I just can’t stay away from the hexagon honeycomb stitches. I love using crochet to create beautifully themed pieces and the honeycomb has for sure become a thing in my shop. 

I knew I wanted a cute summer top for the season and I’m so excited to introduce this fresh pattern. 

 I enjoyed working this up so much that I made two! And they will be so cool and comfy to wear all summer long.

Let’s take a moment to chat about the important inspiration for this design…the bees.

When I was working on taking images for this design I went out to my lemon tree to see if the bees were swarming. We have had some unusual weather this year and the previous night had been a little cold.

I found the perfect blooming branch for some images and then I noticed a bumblebee still clinging to the flower, not moving.

I brought the brand into my office and began to photograph some in-progress pictures, but that little bee just kept swarming in my mind. Why did he stay on the branch? What happened?

I am not a bee expert to understand the society of bees so I was baffled. 

After finishing the photos I left the branch on my desk. And later came the surprise.  

The bee was alive!!!

I guess he just needed to be warmed up a little. I was so excited and also terrified of the angry flying bee in my office. 

I quickly jumped into action when the bee landed on an object and bravely moved it back outside while he was still regaining some strength. 

So basically, I rescued a bee. That’s the story we are going with lol. 

I reflected on how the bee had surprised me. I’m so fascinated by how such small creatures can have such a big impact. 

From spreading pollen to creating honey. And of course the honeycomb shape, so mathematical yet so organic.

With the world quickly changing it’s important we protect the bees. Even a small act such as planting bee-friendly plants could help. 

Here is a great article by Honeybee Conservancy about how to plant a bee garden. 

A note on the yarn:

I want to take a moment to chat about the yarn. While Yarn Bee Soft & Sleek DK states it’s a 3 dk weight, when I tested it against the fingering yarn in my office, I found it worked up more like a 1 fingering. 

If doing a substitute yarn. such as that pretty yarn that’s in your stash still waiting to be used, I suggest doing a gauge swatch. This is a fitted item so it’s important to get the stitch sizes just right. 

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Supplies:

Measurements:

Small: 32-34” bust (81-87 cm)

Medium: 36-38” bust (91-97 cm)

Large: 40-42” bust (102-107 cm)

1X: 44-46” bust (112-117 cm)

2X: 48-50” bust (123-51 cm)

3X: 52-54” bust (131-137 cm)

Abbreviations:

• ch- Chain

• dc- Double Crochet

• dc2tog – Double Crochet Two Stitches Together

• dc3tog – Double Crochet Three Stitches Together

• RS- Right Side

• sl st- Slip Stitch

• sts- Stitches

• STSC- Stacked Single Crochet

• WS- Wrong Side

Skill Level:
• Easy/Advanced Beginner

Notes:

– This pattern is worked as one piece, from bottom up, and in rows. If a longer length is desired add one more repeat on the body portion. A trim is added and at the same time buttonholes are created for the front.

– A stacked single crochet is made at the beginning of each row instead of chaining. The stacked single crochet counts as a double crochet stitch. The same stitch is modified for the decreases. Replacing the beginning chain with this method creates cleaner lines along the garment. It is helpful to place a marker at the beginning of each row to mark the first stitch. See blog post for more info: https://brianakdesigns.com/stacked-single-crochet/

– Double crochet decreasing: for this pattern, the dc2tog and dc3tog is used as a decrease on each edge when shaping the top. The method used for this incorporates the stacked single crochet. Instructions can be found here: https://brianakdesigns.com/stacked-single-crochet/

– Sizes are written as Small (Medium, Large, 1X, 2X, 3X)

Amazing Tester Images:

Crochet & Tag:

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