Red and Cream Hexagon Bedspread Crochet Pattern

This bedspread is a bright red honeycomb made from one hundred and two hexagons, each with a warm cream heart. Every hexagon begins with four cream rounds that form a six-sided flower in the middle. Then the red rounds grow around it, and here is the clever part: twice, a cream round is worked and then covered with a red round of long spike stitches. Where the red spikes sit close together, the cream disappears. Where a short single crochet sits between the spikes, a little dash of cream peeks through. The result is a row of cream stripes in the middle of every side, like rays shining out from the cream center, with solid red at each corner.

The finished bedspread measures about 101 by 117 inches (257 by 297 cm) from point to point, including the edge. The hexagons are set with their points toward the head and the foot of the bed, in twelve rows that alternate between 9 and 8 hexagons. Each hexagon measures about 11 inches across from flat side to flat side and about 12.5 inches from point to point. On a queen mattress that gives a drop of about 19 inches on each side and at the foot, and the zigzag edge of hexagon points hangs down toward the floor like a row of red pennants.

The stitches are chain, slip stitch, single crochet and double crochet, plus the spike double crochet and two simple decreases in the edge. A spike double crochet is an ordinary double crochet worked into a stitch two rounds below, so the long red stitch reaches down over the cream round. It sounds tricky, but it is one of the easiest ways to make stripes without carrying yarn. Each hexagon has only four color changes, so you weave in eight ends per motif.

The hexagons are joined with red single crochet on the right side, worked through two hexagons at a time, side by side. Every side of every hexagon has exactly 34 stitches plus its corner spaces, so the seams always match. Once all the hexagons are joined, a round of cream single crochet and a round of red single crochet go around the whole zigzag edge, with extra stitches at the outward points and decreases at the inward notches. The thin cream line along the edge echoes the cream centers beautifully.

In worsted weight cotton the bedspread is warm and substantial, with a lovely drape over the sides of the bed. The spike stitches give the red bands a subtle ridged texture, and the cream centers stand out like snowflakes or little six-sided flowers. Red and cream together feel cheerful, cozy and a little bit festive, perfect for winter and wonderful at Christmas. The colors suit cream walls, light wood, brass lamps and white flowers, and they bring a warm glow to any bedroom.

I rate this pattern as intermediate. The hexagon itself is simple, but you need to keep careful count on the spike rounds and place the spikes into the right round. Joining hexagons also takes a little more thought than joining squares, so I suggest laying out the first two rows on the floor before you start. It suits a maker who loves color and graphic patterns and enjoys a project that grows into something striking. Every round is written out with its stitch count, so you can check your work as you go.

I have always loved hexagons. There is something so satisfying about six sides that fit together perfectly with no gaps, like a honeycomb in a beehive. For years I made hexagon blankets in soft pastels, but one winter I wanted something bold and cheerful, and red and cream was the answer. The first time I finished a hexagon and saw the cream dashes shining out from the center, I knew I had something special.

I love the spike stitch rounds most of all. After the cream round, you pick up the red and start reaching down two rounds with long double crochet stitches. At the corners, the red covers everything. In the middle of each side, you alternate a short single crochet with a long spike, and little cream dashes appear as if by magic. It is such a simple trick, but people always ask me how I made the stripes without carrying yarn.

I also love how the hexagons come together. Laying them out on the floor is like doing a puzzle, and when the rows fit together into a honeycomb, it feels very rewarding. The zigzag edge is a bonus: you do not need to make any half hexagons, and the points hang down over the sides of the bed in a playful, cheerful way. I think it gives the bedspread a lot of personality.

Here is why this bedspread brightens my day:

• Bold red and cream look cheerful in any season.
• The spike stitches make stripes without carrying yarn.
• Hexagons fit together like a honeycomb with no gaps.
• The zigzag edge needs no half motifs.
• It looks wonderful at Christmas and all winter long.

