Woo Hoo! Yee Haw! and all that kind of stuff

I finished the ripple afghan for my dad. Here it is:



I haven't taken the measurements yet. It is long enough to go the traditional way: side-to-side stripes, but can also be used the other way too! It is nice and warm without being overwhelming, and it folds up into a nice little square. I hope he loves it as much as I have loved making it. I think it is my best afghan yet. But I must say this next one is very close to being my favorite as well:



The cotton/acrylic yarn for this one is so very nice to work with. And it has a really nice texture too.

Back to dad's afghan; I decided to do the last row as a solid row vs. the lacy one if I had been following the pattern perfectly. I decided the lacy row would be too weak. I don't think anybody would notice:



So, what do you think?

Back to my current work - I had a sneaking feeling that there wouldn't be enough of the dark blue yarn and I am sure that I am right. I had the same issue with dad's afghan, but that was because I had changed my mind about which ripple to do after I had already ordered the yarn. I thought when I ordered more of the navy (for dad's) that I would be taking a chance that the color wouldn't be even close because KnitPicks said there wasn't any of that lot left. But I ordered 2 more balls anyway, thinking it couldn't be that far off. I got a nice surprise in that the order ended up being the lot I was looking for after all!

I hope that is the case when I order one puny ball more for brother's afghan. I hate paying shipping for just one ball, so I may order another afghan's worth of yarn for ME!!!! Now if I could just decide which ripple to do, and what colors to use! Thankfully, I realized that I had better check to see if there was a calculation issue for another afghan's worth of yarn (coming up) and I was able to get that yarn at a local shop vs. having to ship it.

So long story even longer - do your own calculations immediately after ordering your yarn to be more sure you will have enough, and if you don't you have a higher probability of getting the same lot number.

Peace!

Susan (aka ZenKnit)

Nisa's Ripple Half-Blanket Done!

It's done! I actually fastened off and weaved (wove?) the edges in long ago, but just never got around to posting the pics. I decided not to make a full-size twin blanket because:

1. It was eating up so much yarn that you know, when you go to a yarn store, you can't just buy one skein or one kind of yarn and so I was afraid we'd go bankrupt trying to support my yarn habit. And I still had to make another one for my youngest!
   
2. I had a feeling that my eldest, for whom the blanket was intended, might not quite take to it the way I had wanted her to.
3. I got bored of it. :D

This is how it looks going vertically on the bed. I don't like the way it looks this way, but at least it's long enough so that if she does ever use it, it'll cover a good part of her body.



I was supposed to make another for my youngest, and I did start it, but soon after we found out that she's got a dust mite allergy (among other things) and well, non-machine-washable wool blankets just were not a practical choice for their room. My eldest initially complained of it being too itchy, but now she'll at least keep it on her bed.

Now I have a whole bunch of this yarn left over so I've decided to try my hand at that Larger Than Life bag that's been making a bit of a splash these days.

Anyway, thanks all, it's been fun!

Son's Christmas Afghan

I finally finished the ripple for my DD, pics to follow...I have to finish sewing in the ends. I started one for my DS, the main colour is black with some deep red, tan and cream. I love rippling and this is going to be a nice gift for him to snuggle up with when he watches his movies.

TeaMouse

Help! Help!

