Tuesday, March 13, 2007
I Might Run Out of Yarn
Still, I'm really happy with this blanket. All of my light colours could pass for grey, which gives the whole thing a sort of subdued feel. Far less crisp than if I were using some creams or whites.
Charity Baby Blanket
Everyone's doing such a nice job.
Insert Ripple Here
I was already working on a sweater for my second-grader. He rifled through my stash for soft red yarns, plus he requires that I work in this white Nashua Handknits mohair than you see in the pic. It looks like a snowball and my son has been captivated by it for months. I only have ONE skein of it.Then this whole Ripple-Along phenomenon happens and becomes a consciousness-raising experience for me. When I return to this sweater, I ask you: how can I not add a ripple midway through?
I learned (during this National Crochet Month) that when you have a ripple stitch pattern that begins and ends with a straight edge (instead of ripply), you can insert a row of ripples anywhere, anytime, for some ARV (Added Ripple Value).
By the way, I changed the photo of my "Chunky Bobbly Happiness" entry to something more.... poetic. And Stasia, I can't reply to your Blogger email addy but I would love to take you up on your offer of help.
Baby Ripples
I have another scrap ball of yarn, similar to the edging one... just a lighter weight that may go inbetween every 4 colors... but we'll see how that goes. Right now I am planning on 3 rows per color with 4 colors to the patterns. But that could change. I also haven't quite decided on the owner of the blanket once done. It may just be a stock blanket just in case or will be added to my shop.
Oh, the lovely
Monday, March 12, 2007
Sentimental Crochet Hooks
Hey y'all, from Down Under
I got to start my ripple blanket on Friday night and so as of day 4 I've got this far:
(Sorry about the pic, it was dark when I took the pic and I was wanting to get this put up here! I'll take more pics in daylight.)I'm working with Filatura di Crosa Zara, and it's absolutely delicious. It so rocks to work at a yarn store! The colours are just singing "tiptoe through the tulips"! I'm using a 5.00mm, size H. I haven't even got to the spring green and cream, and I'm just so excited about it. If it wasn't so darn relaxing to do, I'd be dancing around the house with it. I'm also going to be trying to post about it on my blog, but I'm a bit lazy about it.
I was going to post about how this little boy of mine spilt cranberry juice all over my rippler on Saturday night and I missed a whole day and a half of rippling while waiting for it to dry after rinsing it. But then he broke his arm yesterday and has spent the whole day cosied under it watching cartoons. No, it's not finished yet and there is a live loop in there somewhere which is probably unravelling, but I can't say no to him, poor little love.back from maine, warm again
no end in sight...
pikachu and the gang approve!Hello! I have missed posting pictures, but have worked pretty steadily on the blankie. I fixed some abnormalities with the ending edge, and am thinking about doing some sort of edging around the whole thing after it's done, just to pull everything together. what are you all doing about the edges?
Enjoy the photos!
So far

What do you think?
I only have a few new colors to introduce, then you and I will see more of the same. Already there are doubles of some colors - those balls of yarn that I had purchased 2 balls instead of 1 (1 ball = 3 stripes, 2 balls = 6 stripes). I think it will give the eye something to rest on. Most of the doubled colors are the palest of each group of colors pink through red, blues, greens, yellows, but I have 4 colors of orange into brown and white into tan, so I didn’t double up there. I chose the red to double instead of the pink, because I like red.
I went up to a bigger crochet hook (5/F) and it is working much better as the hook on the 4/E was too small with the yarn being so splity. I am still getting the same gauge so that is really good too.
Peace!
Susan / ZenKnit
Kati likes it...
New to the ripple obsession
There it is... my very first successful ripple. And I'm actually quite happy with how it turned how considering I made it late at night after a long LONG day.
Sunday, March 11, 2007
urgh!
My first ripple stitch blancket
the beginning of a grey and soft yellow baby blanket :)
I started with 152 stitches and I think I've only made the third party.
Saturday, March 10, 2007
Finally updated...inching along

my weekly update-
Friday, March 9, 2007
I'm preeety pod'd
Btw, how can I join the flickr group? I couldn't find the join thingy in the discussion page...
And I know squat about french. I'm good for portuguese, spanish, some italian and some catalan, and english of course, but that's it...
swatching
Yesterday, I messed around with the ripple patterns I have on hand. This one is the classic ripple pattern from Diana Kooler's Encyclopedia of Crochet. This is the pattern I'm leaning toward. I'm waiting on a new pattern book before I commit to it though. My plan is to use up stash and be a bit reckless color wise to challenge myself. I made the swatch in my favorite colors.

