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)

My first big blanket done

I finally got my daughter's blanket done, and I made her a matching pillow. The blanket was done in single crochet and the pillow was done in both single and double crochet.





~Missy
Missy’s Knitting/Crafting Mess

My First Post Here

I got hooked (ha ha! get it? hooked?) into buying 33 balls of the new Vanna's Choice yarn from Lion Brand yesterday. I'm making the ripple afghan on the front of her new book. Read all about it on my blog.
I'm new as a member of this group, but have been visiting and enjoying all the beautiful ripples for a while.

Seriously overdue update

You all are cruising at breakneck speeds, it's amazing. I'm totally in love with the ripples, ripple socks and scarves you're so creative in making. I'm ashamed to admit my ripple sat for several months from all of my increased summer activity. But I've picked it back up again and I'm getting back ito the grove.

Hopefully one of these days I'll catch up to you and make something as amazing. Happy ripplin' everyone!
Trish {quadshotyarn}

The Rippler Blog is now up and running

The Ripplers blog is starting to come together. For those of you who have sent me information - Thank you. I just copied and pasted, so if you would ever like anything changed just let me know. All ripplers will have their own label on that blog for means of searching. The label system is first name then the name of the blog/website I was given. For example mine would be: Megan - Laugh.Love.Hook.

Hopefully tomorrow I will add a link to the new blog on the side bar. The No End in Sight Ripplers Blog

To those who would still like to be included, please email me your information to cheersmurf AT gmail DOT com.

Name:
Blog address: *either here on blogger or elsewhere*
A little blurb about you:
Favorite ripple pattern: *just the name... no actual patterns*
Ripple count: *how many ripples have you done?*
Picture link: *if you would like your picture next to your info, provide me with a link*

I'm finished with August

I'm finished with August. The afghan for August that is. And it is only the 6th! Whoo!

Here is Storm Clouds:



The pattern is Storm Clouds (#63) from 200 Ripple Stitch Patterns, by Jan Eaton. I used 3 colors of Red Heart Super Saver. Black, Grey Heather and a beige with brown, grey and black flecks called Aran Fleck. The black came in 7 oz skeins, the grey and fleck in 5 oz skeins. I used a full 2 skeins and about half of a 3rd skein for the grey and aran fleck, and only a bit of the 3rd skein of black. I think I might have been able to get by with only 2 skeins of the black had I not started over and then needed longer tails for connecting. Here is a better shot of the colors:



I did 12 repeats of the 3 colors, plus an extra 2 rows of black to kind of balance it out (it started with black). Used a size J hook and it worked out to be about 46 x 68.5 inches. I thought it would be about 51, but I guess it sucked up a bit. If I were to do this pattern again, I would have the ends have 2 bunches before the turn chain instead of the 3 as it directs in the instructions. Here is a detail shot of the edge and where I went wrong (in my mind).



But it is just one of those preference things, although it would have meant not having to buy 3 more skeins = cheaper, it would have been a bit more narrow. It is meant to be a one person afghan, so it works very well. Guinevere has already give it her 4 paw approval.

Onward to the next afghan. I will share the plans as soon as they are ready.

Peace!
Susan (aka ZenKnit)

What Would You Do?

Hi everybody! I haven't posted in a very long time, but I"m facing a rippling dilemma, and I'm hoping you can help.

I started a Soft Waves ripple in Knitpicks Shine Sport (which works up beautifully, by the way; I highly recommend it), with the goal of making it big enough to cover a double bed. But at nearly 300 stitches, the going is soooooooo slow. In the course of the entire summer I have done maybe ten stripes, which is like an eighth of the blanket. My question is: faced with this kind of snail-pacery, would you frog back and make a smaller blanket, or would you soldier on, even knowing that the balnket will probably not be done for another year or so? I'm undecided, but sorely tempted...

Hey bloggers

I'm getting ready to start on the Ripple List and would like everyone who wants to be included to either email or comment with the following. Email me at cheersmurf AT gmail DOT com. Please put "Ripple Info" in your subject so that I can make sure it doesn't go to spam.

Edit: Ok I should explain this a bit more. Dawn started another blog that we will link on here once we get a bit more on it. It is just for info about us... the ripplers. It's HERE ... So the info you provide me will go on there.

Name:
Blog address: *either here on blogger or elsewhere*
A little blurb about you:
Favorite ripple pattern: *just the name... no actual patterns*
Ripple count: *how many ripples have you done?*
Picture link: *if you would like your picture next to your info, provide me with a link*

Ripple Toes

It has been a while since I knit anything. I have been concentrating more on crochet but needed to start another pair of socks. These are for my daughter, Shiloh (the original), in Seattle. I call these the Fruit Stripe socks because they remind me of the gum we used to buy when I was a kid. It is a simple feather and fan pattern with 2 repeats over 32 instep stitches. After I turn the heels, it will be all pattern all the way around 64 stitches.

I think she will like them.

Come visit me at my blog!

Newbie saying hello

Well, I'm not a newbie crocheter anymore. Or ... well, maybe I still am, I've only been doing this for about three months, so I guess that's still newbie-status, but I've been around the granny-along for a while.

This is my first time posting here, though and this is my very first, own, ripple along. It's about 45 inches wide, and 12 long so far. I'm using acrylics of all kinds, trying to do a solid, then a variegated, a solid and then a variegated etc, etc.

It's not beautiful, but it's kinda FUN, and the colors are summer-y, don't you agree :)

Anyway, hello! Glad to be here.

Cotton Ripple Progress

My Mission Falls cotton ripple is coming along little by little. I introduced the light yellow to it the other night because I'm quickly running out of my other colors and I have 2 skeins of the light yellow......do you like it or doesn't it go? I will be putting in more of it as I go so right now all you see is 2 rows of it, but what do you think talented ripplers?