Please, I need some help and advice. On the spur of the moment I bought this yarn. The reason being, I am Vice Pres in charge of programs for our quilt guild. Of course we're having a Christmas party for December meeting. Our other plan is to have an auction with lots of things other than just quilt related items. So I'm in Hobby Lobby buying Sugar & Cream Yarn on sale and I start looking at other yarns. I've been seeing so many neat yarns here(other than the pain ole Red Heart I'm using) and just want to try something new. I've picked up my Sugar & Cream and keep browsing. I see the shelf with all the Lion Brand yarns and spot the Jiffy(not on sale but not real expensive) which I see is Acrylic. I'm not ready to try wools yet. Anyhow I would love to make up a quick simple afghan for the auction. Like I don't have enough to do. If I wouldn't have it done in time, I can always give it to my purple loving daughter. I'll be making some other smaller item I can donate so all won't be lost. Enough rambling.
Do any of you have a favorite quick ripple pattern? The only one I've done so far is Susan B's.
The Jiffy Yarn calls for a K hook for the pattern on the band. Also, I have larger hooks, could I use an L or M? The yarn does seem heavier but I do want to use the correct hook. One thing, I don't want a real loosely woven pattern. If you found any favorite patterns in books, magazines, on line, or personally, just let me know. I can go to the library or check out the Internet, whatever. You can post a comment here or at my most recent post at "Fabric and Yarn Stasher."
Oh, and Pheeyla, your pretty new started ripple must have stayed in my subconscious when I picked my yarn. I just saw it again as I was browsing the blog. I guess you inspired me.

Baby Blanket

This is my first post... please be gentle.

I am making a baby blanket for my cousin's first child. She is due in April. We don't know the sex yet, so I have decided to go with a light green/off white combination. I am using Caron Simply Soft and the ribbed variation of SusanB's Easy Ripply Afghan.

This isn't my first ripple, but it's the first time I've used this pattern and I have a question. The bottom is "rolled" up... Will it stay that way? Hm. Anyway, I love the pattern! I just hope I finish on time. (I tend to get distracted and push projects to the side.)

Feedback welcome. :D

I came to the END!!!...

Last night I settled in to work on my ripple and found that I was moved over a stitch. I unraveled two colors and still couldn't find where I'd added one in so I decided it must be a sign that I am finished! Soooo, here it is, well partially, I didn't get the whole thing in one shot. This is our old dog, PuppyGirl, guarding it.


And, this is the yarn for the new ripple! Not sure yet which pattern I will use, I had seen some either online or in a book that appealed to me and now I can't remember where. Ugh! Anyway, this will match my parents bedroom and will be a Chistmas present for them.

New Ripple!

Hi Friends!

It's been a while (like four months) but I'm finally posting again. Everyone's doing so well!!

I'm starting a brand new ripple for a friend who makes blankets for nursing homes. So it's a lot smaller than my last one (which still isn't finished). Purple and blue!

I'll post pics ... sometime!

Rippling Away

Woo Hoo! Rippling away on a Christmas gift. Here's an update on the blanket that I'mmaking for my sister. It's currently 60" wide and 11" in length. I seem to be averaging 5" for every 7 rows (1 skein of solid = 4 rows, 1 skein of ombre = 3 rows). So this afghan should finish at about 60" X 60" square. I had debated on frogging it to make it a little narrower so that I could make it a little longer, but I said "Forget that!" *grin*

Here's an inside picture of it:


Here's a picture of in on the back deck hanginf out with a bottle of juice :)

Making Progress, Albeit Slowly

Just a short post with a photo. I have turned the heels on the FruitStripe socks and now it is just around and around in the pattern until it is time to change to K1 P1 ribbing.

Rippling Again!

Hi folks!
I've read the blog for months and oogled over all the gorgeous ripples that people have been making. I have finally started my ripple. This is not my first, but I haven't made a ripple afghan in ages. So, I got started on my Christmas gifts and here it is so far :)

This is going to be a gift for my sister. The yarn is Lion Brand Suede in the colorways of Waterlillies (color below), Eggplant, Olive, Fushia, and Denim.

The stitch is Soft Waves from 200 Ripples.



I have 2 other ripple afghans in the Chrstimas list, so I had better get my butt in gear and start rippling!

SSDD

afghan for dad - up and down

Same Stuff Different Day, so far it has been SSSA - same stitches same afghan, as I am still working on the Waterfall afghan. I decided to purchase 2 more skeins of the navy Palette yarn so there is more to come. But what I still need to decide is if I am going to continue it to make it wider vs. longer. Or perhaps I should just make it big enough to be used either way.