I hope to keep updates on my blog as well. I have been a bad blogger lately.
Update

Just moseying along...

What size yarn/hook is everyone else using?
Thursday, March 8, 2007
Rippling in Brooklyn
Tonight I've been contemplating my Ripple ingredients--some stashed and some new Rowan Cotton Glace--and trying out different widths for my afghan. I think I'm now on the move! I love all of the colors and variations I'm seeing from everyone, and can't wait to see mine progress. It's really impossible to tell what it'll turn into, right? I guess the mystery is part of the appeal... my only disappointment so far is that I had to switch from a lovely vintage crochet hook of my grandma's (which was kind of uncomfortable to hold) to a plain old steel one...well, so be it!
Here's my gang of colors:
oh, it's just a wee bit more than i can bear!
Oh the agony! I'M GOING TO HAVE TO FROG IT BACK AGAIN!
I couldn't bear to take pictures. It's too painful.
Wanted you all to know I'll be a mite shy about here the next few days. Offspring #1 turns 6 tomorrow and the in-laws are coming in for the festivities. Will check in as I'm able. If there are newbies looking for help or to join, I'm confident you all will point them in the right direction.
BTW, anybody know French? I've gotten an email from someone that needs help figuring out the stitch and can't find online resources in French. If you think you can help her or know where she can get it, pop me an email and I'll get you connected.
...oh, and by the way, we're over 50 members strong now!!!
Comfortable
I love all the colors so much that I can't bring myself to just carry along the few I will be working with - they have to be all together in a big baglady bag, or like a traveling circus.

After I had a few stripes done I realized that I am recreating a yet-to-be-created-planned-but-not-even-started quilt done up in 30s/40s prints.

I am really loving it!
Peace,
Susan (aka ZenKnit)
I Needed To Use A Different Chair
My ripple's grown too big for the rocking chair I was using before. Here's my progress on Day 10. Still fun, still relaxing, still satisfying. And I love seeing everyone's photos!
Ripples Reach Seoul!
Anyway, I am from Canada originally, but I now call Korea home. I have been teaching English here for 8 years, and am loving it. I've been knitting a blanket in fits and spurts for almost that whole time, and it's about 80% done, but once I saw this ripple-along blog, I knew I had to do something about it...I'll finish the knitting later!
So, last Friday, I was passing by a little yarn shop in the subway station near work, and I decided all of a sudden to just pick up some yarn and start. Not the most thought-out plan, because the yarn is actually kind of cheap, and sold in really small amounts, so it's not the most economical way--but I consider this my "practice" blanket. I plan on going to the yarn wholesale market here in Seoul and making a nicer one with softer, natural yarns later. So for now, I'm having tons of fun with this one, even though it's not nearly as nice as all the other fantastic, beautiful blankets on this blog. I'm in awe of you all!
So here are a couple of pictures to show you what I've done. I started this blanket on Monday, and have been working at it obsessively since then. This is what it looked like on Wednesday morning (I got my 11 am Reading/Writing class to model it with me):
and this is what it looks like now, (Friday am, Korean time):

There is more on my blog, and I will post here occasionally to let you all know how I'm doing. Keep the ripples coming, because I am enjoying everyone else's projects as much as my own!
Anyway, nice to meet you all!
Nikki
Back At It

The yarn in the photo is Elsbeth Lavold Silky Wool. It's slightly lighter in weight than all the other yarns, but it worked out beautifully. That stretch of the blanket is becoming quite colourful. More updates soon!
Round ripple pattern
Happy rippling,
Michelle
www.mikknits.blogspot.com
Wednesday, March 7, 2007
Chunky Bobbly Happiness
Here's a more arteestic photo*, suggesting associations between the blue ripples and the blue sky, forming a backdrop for the creamy bobbles and the creamy-rich scent of grapefruit blossoms.*original entry and closeup photo is below.
Every time I passed this tree I realized it reminded me of these bobbles and the towel is going to bring the same springtime spirit into my kitchen.
---------
Hi ripply folks, here's my thirsty cotton accessory for the espresso machine that my husband gave me for my birthday. Espresso making requires a lot of wiping and soaking up and buffing. This single crochet-based ripple towel is up for the job.
I shopped for ripple patterns in Jean Leinhauser's 101 Ripple Stitches to Knit and Crochet (1997). There are plenty more in that book that I want to try after I finish this one.
Today I put a Ripple-Along button on my blog and I managed to make it show up, but I don't know how to make it clickable. Can anyone help me with that part?
Just can't get enough-
I started a second blanket because I needed a travel project and because I've been itching to do something with this "Crazy daisy" yarn that I picked up on clearance and because I wanted to see how the ripple pattern turns out with a textured yarn. . . and yeah I have zero attention span.
I decided to make a doll blanket for my niece, but I'm really liking how this is turning out so I might just keep it.
I'm using 3 colors of crazy daisy and alternating them with two colors of cotton tots. I like the color combo and the cotton gives it stability and makes the fussy crazy daisy easier to work with. I'm only doing single rows of each and I think it has a nice chenille texture.
Another Free Pattern
Not much progress

