Friday, October 8, 2010

HONEYCOMB WAVES BLANKET: FREE PATTERN!


After months of working on this, it is finally ready to publish! Enjoy.

MATERIALS:
• US 9 (5.5 mm) Needle (I used a 36” circular)
• 7 balls Noro Taiyo (220 yds/ 201.2 m each) or other bulky weight self-striping yarn in an assortment of colors that you like. I used 1 ball of each of the following colors: 5, 6, 11, 14, 15, 17, & 18.
• Tapestry needle & scissors

GAUGE: While gauge is not particularly important for this project, inquiring minds often want to know! My gauge was 3.5 sts per inch in stockinette stitch.

ABBREVIATIONS:
CO: Cast on
BO: Bind off
K: Knit
P: Purl
Sl: Slip stitch

FINISHED MEASUREMENTS:
50” (L) x 45” (W)
Note: This will vary depending on your gauge, desired length, and weight of yarn used.

NOTES:
1)Please read the entire pattern before beginning. The pattern is easily memorized once you get started, but it really helps to take a close look at the pattern notes first.
2)This pattern is comprised of three knitted strips that are later sewn together. If you prefer, you can forgo sewing strips altogether by casting enough sts to create the desired blanket width. However, the contrasting color changes may not be as dramatic unless you can find a yarn with particularly long color changes. As can be seen in my pictures, the Taiyo yarn resulted in a color change approximately every honeycomb repeat (i.e., about every 15-20 rows).
3)The honeycomb pattern is created with multiples of 12 + 3. Each strip has 4 pattern repeats, resulting in (48 + 3) = 51 sts. Out of personal preference and to make sewing up easier, I added an extra 2 sts for selvedge edge sts, resulting in a total of 53 sts for CO.
4)I slipped the first stitch of each row (i.e., the selvedge sts) to create a nice even edge for sewing.
5)See chart below for additional pattern guidance.


HONEYCOMB WAVES PATTERN:

Using Main Color (MC), CO 53.
Row 1: P.
Row 2: K.
Repeat Rows 1 and 2 once.
Row 5: With CC, *K6. With yarn in back, Sl 3. K3*. Repeat ** 3 more times. K3.
Row 6: *P6. With yarn held in front, Sl 3. P3.* Repeat ** 3 more times. P3.
Repeat Rows 5 & 6 two more times.
Row 11: With MC, *K6, P3, K3*. Repeat ** 3 more times. K3.
Row 12: K.
Row 13: P.
Row 14: K.
Row 15: With CC, *With yarn in back, Sl 3, K9*. Repeat ** 3 times. Sl 3.
Row 16: *With yarn in front, Sl 3, P9*. Repeat ** 3 times. Sl 3.
Repeat Rows 15 & 16 two more times.
Row 21 (corrected!): With MC, *P3, K9*. Repeat ** 3 more times. P3.
Row 22: K.
Row 23: P.
Row 24: K.

Repeat Rows 5-24 until desired length is achieved.
BO on right side in purl.
Knit two more strips.
Sew strips together.
If desired, pick up sts along outer selvedge edges and knit 4 rows of reverse stockinette st to match CO and BO rows. This will create a nice edge all around the entire blanket. (I did not do this on my blanket, but it probably would have been nice touch!)

Honeycomb Stitch Pattern Notes:
1)Chart below shows pattern from the RIGHT side. For example, the first 4 rows below show Purl sts. This is to indicate that there should be 4 rows of reverse stockinette stitch showing on the right side.
2)As noted above, the first and last sts in each row are selvedge sts and are NOT shown in the chart below nor in the instructions above. This is because some knitters like to include selvedge sts whereas others prefer not to.
3)The shaded boxes represent the Main Color (MC) yarn, whereas the light colored boxes represent the Contrasting Color (CC).
4)The outlined box below indicates one complete pattern repeat.



A reader requested a picture of the back of the blanket, so here you go! Hopefully, this will help with knowing how to carry the yarn when slipping sts.

43 comments:

  1. Very cute. I may have this as a very 'long lasting' project. Reminds me of a lengthened Circles Cloth--dishcloth on Ravelry that I've made a number of times.

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    1. Great in light worsted weight with the centers in leftover doubled sock yarn.

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  2. I'm Smidgentigre on Ravlery...just FYI :)

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  3. Which way are the stitches slipped? Knit-wise on knit rows and purl-wise on purl rows?

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  4. The stitches are always slipped purlwise on WS and RS rows. The only difference is that on the WS rows, the yarn is held in front, whereas on the RS rows the yarn is held in back. This way, the long strand of yarn is always on the WS and the purled sts that are being slipped are always showing on the RS. Hope this helps!

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  5. Thank you, that helps a lot. One more question, when working with two different colors of yarn, do you just carry the one you're not working with up the side? Is there a trick to making the alternating of two different yarns look "neater"? Sorry for the Q's, I'm still a bit new to knitting but would really like to make this blanket.