I think I like it with the zigzags going in that "slimming" way - that being up and down, vs. side-to-side:

If I don’t change my mind again, that means the length (the up and down way) will be about 49-51 inches. They stretch and I can’t seem to get a really accurate measurement. That will be okay since dad is a shortie like me. So far the width is about 40 inches.

I haven’t decided if I will make sure that the color repeat is complete across, because I may not have enough yarn (even with the 2) to make it complete in that way. But I figure it will not really matter much because it is so visually ziggy that I don’t think anyone will notice, as long as I have one dark blue stripe at the end. Please tell me what you think - up and down, side to side, make it big enough for either and do I need to make sure the color repeats are complete?




For now that I will need to chill on continuing Waterfall until the new yarn arrives so I can see if it matches. And that means I need to start on a new afghan. Cool!

I have the yarn for the last 2 afghans (besides my sister’s, which is still in process).

Both of these are from the Leisure Arts book, Rippling Effects. I had used one of the patterns a long time ago for some baby afghans I did for great-nieces and great-nephews. All of the patterns (16) are very pretty. It was hard to decide!

Peace!
Susan (aka ZenKnit)

Another one done

It's done. I should have blocked it before I took pictures, but I couldn't wait. It took me about 2 1/2 months to complete.





~Missy
Missy’s Knitting/Crafting Mess

My summer project. I have posted that she was done, but now that I have taken the pictures and posted them, I can really say done. It was a fun project but I really hate weaving in the ends. I still have a lot of yarn left so I am making a giant granny in the same colors. More ends to weave in! My gr d thinks it is her blanket but I want to keep this one for myself.

Hello everyone. I just joined the Ripple-along, but I've been reading the posts for quite a while. I just love seeing the pics of everyone's work progressing and then the finished pieces!

I started doing a soft waves ripple for my brother and sister in law for Christmas. It's supposed to match their living room, which is dark green and tan. They have two little boys, ages almost 4 and 1, so I'm using acrylic so they can wash and dry it easily. I'm using Red Heart "Linen" and Mainstay "Fall Splendor" which is a variegated of a color that looks just like the linen, burgundy and green.

I took this before I left for vacation...I have some more done now that I'm back, so I'll have to post an update later!

My First Ever Ripple Is Finished!

I finished it just in time to welcome our new little "grand-niece" into our world. Now I'm ready to start another one, with more color to it. I have so much admired all the beautiful work all of you have done. This is the first time I have ever done any kind of whatever-a-long. It is so much fun to see what everyone else is making.

crochetjo
Yarn Haven

Correction in Vannaghan Instructions

I have finished the Vannaghan and will post a pic after I've blocked it. I just wanted to let anyone who's planning to make this to know that there's a problem with the instructions, specifically in the number of skeins of yarn to buy. I bought 8 whole skeins more than I needed (about $25 worth). Hancock's would likely take it back, but I've decided to keep it to stitch something else. With it, and what's left on the skeins that I did use from, I think I have enough to make one of the other ripples in the book.

Here's the corrected amounts of yarns for the Kilim Throw on page 26 of Vanna's Choice: Color It Beautiful.

2 balls (not 3) #123 beige
2 balls (not 3) #130 honey
2 balls (not 3) #140 dusty rose
1 ball (not 2) #108 dusty blue
1 ball (not 2) #158 mustard
1 ball (not 2) #170 pea green
1 ball (not 2) #143 antique rose
1 ball (not 2) #173 dusty green

The other amounts are correct. There is also, however, a problem in the instructions.The footnote in the color sequence chart on page 26 indicates that you work only the rows between the asterisks twice. But at the bottom of column 1 on page 27, you're instructed to "complete entire color sequence twice." I believe the page 27 instructions are the correct ones; those are the ones I used.

I hope this helps anyone who is planning to make this afghan, now or in the future.
--Susan

MY FIRST RIPPLE

Here is another pic of my ripple in progress. It keeps on growing.

As I've said before it's pretty wild but I think I like it for a first try. The next one I want to be softer colors and I've got plenty of yarn to choose from.

