Seventeen months ago I embarked on a new knitting project, and this past weekend (thanks to a mammoth bout of insomnia) I finished it. Well, sort of. I had initially intended the quilt to be, well, quilt-sized when all the pieces were sewn together… but things don’t always turn out as planned. I’ve kept track of my hexipuffs using a spreadsheet (yes, I know…) and last week realised that I had 347 – just 37 shy of the total needed, according to the pattern, to make a 3ft x 4ft quilt.
Almost there, so I decided to lay out all the ‘puffs and see how it looked. Well, it looked small. I guess my hexipuffs are a mite smaller than they’re supposed to be, or perhaps I just imagined something bigger! Still, I was determined to get it sewn together rather quickly because we’ll be bringing our new puppy home in just over a month and the idea of trying to lay hexipuffs out on the floor once there’s a puppy here is just laughable 😉
So, what to do? Ah, I know – lay them out differently and make a comforter for the foot of the bed instead. Long and thin, just enough to keep our tootsies warm during the cold winter nights (and with a view to adding a row at a time in future so that the quilt eventually covers the whole bed).
Having made this decision I promptly packed all the ‘puffs away again, knowing I still have a month and a bit to get them put together… and then the insomnia struck. Seriously, I was awake for over 40 hours straight. I spent the first day doing an awful lot of crocheting (more on that soon!), and then got a bit fed up and decided to start on the quilt.
It took quite a while to lay them out in a configuration I was happy with. Juggling all those colours was akin to doing a jigsaw without having the lid of the box to refer to. Still, I got there in the end, and then settled down to sew them together (with the aid of some vital supplies).
I used the method given in the pattern, which basically ties the hexipuffs together at their corners.
Which does leave an awful lot of loose ends, but the front looks amazing.
I was particularly relieved to find that the ‘puffs all pulled together nicely – something that had been worrying me a bit as there was quite a difference in size between some of them due to the different types of yarn I’d used. The sewing process was easy, but time-consuming…
…halfway there! I had to keep stopping as I was working on the floor and (to be blunt) my backside kept going numb! Still, I eventually got it all sewn together and voila!
It’s simply gorgeous, isn’t it? The loose ends at the back annoyed me, and they’re certainly not very practical when you imagine a small puppy pulling at them, so I started to weave them in (just pulling them into adjacent ‘puffs using a crochet hook):
I’ve done about a sixth of them so far, but frankly it’s very dull so I will do the rest bit by bit over the next few weeks.
The finished quilt measures 6ft x 2ft (333 hexipuffs), and I’m delighted with it. I still have some of the original Sublime merino left (the colours of which form the base of the whole configuration), as well as some other luxury yarns I bought specifically for this quilt, so I will keep making hexipuffs in what is laughably called my spare time and then add to the quilt bit by bit as time goes on. I might start experimenting with texture a bit more (perhaps some cabled ‘puffs?), as well as decorating more with patterns sewn in duplicate stitch, so it will be a good ongoing project for the future. Because the hexipuffs are tied at their corners they should be relatively easy to remove, so if I decide to swap ‘puffs around in future (to better suit the configuration as it grows) then it hopefully shouldn’t be too much of a drama.
It’s been a hell of a big project, and an education too. When I first decided to make this quilt I had never used double pointed needles before, never knitted in the round, and at first it took me between 45-60 minutes to make a single ‘puff. Now I can knit hexipuffs without thinking, and it only takes me 20 minutes per ‘puff!
Would I recommend this project? Abso-flipping-lutely! It’s no small task, but it’s good fun. My quilt is ridiculously expensive because I chose to use only luxury yarns (all natural fibres, not a single bit of acrylic for a change!), but it can be done with any leftovers you have. I did worry at first about mixing different types of yarn in case the difference in size was too great, but found that switching down a needle size (for thicker yarns), or doubling up (using two strands for laceweight) worked very well.
I hope you have enjoyed this finished project, and I would welcome your comments. If you’re working on a Beekeeper’s Quilt of your own then please do share a link to any photos you have, as I would love to see them!
Yarns used (the ones I remembered to write down!):
- Sublime extra fine merino 4 ply (pink, green, blue, purple, cream and gold). 100% merino.