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  6. This pattern was selected as today's Free Knitting Pattern of the Day over at The Daily Knitter. It's also posted in our Free Knitting Patterns listings under Afghans. The texture and coloring on this blanket is just gorgeous. Happy Knitting!

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  7. According to your pattern notes, the shaded boxes represent the Main Color (MC) yarn, whereas the light colored boxes represent the Contrasting Color (CC. If that is the case, shouldn't rows 21-25 be shaded on the chart? Just checking...:)

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  8. Perhaps it doesn't show up clearly, but rows 21-24 are shaded in the chart. :-)
    The slipped sts are also not shown in the shaded color, but of course, those sts would be in that same MC (since you are slipping them from the previous rows).

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  9. Hi Shannon,
    Sorry I didn't respond to your post earlier, but I did just carry the unused colors up the side. The edges aren't particularly neat (although the selvedge edge does make it a bit nicer). But, those edges will be sewn together and won't show. Also, once the blanket is completed, if you don't like the side edges left as is, you can always pick up sts evenly along the sides and work 4 rows of reverse stockinette to match the CO and BO edges of the blanket.

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  10. Love this pattern. Thank you so much for posting it. I just started it today and it is amazing. Looks great with just a few pattern repeats done and the changes of color in the yarn keep it really fun. The only thing I did find was that row 21 should read *P3, K9* instead of what it reads. Hope that helps out others that may be getting ready to knit this!

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  11. Hi drcubed,
    I'm so glad you like the pattern! Can't wait to see how yours turns out.

    Re: Row 21, I think it is correct as written. Since the repeat goes *K6, P3, K3*, this in effect ends up having 3 purl sts followed by 9 knit sts. It's just that for this set of rows, you want 6 knit sts at the very beginning and end of the rows. So, the row starts with K6, P3, K3, K6 (for a total of 9 K sts), P3, K3, K6 (again, total K9), until the end of the row, which ends with K3 (from the final pattern repeat) and then the last K3 (to end the row with 6 K sts as in the beginning). Hope this helps!

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  12. The *K6, P3, K3* is what I am doing on row 11 when row 10 was *P6, Sl 3, P3*. So when row 20 is *Sl 3, P9* then for row 21 I am doing *P3, K9*. Does that make more since now? One of them is for 4 honeycombs across and the other is for when there are 3 in the middle and half of one at each edge.

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  13. Yes, I get it now and you are totally correct! Thanks for catching that! Once you start actually knitting, the pattern is pretty obvious, but somehow I messed it up in the cutting and pasting! It should be P3, K9 for that row. I will correct it in the pattern notes. Thanks again!

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  14. Is this knitted in the round or on normal needles? Also, is the honeycomb stitch pattern the same as the honeycomb waves? (I'm a beginner knitter.)

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  15. What is main color and contrasting color? Is this pattern possible by using only one color or do I need 2?

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  16. This is knitted flat, although some knitters may find it easier to use circular needles (instead of straight ones) since there are a fair number of sts to hold.

    The honeycomb stitch pattern is the chart for the waves pattern. You can follow just the written pattern directions, but some knitters prefer to see the chart, since it helps them visualize what the pattern will look like.

    Finally, to get the best effect in this pattern, it is advisable to use two different color yarns. That way you get the contrasting effect as shown in the pictures, as the colors change independently of each other. You can use two different solid colors, or you could use two different self-striping yarns from different colorways (as I did).

    Hope this helps!

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  17. Do you recommend using a thicker needle (size 8) to cast on, and then switching to thinner circular needles (size 6) to make the blanket not as tight? Because sometimes when I knit, I sometimes find it very hard to put the right needle through the loop cause the stitch is too tight.

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  18. Also, going by the picture above "HONEYCOMB WAVES PATTERN" which color (main or contrasting) makes the purl stitches and which makes the frame for the hexagon shapes (the knit stitches)?

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  19. Hi, is this technique similar to brioche? I would love to see the back of this piece! Thanks, twfancy

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  20. Hi twfancy, This isn't really like brioche, but I don't have my camera this weekend to take a picture of the back to show you. As soon as I get it back, I'll try to get a pic for you! That's a good idea anyway, since people probably want to know what the back of the blanket would look like. And, unline brioche, where the back looks pretty similar to the front, there is definitely a "wrong" side to this blanket.

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  21. Ok talk to me about color choices. How did you get your MC and cC look so nice? Is there a trick when picking out the balls of yarn?

    Thanks

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  22. No "scientific" tricks! I just held the balls of yarn together and tried to use colors that looked nice together. The only fussing I did happened if the MC and CC happened to start to converge on the same color at the same time. Since that would ruin the effect, I would usually cut one of the yarns and unwind enough yarn from that ball until a different color appeared, then continued knitting from there. Hope that makes sense!