I know this is a ripple along, but I hope you will forgive the other two pics. I promise to never post any thing but ripples in the future. I just had to tell you how happy I am and how much I'm loving crochet thanks to this site. Till now all I could do was Granny squares(picture above). Any of the few other items I've crocheted were done in classes with lots of instruction and I still didn't get it. When I found the Ripple -Along I was so impressed by every ones beautiful work. I was bound and determined that I would learn once and for all. I have wanted to be a crocheter for years and years. When I started my ripple I didn't quite get it but now I understand the patterning and have got the rhythm of the increasing and decreasing and the counting stitches between . At first I was just blank but now as I crochet on it I see those incs and decs and regular stiches and know what to do without looking at the pattern. I can't wait to start another ripple using a new pattern from the 200 Ripple Patterns book. So many to choose from.

My confidence has grown so when I saw the pretty daisy square(piture above) at KrystalKrochet, I really wanted to try it for myself and then make some for charity. Her instructions were great and so detailed. But I did struggle and did have to frog(That's the word for ripping out , right?) a number of times.Finally, again, the light bulb in my brain came on and I got it! I am really so happy. Now the last thing to overcome is those fine doilies made with cotton thread. Then I think I can crochet just about anything. But the ripples and granny squares will always be my favorites. And to think all of this happened because I happened upon the ripple along one day a few months ago.

If you're interested in Krystal's square, contact her at

(http://krochetkrystal.blogspot.com/2006/09/daisy-flower-crochet-charity-square.html)

She'll get a pattern to you.

More Vanna-ghan Rows Done

My husband thinks it's odd that I'm working with "30 pounds of yarn" in my lap during the hottest days we've had since 1885, or some such. It does get a little warm under there. The crocheting is fun, but I do dread the end, when I have to weave all those loose ends in. --Susan

I'm on vacation!

OK ripplers, I'm going on vacation and will be out of ripple-blog-checking range all next week.

Below is a shot of my ripple sock-in-progrsss (yep, in crochet)...far right. Not a very good shot as the camera is waging a zooming and focusing strike, but hopefully it's enough for you to get the idea. I've frogged it a couple of times now, but I think I have the proportions and decreases right this time, so hopefully will have something finished to show you upon my return.


Megan's in charge, so play nice, hear?

Finally Done!

I started this in February and took a long hiatus, but now it's done! Details on my Blog.

Progress on the Vanna-ghan

Even though I spent the past weekend at a quilting retreat and didn't do any crocheting there, you can see that I've made good progress on the afghan from Vanna's book. It works up fast due to the large hook (P) and using two strands of yarn.

First Timer

I have been bitten by the ripple bug. I have been an avid reader of the Blog, for about a month and finally picked up my crochet hook after many years hiatus and started crocheting. The first picture of the plain variegated, is my first attempt. The second picture is a close up to show the colour better. The third is just the beginning few rows of my next effort. Thanks to all of you for getting hooked again on Crochet.

Debra from Innisfil, Ontario

Onward!

I started up an afghan for my Dad for his Christmas gift. I decided that although a washable item would be really, really, nice, I wanted to do something that was warm and light and just hang the washing factor. So I went with KnitPicks fingering weight 100% wool yarn. The yarn is called Palette and what I used for my Peggle afghan.

I decided to do blues, with navy being the dominant color. Here it is:



This is another pattern from the 200 Ripple Stitch Patterns book, number 148 called Waterfall. Nice pattern with no errors. Unfortunately, I did a gauge swatch using one of the blues, instead of the navy. The navy is thinner, and I am finding whatever yarn you use to start really sets the size tone for the whole project. I was trying for 45 inches wide, and it is 51. Ooooooooops. That means I should order another ball of the navy. That might be tricky, because I purchased it back in July. I have an email into KnitPicks to see if they still have that lot number. I may need to call tomorrow. Fingers crossed.

Peace,
Susan (aka ZenKnit)

Oops, I started again!

Gosh, everyone sure is doing amazing work!!! I've been catching up on the rippling tonight, as well as my own blog.