I think it is going to be a very dark throw although I haven't started a cream stripe yet so a few more of those, plus the lemon, may lighten it up as I go along. I've also opted to weave in my ends as I go to save myself one less boring job at the end, as I know I won't want to be faced with all that when I finish the throw.
my ripples are limping along...
I'm happy with the way my ripples look but this is the largest crochet project I've ever attempted so my progress seems slow. I'm averaging 1-2 ripples per day so I think I'll be rippling for a month or two. But I am happy with the look of it so far and I love looking at everyone else's creations as well. I also like reading about what kind of yarn people chose for this. I'm using superwash dk wools - Debbie Bliss Merino dk, Rowan Pure Wool dk and Jaeger Matchmaker dk. I think my next ripple blanket is going to be in the much more value priced Caron Simply Soft Brites because I am in love with Oiyi's ripple blanket :-)Take care,
~amanda
another newbie
I have no idea where my colours are going and what type of pattern will emerge.
I was hesitant to start because I had stashed so well, I wasn't sure where all my little bits were, but isn't it funny that when you start looking, they seem to pop up all over the place?
Chocolate & Turquoise
I have to admit that it's nice to crochet and I haven't done any serious crocheting in a few years. I'm using Encore yarn in the worsted weight mainly because it's machine wash and dry and it's what I use when making things for my nieces and little siblings.
Progress so far...

Keep the inspiration coming, I need the motivation to continue to work on this!
new girl in town
thought i should introduce myself
I'm the new girl
Here are my ripples so far:

You can check my ripples here, and i'll post here as well from now on!
Bye now!!
Greetings from DC
Tuesday, March 6, 2007
here's my wiggle.
at first, i was a little worried about using different textures of yarn but now i kinda like it. the thicker yarn is a bit more raised and adds a little bit of something to it. i'm choosing my colors as i go so it will be just a little bit random. i'm looking at ends to be woven in on mine and well, one big *sigh*.
i'm working over them but there are skipped stitches so i don't want the yarn to wind up hanging out after watching. every one else's looks so darn neat and perty!
care to share the secret?
wishing the blankie was bigger so it would keep me warm
best thing about maine is the proliferation of local yarn emporiums. Praying for some hermit-time to fully immerse myself in fibers. They know how to do wool up here.
anyone having weird issues with your edges, like when you get to the end of a row? Like it started with the wave going down, and now somehow the wave is on the crest? just curious, 'cause I'm not ripping it this time.
A Can of Worms
I'm finally feeling a lot better, and am consequently catching up on nearly two weeks' worth of neglected work. Yesterday was the first day since I started that I didn't touch my ripple.
But what did I do today? I read Alicia's blog, of course. And what's she spent the last few days making? Breathtaking granny squares. And what have I wanted to do with the yarn leftover from my ripple? Make granny squares, of course.
Won't you join in for some more trad crochet fun?
UPDATE (11pm, March 6): I've changed the link to the granny-along.
A gentle word about patterns...
We've received several comments asking for patterns from the 200 stitch book to be emailed directly to people. The material in the book is covered under copyright laws, so I have been choosing to not post those comments. I'm hoping you're understanding and respect that.
(I'm currently moderating comments to hopefully keep us spam-free, so anything from a non-member gets sent to me before being posted, so to this point I've caught them. However, anything from a blog member is posted without my review.)
Trust me when I say I totally understand not being able to run out and buy a new book every time you want to, but I would still ask you all to please respect copyrighted materials and the designers that work hard to provide them. However, there are plenty of resources online that I can and will be happy to share. I've added a new post label called "ripple pattern links", and here are a few to get started with:
easy ripple afghan
gentle ripple pattern
If y'all know of others, please post them and label them so they're easy to find.
Also, anyone out there interested in reviewing the books you're rippling out of? I'd love to see some posts of that sort too.
Comments and thoughts on this? Comment away, we'll discuss and debate.
Wishing you loads of rippling pleasure, Dawn the HRM.
Finished Baby Ripple