This bedspread changed our bedroom completely for the winter months. Our room is cream and light wood, calm but a little pale in the dark season. With the red hexagons on the bed, the whole room glows, especially in the evening with the brass lamps on. At Christmas I add a few red candles and a bowl of pinecones, and the room feels like a cozy cabin. My grandchildren call it the honeycomb bed.

Making it taught me a few useful lessons. I learned to keep my spike stitches relaxed, so they lie flat over the cream instead of pulling it in. I learned to count the stitches on each side of every round, because a hexagon with one long side never quite fits its neighbors. And I learned to join the hexagons in rows first, then join the rows, which made the honeycomb much easier to manage.

Most of all, I love that this is a bedspread for real life and many winters. Cotton washes well and gets softer over time, and red and cream never go out of style. I hope this bedspread will come out of the cupboard every December for many years, and that someday a grandchild will snuggle under it and remember the cozy winters at grandma's house.

The easiest change is the color pair. Keep the light color for the center and the dash rounds, and choose a new bold color for the rest. Navy with cream looks crisp and nautical, while forest green with cream feels like a winter cabin. Mustard with white is cheerful and retro, and dusty pink with ivory is soft and sweet. For a calm modern look, try charcoal with light gray.

You can change the size by changing the number of rows and hexagons. Each hexagon adds about 11 inches across, and each new row adds about 9.4 inches in length, because the rows nest into each other. The rows always alternate between a long row and a short row with one hexagon fewer. Here are some starting points.

• Twin: rows of 7 and 6, 10 rows (65 hexagons), about 79 by 98 inches
• Full: rows of 8 and 7, 11 rows (83 hexagons), about 90 by 107 inches
• Queen: rows of 9 and 8, 12 rows (102 hexagons), about 101 by 117 inches
• King: rows of 11 and 10, 12 rows (126 hexagons), about 123 by 117 inches

A sofa throw is a lovely smaller version. Make rows of 5 and 4 in 6 rows, twenty-seven hexagons in total, for a throw of about 57 by 61 inches. It takes around thirty-five hours and uses about a quarter of the yarn. It is cheerful on a cream sofa or folded at the end of a bed, and it makes a wonderful Christmas gift for someone special.

For a baby blanket, use a soft baby cotton or cotton blend in the same weight, and make rows of 3 and 2 in 5 rows, thirteen hexagons in total, for a blanket of about 35 by 50 inches. Soft mint with white or pale yellow with cream are lovely for a nursery. The fabric is solid and the edge is firm, but always use it with an adult nearby, and keep crochet blankets out of the crib for young babies.

Matching pillows tie the whole bed together, just like in my photos. Join seven hexagons into a flower shape, one in the middle and six around it, for a large round cushion front. Or join two rows of three hexagons for a sham, and sew it onto a red pillow cover. A single hexagon makes a sweet cushion for a kitchen chair. Add the cream and red edge around each one for a neat finish.

The hexagon also makes lovely small pieces for the home. A single hexagon makes a cheerful trivet or table mat. A row of five hexagons joined point to point makes a pretty table runner for a holiday table. Six hexagons sewn into a little box shape make a fun storage basket. These are great ways to use up leftover yarn from the bedspread.

If you would like a straight edge instead of points, you can make half hexagons. Work the hexagon in rows instead of rounds, over only three of its six sides, and join them into the notches along the sides and the ends. Then work two rounds of single crochet around the whole bedspread. The straight edge tucks neatly under a mattress and suits a more tailored room.

You can also play with the yarn weight. In DK cotton with a 4 mm hook, hexagons come out at about 9 inches across, so you need more of them, but the bedspread is lighter and drapes more. In a bulky yarn with a 6.5 mm hook, hexagons grow to about 14 inches, and rows of 7 and 6 in 10 rows cover a queen bed much faster. Acrylic or a cotton blend is lighter and warmer. Always make one test hexagon in your new yarn and measure it first.