'Stained Glass Window' - in Yarn!

A few days ago I uploaded this picture to a crochet-themed page on a social media site. I didn't realise just how popular this would prove to be - up to the time of creating this blog post it's had 5,969 'likes', 1,049 'shares' and 287 'comments' - the latter often being "where can I get this pattern?" !

Well, this 'Stained Glass' crochet blanket was just something I'd cobbled together after coming across the concept of hexagonal crochet pieces (or I suppose with a stretch of the imagination you could refer to them as 'six-sided' Granny squares!) so there wasn't a pattern I could pass on or link to. I know there MUST be lots of similar patterns out there .....but here's how I did it:


First, I'm using English crochet terms - so anyone reading this from across the 'pond' will need to convert the instructions, but they are very easy anyway:

US	UK
chain(ch)	chain(ch)
single crochet (sc)	double crochet (dc)
double crochet (dc)	treble (tr)
half double crochet (hdc)	half treble (htr)
triple crochet (trc)	double treble (dtr)
slip stitch (sl st)	slip stitch (sl st)

Using a 5mm crochet hook (US H/8) and DK yarn (US worsted) make 4 chain and draw into a loop with a slipstitch.  1st round: Work 3ch, followed by 11 tr into the ring and join with a slip stitch to the top of the 3ch at the start of the round:

2nd round: Join in a new colour, work 3ch then (2tr, 1 ch, 2tr) in between alternate trs on previous row, thus:

Continue until you have 6 groups of (2tr, 1 ch, 2tr) and join with a slip stitch into 3ch at start of the round:

You can see the hexagon sides and it's six angled 'corners'. 3rd round: Join in another new colour, work 3ch then 1 tr into the gap between treble cluster on previous round; then work (2tr, 1 ch, 2tr) into the 'corner'. Repeat this all around the edge of the hexagon (2tr on straight edges and the 2tr/1ch/2tr at 'corner' angles) and slip stitch to join the 3ch at start of the round:

Subsequent rounds: as before, use 2tr into each gap of previous round on the straight sides and 2tr/1ch/2tr at the 'corner' angles

You can use as many rounds as you like, to make the hexagon whatever size you want.

For the final round, I worked 1tr into each gap on the previous round on the straight edges and then at the 'corner' angles I used 1tr/1ch/1tr :

This gives a neat edge for joining the hexagons together. (I crocheted mine together, which gave a raised and textured edge, or you could piece them together by sewing)

You could do the hexagons in whatever colour pattern you choose (or solid blocks of one colour) but to get the 'stained glass window effect, I always started with white and then several shades of one colour working light to dark and finishing in black. Here's one in several shades of green:

I hope that explains things - really, you can let your imagination run riot with the colour combinations.

Let me know how you get on!