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  23. Thanks so much. I'm going to start today :)

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  24. hi i am just starting my afghan tonight...my yarn came in the mail today! ilove this pattern and i am making it for my husband for our 40th anniversary...i need to know do i carry both yarns in the back?i am a little confused on rows15 and 16 with the first 3 stitches... also could i use an i cord all around the blanket afterwards to finish? thanks,deb

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  25. The color that isn't being used just gets carried along the side. You don't actually have to carry both colors throughout, because the contrast is made by the slipped stitches, rather than carrying both yarns and switching colors in the middle of a row. And, I agree Rows 15 and 16 are a bit confusing the first time. Because the slipped sts are right at the edge, you have to hold the working yarn to the back and slip the 3 CC sts. You'll want to be sure to *very* loosely carry that yarn the back because otherwise your edge will pucker. This is why I actually have a selvedge edge on my blanket, so I could have an initial st that is worked regularly before I had to sl the next 3. But, not everyone likes selvedge sts...so that's a personal preference!

    RE: the i-cord edge, I think that would look very cool! I can't wait to see your blanket - will you post it on Ravelry?? And, what a great anniversary present!

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  26. Been knitting 50+ years and I am confused about rows 5 and 6...when you keep yarn in back (or front) and slip sts, the yarn held over the slipped stitches is now like a long loose stitch...in front on the row 6 and in back on row 5....I am not stating this well, but when I look at your blanket I don't see any of these long stitches in front or back of 3 slipped sts. What am I doing wrong...I love this pattern and really want to get it right. You never did post a pic of the wrong side....thanks.

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  27. Hi there, thanks for reminder to post the pic of the back of the work. It is now at the bottom of the post. Hopefully, this will help! Basically, you hold the yarn to the back or front (depending on whether you are working a RS or WS row) with the goal of always having the carried yarn showing on the WS of the work.

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  28. I made this honeycomb afghan in tan (MC) variegated orange, cream and green (CC) when I was about 10 years old. Recently, I brought it along to my yarn shop, and many people have inquired about the pattern, which is long gone. So, thanks! Now I have the pattern to share, as you have done... Happy Knitting Memories.

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  29. I may have missed it.....but didn't see how to order the yarn.

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  30. How beautiful! I wish I had the skills to knit that!

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  31. Gorgeous. I just posted a photo on Facebook of my interpretation of your wonderful pattern. All for charity. Thank you. Ledy from Australia

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  32. anonymous said...
    I'm pretty inexperienced but I love to knit. This might be a stupid question, but for the leftover stitches on each row do you make some kind of border or do you leave the stitches or am I just blind? I really like this pattern, so please help.....thanks. :)

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  33. Sorry for the delay in getting back to you, but the edge stitches can either be left as is, or you can pick up those stitches at the end and then make a border. In my blanket, I just left them as is, but I have seen others on Ravelry that made a nice reverse stockinette the border.. Hope this helps!

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  34. I would love to knit this up for my sister-in-law's wedding, but I'm far too poor for the Noro (which is sad because it's so gorgeous).

    I'm also new to finding yarns to substitute. Do you have any ideas about where I can find a similar striping yarn in the same weight?

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    1. Hi Jillian,
      I have seen beautiful versions made out of Bernat Mosaic. If you live in the UK, knitters there have also used Patons UK Colour Work Aran. Both end up looking almost identical to the Noro at a fraction of the cost!
      Hope this helps!

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  35. Love this pattern! If you wanted to use a solid color for the honeycomb (maybe black, like stained glass), how many skeins would you need. Do you think that is do-able?

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  36. Hi Leesa,
    I've seen people make the stained glass version, and it looks very cool. Since the contrasting color is a little less than half of the yarn, I'd say purchase accordingly. So, if you purchased 8 skeins total, approximately 5 would be the main color and 3 would be the black. It's hard to say for sure though because if you decided to make a border in the black, then you'd probably ending up needing 4-5 skeins of the black.
    Hope this helps!

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  37. Thank you for sharing this wonderful pattern! I love it, and it will be my initial foray into blankets and other large pieces. Related to the previous question and the picture of this blanket knit in blues and a pale yellow: i'm guessing each color was a single-color yarn, and you picked up the appropriate color in the given panel you were working on? Also, the pattern looks straight forward, but i'm not really clear about how one "carries" a color along without it showing up in the knitted piece. I'm sure it's something very simple... Again, thanks for sharing this great project!

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  38. I have just started this pattern and instead of doing three panels and sewing them together I cast on 195 sts and went straight across with the pattern. It seems to be working out fine - when finished I will do the reverse stockinette on both sides, great way to use up your stash

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  39. I hope you're still following this block! How do I secure the first slip stiches on Rows 15-16-17-18-19-20? I've tried several times and the following stiches end up hanging detached from the side(s) leaving a gap. I've purchased the Noro and I'm ready to go>>>
    Thanks for sharing this beautiful pattern!!

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  40. I cannot tell you how many of these I have made in one piece. In other words, I don't make the columns, but just one large afghan. In the centers, I have doubled multi-colored sock yarns. Great effect. Thanks for the pattern.

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  41. I have made several of these as afghans. I have one on my bed just because it is so beautiful. Whenever I post one of them, get requests for the pattern.

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