I'm amazed how much I like the way this feels as I go along because initially I thought it might be too heavy for an afghan, but not so with this 1894 Mission Falls cotton. It's light and airy, perfect for a cozy 'ghan without being too warm. Something like this would be just the right thing for those of you in warmer climates who still need something to snuggle up under in the AC.

Pink Ripple Up-Date

Here's the progress on the pink baby ripple. I haven't worked on it for awhile because of swap fun and house fun, but I'm going to get back to it... I think it's probably about 2/3 of the way finished, plus I'm going to do a sc border around the edges in the hot pink... Getting closer :)

Blue ripple bag building up

First progress report on my blue ripple bag.

The sides are done. This is the main piece of the bag... the masterpiece shall I say? since it has the ripples, in an imitation of the "soft waves" pattern I love on your blankets. There are still 12 stripes to go ! plus the handle, plus the assembling... I'm not quite done yet!

Blanket Mania Part 1: Ripples

My favorite thing to make, whether knit or crochet, is blankets. Lately, though, my love of blankets has reached a level of mania right under my mania of Harry Potter. Unfortunately, living in Arizona makes blanket-making an uncomfortable venture, but it doesn't seem to stop me from making blanket after blanket. I always have an afghan in progress, whatever else I may be working on. I like all kinds of blankets, all sizes, all colors, all patterns.

So as the first installment, I will discuss the Ripple. I have made other ripples before, as published on this post. I have also mentioned that the Ripple was one of my grandma's favorite things to crochet and has now become one of my favorites.

Using Jan Eaton's book 200 Ripple Stitches--the epitome of Ripple sources, in essence, the Rippler's Bible--I made an lapghan a couple of weeks ago that is now one of my all-time favorite blankets.

I used the Pink Ripple pattern and added a wavy edging all the way around. I never thought of the Ripple as being a edging sort of blanket, but this edging turned out to be perfect for the blanket. In fact, I'm not sure it would be my favorite if not for the edging.

The Pink Ripple pattern gives the afghan a nice, airy feeling. I can sleep with this afghan on my bed during the summertime without getting overheated.
I used a size K crochet hook for this ripple, which seems to be my favorite hook size for ripples lately. I like how fast the blankets make up when I use a larger hook.
I am also working on a ripple in a variegated yarn to donate to Project Linus. I didn't want to have to use another color, so I altered the Soft Waves pattern to give it texture. I crochet in the back loops only of each row to give it depth without altering the pattern significantly. It makes the rows stand out without taking away from the color of the yarn. For this blanket I am using a size I crochet hook, so a few smaller from my normal Ripple hook size. The yarn is so soft and lightweight that I can still stand to have it on my lap during the summer.

More blankets to come on my blog here.

Back to crocheting!

Smoking on these ripples

Rippling along, faster than the speed of -er-, whatever. I guess I am trying to say that I am ahead of schedule. I finished the June/July afghan. Here it is in all its eggplant and multi glory.



Here is another view, I don't know if the first or this one is a better representation of the color. Purple is sure one hard color to get right on a photo and on a screen:



Not being content to just wait out the last days of the month without a project going, I decided to start on the August afghan.



This one is another from the 200 Ripple Stitch Patterns book. A straight granny stitch type called Storm Clouds. I just happened to pick storm cloud colors too. Black, grey heather and a beige with black, grey and brown flecks. So far everyone agrees that it is masculine looking. I am already about 1/3 done after only about 3 days, or is it 4? Anyway, this one is definitely fast, and I think I can safely say that I will be able to finish it in a month. I am making this one narrow, only 51 inches across. I will probably do 12-14 repeats, so it will be 60 inches long at least.

Peace!
Susan (aka ZenKnit)

...and now, a word from our sponsor.

I'm back!

I bet you all thought I fell off the planet.

In actuality I fell hopelessly into summer's thrall. All 3 kiddos home all the time and I have about 3 seconds of computer time daily. Just enough to keep up with invites, scan the comments and new posts and pop onto Ravelry if I'm lucky.

As you can tell, that means the promised blog improvements have been sorely neglected.

I have some exciting news though.

We have a new Ripple Mistress of Magic. Welcome Megan to the NEIS Ripple-Along admin team! She'll be helping with page design, link upkeep, and other general handy type things. If you have links for ripple patterns, online crochet tutorials, or yourself, pop her an email at: cheersmurf (AT) gmail (DOT) com. (y'all know you have to replace the AT with "@" and the DOT with ".", right?) We're hoping to get the NEIS Ripplers page up and running soon, so we can actually check out everyone's sites and other good works. Particularly if you are not keeping a Blogger based blog, pop Megan a note letting us know where we can find you.

As to my ripple progress...the blankets are hopelessly stalled. Even with AC, they are much, much too warm to be getting on with, or lug around. However, have been working on a new ripple for




and it's turning out just grand:

The pattern has to be posted first to the SOS-along, but will share it when I can. More pictures soon too.

...and just why does my ripple need to be portable?


It's likely the last summer my parents will have a pool, so we're taking advantage every chance we get. Big ripples, not synonymous with poolside fun. Ripple socks, on the other hand, poolside perfection.

Have fun, stay cool, and keep those ripples coming!

Your loving HRM, Dawn

Month 5 (Zoiks)

Ripple, Month 5
Originally uploaded by kpwerker.

It's so much fun to see everyone's finished ripples and to dream of the day -- no doubt months from now -- when I'll show mine!

Here we are as of this morning, solidly in the fifth month of progress (read: I've barely touched it in weeks). I figure I'm just over halfway done.

La Souris Scarf

Huzzah! I finally finished the scarf I started last month (my first ripple in 10 years!). I just sent it out to my scarf swap partner today. Hope she likes it!