The next step in making the hex bag! I'm putting aside my other projects to do this. Can't wait!!
3/1/2011 10:00 AM

viola said ...
Yayyyy!! this is so great, I love how the motifs all fit together....and best of all no sewing!!!!
Thanks Alice I am so happy I have found you.
3/2/2011 6:16 AM

futuregirl replied ...
viola ... I'm happy you found me, too!
3/5/2011 12:26 AM

Janet said ...
You inspired me! But...instead of making a tote bag I'm more than half done with a hex afghan. If you have the time, I'd appreciate any ideas you might have about the best way to crochet around the finished afghan. I've never done that.
It's been fun...and I appreciate your teaching style. Your color choices in your hex tote were what originally grabbed my attention.
Thank you.
3/6/2011 9:18 PM

futuregirl replied ...
Janet ... Oh! I'd love to see your blanket when you finish. There are a bazillion choices you could make to edge your finished blanket ... anything from simple single crochet around to fancy edging stitches. Personally, I think some rows in different colors around the edges would be cool. Do some Google searches or check out books a the library or book store and see what catches your eye. :)
3/7/2011 11:18 PM

tori said ...
This! I did this! Well, I did the first three rows and then added the fourth row! I can hardly believe it. I have done a few knitting projects (well, more like started about 20 and only finished two or three...) I haven't done any crochet since I was 8 or 9. I made a baby blanket that was awfully wonky since my chain was always way too tight. I am just pleased as punch with my single little hex. :-D The only problem is that I just started with what I could find easily, so all four of the rows are done in a variegated punkish pink/white/grey/black cotton. I'm thinking I'll need to pull out the crazy colored acrylics that someone gave me.
4/20/2011 12:03 AM

futuregirl replied ...
tori ... Yay! The hexes sound like a perfect use of the crazy colored acrylics. :)
4/27/2011 3:35 PM

Babs said ...
Well my 26 hexes are finally done! I can't wait to start putting them together. Your videos are fabulous - really easy to understand. But, I'm wondering, after you lay out the hexes and decide on placement, how did you keep track of which hex goes where? I live in a small house and I have two kids, so there is no way I can leave them laid out. Any suggestions? Thanks again for this wonderful tutorial.
5/27/2011 11:28 PM

futuregirl replied ...
Babs ... Good question. :) You could take a picture of the layout for reference, draw a diagram with color notes, or tie little numbered tags to each of them that correspond with their placement in the assembly schematic.
5/28/2011 3:00 AM
 
Tillie said ...
My daughter is visiting from South Africa and we are making this beautiful tote as a project. She is a beginner and we are really enjoying
the journey! Thank you so much!
7/23/2013 5:28 AM