Attaching my hexipuffs

When I brought my latest batch of hexipuffs up to the attic, I realized that there were 100 in the bottom drawer of our cedar chest.  While that’s only a quarter of the quilt complete, it was already an intimidating pile. How would I ever find the patience to sit there and attach 400?

The puffs I’ve attached so far

I decided a gradual plan of attack was best, and started attaching the puffs 2 or 3 at a day, in a few stolen, wonderfully quiet moments in the attic.  I tried the quilt tie method recommended in the pattern, but it left major gaps that I thought would be an issue if you were actually sleeping and moving beneath it.  I think that something more substantial is required.

I did a little bit of research into alternative methods for attaching the puffs, and really liked the method demonstrated in this video:

After attaching the two hexipuffs at their corners, I used modified matress stitch, running the yarn under 2 bars of stitches along the edge on the pink one, then doing the same on the yellow

I used the corner method described, but adapted it slightly, using a modified mattress stitch along the sides of the hexipuffs.  After pulling the yarn through the corner, as shown in the video, I pulled the yarn under 2 bars of stitches (along the edge of the hexipuff, as you can see in the picture).  I then ran the yarn under 2 bars of stitches on the other hexipuff. After repeating 3 times, you should have reached the next corner.

Have you discovered any other/better ways of attaching your hexipuffs?

 

 

The yarn (bright yellow) pulled through the edge of the pink hexipuff

Hexipuff-date Part 3

My hexipuffs!

This week, I completed my sixtieth hexipuff (still a very long way from a finished bedspread for our guest room).  I love the controlled chaos of the colours, as I continue to add new balls of scrap (like the Sweet Georgia Tough Love Sock from my most recent socks, and some baby pink bamboo leftover from a long ago shower gift).  Generally speaking, controlled chaos is my favourite aesthetic; although that may just be a survival strategy for a middle school teacher/mother of a young child.

I’ve started to play with texture in my hexipuffs.  I was inspired by some of the gorgeous hexipuffs on Pinterest and raverly. Creative knitters have used texture, colour and even embellishment to make their individual hexipuffs special.  One of my favourites on raverly even put the recipient’s name on a baby blanket sized beekeeper’s quilt.

Some beautiful textures (from Pinterest)

Cannot believe how gorgeous this hexipuff is (from ravelry)

Glam up Your Hexipuff – Hollyhock is available as a free ravelry download

Adorable owl puff (spotted on Pinterest)

Some of my own experiements: owl hexipuff and the cable pattern from the Dean Street hat

The first experiments were with cables and gansey. I love this little pink one, which borrows its cable pattern from the Dean Street hat, and my tiny gray owl (shamelessly copied from a creative raveler). Hexipuffs are a great, low commitment place to play with texture that you’d like to practice, or are considering for another pattern.

Hexipuff in Dream in Color Smooshy with marriage lines

For example, this week, I’ve been charting out a pair of socks that I’d like to give my husband for our upcoming anniversary.  I read about marriage lines, which were a special texture in fisherman’s sweaters, made only for married men, by their wives.  I love the idea of reviving them on a pair of anniversary socks for my husband. So, I decided to use a hexipuff as an oppurtunity to play with the texture.  I made a blank hexipuff chart (below) and simply translated the pattern to a new canvas.  What are you doing with your hexipuffs?  Feel free to use the chart – I’d love to see what you come up with.

A blank hexipuff chart. Make of it what you will!

Hexipuff Update (or all the spectacular uses for hexi-puffs)

My hexipuffs

39 hexipuffs

I’m 10% of the way through my beekeeper’s quilt, and 100% addicted to these satisfying little puffs.  This week, I finished my 39th puff, which I see as something as of a milestone (384 puffs make a full size quilt).  So far, my goal is to complete a double bed size quilt in a random selection of colours. These hexipuffs were made out of eight different balls of scrap sock yarn (Studioloo Bootsie, Dream in Color Smooshy and Starry, ONline Supersocke, madelinetosh merino light, and Cascade 220 Superwash Sport). I’m hesitant to start attaching anything, since I’d like the colours and colourways to be evenly distributed in the quilt.  It is interesting to note that there are way more in progress quilts on ravelry: 3833 in progress compared to 741 finished quilts. I suspect that we’ll all be at this for a while!

A hexipuff headboard, originally spotted on Pinterest

Rosalias’ HexiChristmas (taken from ravelry)

Along the way, I also discovered some of the other spectacular and creative uses for hexipuffs, like this much-shared wall hanging/head board which, I believe is suspended using hooks from anthropologie.  I’m considering it as a temporary home for some of my finished puffs. One commenter on knit the hell out suggested using them as cushions for dinner chairs (a great idea, but I’m not sure I could watch my toddler eat pasta that close to hours and hours of knitting). Another brilliant blogger made an entire Christmas tree out of hexipuffs.

My ravelry and pinterest searches revealed hexipuffs used as Christmas ornaments, key chains, upholstery, baby toys and blankets, and my absolute favourite: a cozy cat bed!

A hexipuff pet carrier by catlips (taken from ravelry)

I think I found the best use EVER for leftover sock yarn!

My hexipuffs (or 1.3% of a quilt)

I’ve struggled with what to do with all my leftover sock yarn.  Each pair of socks results in smallish balls of lovely scrap, and it didn’t take long for me to develop a pretty major stash.  I’ve made newborn hats and contemplated wild striped socks, but I’ve never found a really satisfying use for these leftovers.  To add to the urgency, we’re looking for a house, and the upcoming move has motivated me to deal with every bit of clutter that I will otherwise have to eventually pack up and move.

Tiny Owl’s beekeeper’s quilt (photo copied from the pattern website)

So imagine my delight when I came upon this gorgeous Tiny Owl Knits pattern, The Beekeeper’s Quilt.  It’s a pretty popular pattern with over 5000 projects on ravelry, and at least 5 how-to videos on youtube.

The pattern reccommends 384 of these tiny little “hexipuffs” for a full size quilt, so I may be working on this one for the forseeable future. However, each little puff knits up in less than an hour, so they’re perfect in between projects.  So far I have 5 puffs (or 1.3% of a full size blanket!), but I’ll keep you posted as I work my way through my stash. I’ve made

A hexipuff in madelinetosh merino

hexipuffs with ONline suppersocke (from my Wedge socks), white Dream in Colour Starry, and pink and black madelinetosh merino (from my Hederas, and the Monas I made for my husband at Christmas), and they all look lovely. I’m so happy to be converting clutter into something beautiful for our new home, what a great pattern!