On Stash Diving

OK, we're officially up and running...oops, sorry, rippling. If you want to join in, lemme know and I'll send you an invite to blog here. If you're not up with the blogger thing, send me updates and I'll link to your page.

So. That frog pond. The one hiding behind the living room chair. It's mine, and until this very morning it held my biggest shame:

OK, one of them would perhaps not be so bad, but there are like 12. Yep, 12 balls of Pehuen...hand dyed cotton from Araucania Yarns. It was to be a sweet sweater, but alas, twas not to be, and it's been languishing for months and months and months. THE SHAME!

...until my rummagings unearthed it and b.i.n.g.o. I love the yarn, but know I could never make a garment I would be happy with out of it...but a blanket, a blanket would make us both oh so over the moon. Further delving brought out a surprising amount of taggers-along:

At least enough to be getting along with, don't you think? It's nothing so glamorous as cashmerino, but I think I can have good fun with this and be happy with the outcome. Bonus that most of it is stuff I would probably never touch again otherwise. I feel so noble! It's a mishmash of superwash, cotton, blends, yada yada. Loads of different textures, so me thinks I shall begin trying a more open ripple to accomodate for that. Running off to peruse Donna Kooler's Encyclopedia of Crochet, think there's something lurking there if I recall...more once I get something swatched up.

The Backstory

This be about giving credit where it is sooooooooo due. The ripple-along grew from Kim's recent post to her blog on CrochetMe. Go see Alicia's "most gorgeous ripple afghan ever" says she. So, off I go. You should too. Now. Go here, to the Ripple Issues post on her blog Posie Gets Cozy.

Cool eh?

That's her fab creation at right. She's "The Musee". See, when I emailed here with this idea, begging to link to her page and use her image, she gently directed to the one that set HER on the ripply path, her friend Jane at Yarnstorm. (again, fab creation at right) Now run to see HER post: on the crest of a wave. COME ON people, who doesn't want one after seeing THAT? Ripplish perfection in fabulous yarn no less! There is no doubt the gal has some mean color-combining skillz. Dare to dream. So she wins the muse-y crown for kicking it all off, even though she didn't know it at the time.

I threw a comment to Kim, linked on my blog, she threw back. There was some whining about perhaps not having the appropriate materials in one's stash. She blessedly talked me out of the "progressive" idea...oh the depths of despair at having to send the ripply cozy comfort packing...SHUDDER! And the loss of all the mindless, soothing rippling...DOUBLE SHUDDER! Weak moment I guess. Thanks to Kim for bringing me back to my senses.

...and she then she threw in the "no end in sight" concept and it clicked into place. No need to have a large stock o yarn on hand...it grows as you go. Start with what you got and progress along with those great odd balls on clearance at the LYS, the to die for scraps and skeins left over from the perfect project, the frog pond hiding behind the living room chair....you get the idea. Now go diving and get hooking!