- Jamieson’s Shetland Spindrift (earth, pebble, and burnt umber). 100% pure Shetland wool.
- Louisa Harding Grace Hand-dyed. 50% merino wool & 50% silk.
- Louisa Harding Willow Tweed (pink, purple, and green). 40% alpaca, 40% merino wool, 20% silk.
- Noro Silk Garden Lite (colour 2048). 45% silk, 45% kid mohair, 10% lambswool.
- Maggie Stearn handspun hand-dyed silk. 100% silk.
- Boo’s Attic “Lavishly Exquisite” DK (Acorns & Oak Leaves). 52% superwash merino, 42% mulberry silk.
- Pure Tinctoria mini skein.
- Noro Yuzen. 56% wool, 34% silk, 10% kid mohair.
- Noro scraps (various).
- Artisan silk (Dove). 35% seaweed, 65% silk.
- The Mulberry Dyer “Delice” DK. 50% baby alpaca, 50% mulberry silk.
- Willow Knits mini skein (Morello). 100% silk.
That is beautiful! I’m in awe of your commitment!
To be honest I’m sort of stunned myself, I don’t think I’ve ever worked on a single project for so long 😉
Thank you for sharing this and taking such lovely photos. I have seen lots of hexipuffs on people’s blogs, etc but have never seen one put together.
Beautiful!
Thank you! I’ve thoroughly enjoyed working on it, and sharing the finished result with other people just adds another dimension to the fun!
Oh, it’s so pretty! I love the colours – very you! x
Beautiful !
Oh my goodness is beautiful! It’s got the bubble wrap thing that makes you want to swish it too.
You’re making me pine for a little hexagon quilting of my own.
[…] Update: if you’d like to see the finished quilt then click here! […]
Am so impressed! My total so far is 279, I am aiming for 400 before I start to join together. My intention was to crochet together as I want the quilt to look good on both sides, now having seen yours with the ends hidden I will have a rethink.
I will update my photos in Ravelry where I am Knellergal.
Once the quilt is finished I am wondering what I will do on train journeys, at Reading group discussions, in queues and all those odd moments when I work on my hexis. Have to admit I am not as fast as you, I have been knitting using magic loop and a crochet hook for the three needle bind off.
Hello! I must give that three needle bind off a go myself, it would be nice to dispense with the crochet hook altogether for my ‘puffs. I’m still working on my quilt even though it’s finished – although it’s now in use, I’m going to add to it bit by bit. The plan now is to use it as a way to improve my knitting skills, so I’ve been experimenting recently with adding texture to them using different knitting stitches (which is proving quite a challenge!). I’ve found you on Ravelry and am looking forward to seeing more photos of your hexipuffs 🙂
I love your quilt and am so impressed! I’ve been working on mine for years now, and I keep getting re-inspired when someone finishes. I will finish too, and I hope it looks half-way as gorgeous as yours 🙂
Nicely done!!!
Thank you! When you do finish yours I’d love to see some photos of it, hopefully you’ll remember to come back and share them 🙂
It looks lovely… so far I have 86 ‘puffs knitted. All mine are from oddments of sock yarn or yarn given to me by a friend. In theory, mine won’t have cost anything, apart from the stuffing. Progress to date is here http://thesnailofhappiness.wordpress.com/2013/10/22/scrappy-update/
[…] So it’s knitwear time! I’ve knitted and crocheted quite a diverse range of items over the past few years, but in terms of things I could actually wear I’ve managed nothing more adventurous than scarves and shawls. I’ve always fancied making mittens but always had The Fear of doing something that looked so complicated. Over the past few months I’ve been thinking about it more and more, mainly because my knitting has improved considerably after knitting so much for my Beekeeper’s Quilt. […]
[…] saw the start of a warm autumn, and it was a month of quiet crafting (I finally finished my Beekeeper’s Quilt!), and a lot of puppy visiting. I also learned two new skills: how to make a sari blouse, and how […]
Some great tips here. I’ve just started my BKQ and it doesn’t look as puffy as your so may need to rethink. Thanks x
Good luck! I must do a follow up post soon as the tying method hasn’t proved very secure and my puffs are starting to come away from each other in places.