Purple Ripple Blanket
Yay!
So pleased to find a bunch of other people rippling happily along. This is my blanket attempt 2. I got a bit carried away with the first one and it was too wide for our king sized bed and just used up too much yarn per row. So after it had grown to about 10 inches I pulled it all apart and started again. This one is more of a twin sized blanket. Much better. And I am really using mostly scraps for it. I am a pure wool fiend, but I did have 2 balls of acrylic blend which I've hidden away in there. There is also some alpaca and alpaca/wool blend. I'm using all different weights of wool, so the ripples feel kind of bumpy too, and I'm not sticking to a two row per colour pattern either...it's just as the mood takes me and quite random. I am trying to stick to a colour palette though...it's mostly blues and greys with some punches of pinks, yellows and reds. I have some lovely sage green, but I am concerned that it will just be too many colours then. You may also notice that my ripples got a bit out of whack in the first 10 colour changes, but I don't think that it's too noticeable...and I am NOT starting again (again).. Looking forward to seeing everyone else's rippling as they progress.
Help with my Sample

Hello Everyone. Above is my small sample of the "Pink Wave" pattern in Jan Eaton's book "200 Ripple Stitch Patterns". It really is a lovely book. Since I have not crocheted for about 30 years or more, and have NEVER followed a crochet pattern, I have a few questions. As you can see from my sample, I did several multiples of my 17 chain +2 pattern. My concern is the bottom original chain row. As you can see it pulls very badly and seems much smaller than the above developing pattern. Do I just need to start my original chain row MUCH LOOSER???? I would appreciate any comments or suggestions.
Everyone's blankets are looking so wonderful and I can't wait to start, but wanted to be sure I had the technique and process down correctly. Also, I wanted the width to be about 74 inches, so plan to use my "stitches per inch" but make sure the final count is in my multiples of 17. Is that all correct??? How wonderful to have this resource available. Thanks so much.
Monday, March 5, 2007
Not So Enamored Of The Navy...
I've come to an abrupt stop - just long enough to snap a pic and then undo the last two rows. The blue is a little too close to black, I think. It's not the color - it's the value (?) of the shade. If you scrinch your eyes up, the other colors are all at the same level of intensity, but the dark blue stands out too much, even for this experiment in combining cool and warm tones. Stay tuned...I am really enjoying seeing everyone else's color and stitch choices!
Happy rippling!
Stasia of YarnAndABarn.blogspot.com
Newcomer here
I decided to do another round ripple afghan to replace one I finished last year but gave to my MIL because she wanted it so much. I made it in my son's high school colors and made the mistake of taking it to a football game that my MIL attended.
Because I have also joined a stash busting group I really wanted to make use of this green/blue yarn that I bought for another project but ripped out. It's going pretty fast.

I love seeing everyone's ripples. They're all beautiful!
Michelle
www.mikknits.blogspot.com
I couldn't resist...
I had better quality pictures for this post, but I couldn't resist including my cat, who jumped in just as I was focusing the camera. Yes, he wants that hook. Maybe he needs to learn to crochet?
Like others, I'm alternating between loving the blanket, and not being 100% in love with its tone. I was really happy between the first olive and the second olive stripe. Then the random-grabbing-gods bestowed upon me the lemon yellow. I'm not so in love with it, but I'm sure it'll even out/ tone down after a couple more differently colored stripes. I'm so in love with the chevron pattern though.
My Turn; Me Too!
Anyway, the yarn for my ripple-along is from Knitpicks.com. 22 different colors of their 100% wool, fingering weight yarn named Palette. Because I am making such a large size, I thought that a fingering weight yarn would be best. I am doing a soft ripples afghan in 23 colors (I already had 2 skeins of one yarn in my stash). Five colors will be used six times, the rest will be used three times each (one little ball will give me 6 rows/3 stripes!). That is a total of 168 rows, 84 2-row stripes. It will be 24 repeats of the pattern, and approximately 72 inches by 84 inches; big enough to cover the top of my queen-sized bed with a little bit of on each side and on the bottom. All for a steal at $51.74... plus another paltry $3.98 for the two skeins I already had but that hardly counts because it is from stash *grin*. Still, a queen-sized afghan for under $60 - whoa!
Here are my colors:

and one sheet of my 3 sheet plan for the stripes/rows:

I am trying hard not to think about how unwieldly it will become. It will probably be an "at home" project after a certain stage. I guess I will find out. No rush on this one either, but from reading most of the posts here I can see that many of you are really ripping along on yours.
So many beautiful ripple afghans, thanks for the inspiration!
Peace,
Susan aka ZenKnit