I have been bitten by the ripple bug again. My next one is going to be a ripple scarf/shawl thing out of Patons Katrina. It is kind of a bouncy yarn but very pretty! The color of this is NOT true, actually it is a light lilac and not brilliant periwinkle. I didn't feel like fooling with editing it though. I plan to use satin ribbons or something different for the side fringes. Oh yeah, the other colors are light pink, peach, and two shades of pale seafoam green. It will be a light, springy thing. And, I modified the Susan's Easy Ripple pattern to be done with treble stitches instead of doubles. I just chained my multiples of 16, and started as usual for that pattern, then did one row in the regular stitch. When I got to the end, I chained 3 and did the treble from there, even with the "drawing up" stitch. Just yo twice, insert as normal and pull through two each time, you will have 7 loops on the hook for the last one. Ask and maybe I can 'splain it better in the morning....Here are the first few rows.



And an update on my first ripple. I work on it almost every night and sometimes by the pool, though mostly I'm swimming instead of watching due to the heat. It is about 55 inches long and will probably go another foot before I'm done.

Baby ripple finished.

The bright ripple is for charity. The lighter baby afghan is for my daughters friend who is due in October. I just loved working with the caron ss yarn. It is very easy to crochet with and I love the colors. My dog Buzz always wants to be part of whatever is going on and hopped up on the chair when I was taking pictures. The squares are 15 inch grannys that I made for preemie blankets. Since I crochet so many blankets I have decided to keep pictures so I can remember what I have done.

something interesting

This is something I just found on this site :

Isnt' that just the most beautiful Christmas afghan, with fun rippled panels!!! Thought you'd all be interested....

And a patriotic version, of a ripple--like a ripple/granny hybrid!!!

My bag is assembled !!! I'll try bocking it before lining. And I'm crochetting a handle, and will add a button to close the bag. I'm quite pleased with how it looks.

I think I'm done

This ripple is the only crafty thing I have done all summer. I have been so busy hanging out with my grand daughter that at night, when I usually crochet while watching tv, I fall asleep before I can even think of anything else. But I have been rippling along! My ripple is about 59 x 72. I am thinking I should stop because it will be too long and not wide enough. So I thing I am going to put some kind of border on it and call it done. I wish I would have made it wider because I don't feel ready to let it go. I do have enough yarn and scraps to finish my big granny, so that's not so bad.

Pics will follow soon.

Finally Finished!

Here is my father-in-law's mohair blanket. I wanted to have a background of mixed navy blues with bright colours zooming in from each side, but never going all the way across. I've used many different mohair yarns, (anything I could scrounge up cheap), and a 7mm hook. The pattern is a multiple of 13 plus 2 for the foundation row, then two ch for the 1st dc, miss 1 ch, 1 dc in each of the next 5 ch, 3 dc in the next ch, 5 dc, miss 2 ch and repeat to end, miss 1 ch, 1dc in last ch, and turn.

Forced myself to improvise

My super secret ripple afghan for my brother was near to being finished. I held off because the yarn was so darn hot to work with, being worsted weight Woolease. Add to that that the white yarn was extra fluffy with what appears to be a fine strand of angelina in it to give it a sparkly look.

Here is the finished afghan:



But since I was already finished with the August afghan, I decided that I needed to suck it up and really finish this time - the crocheting at least. On all the afghans but mom's I still have to weave in ends. Anyway.... I did what I thought was enough but once I tested the afghan using my husband's legs I realized that there was no way around the fact that the afghan was just too short. I had plenty of the gold and the black yarn, but not any white and I really didn't want to buy more just for 2 single row stripes (what I would need to make it long enough, using the repeat pattern). So I decided to just continue on and use the gold and black on one side, and then add on to the beginning. I don't think anybody but another picky crocheter like me would be able to tell.

And here is a detail of the added on gold and black:



The white is the beginning chain upside down, the 1 row gold stripe on top of the white is the beginning of the addition, continuing on to the 3 black rows.

Have any of you done something similar?

Peace,

Susan (aka ZenKnit)