Count me in

i've admired both jane's and alicia's ripple blankets for quite some time and have been looking through my stash for the appropriate yarn. and i think i may have found it. that's a bag filled with knitpicks' merino style and andean treasure. i have to do a little math to figure out how big a blanket i can make, because i'm not buying more yarn. honest.

This. Is. Amazing.

I'm equally addicted, not only to the rippling (aaahhh...), but also to checking out everyone else's work! Ladies, those are some beautiful afghans.

I had thought about using the Random Stripe Generator, because it's soooo fun to play with, but, as I'm too lazy and cheap to buy more color ink for my printer, I decided on closing my eyes and grabbing a ball of yarn. I think I'll get the same effect. I was unhappy with it at first, but somehow that last stripe of green made it all better. I'm trying to keep a running list of what types of yarn I'm using, mostly so I can keep track of how much I'm using. Like I said, it's all acrylic or acrylic/ wool blend, which is just fine with me since I want to be able to throw it in the washer anyway. So now, a picture, and then off to try to write this Spanish paper. Why won't it write itself?!



PS: I've researched how to make a button for us, but it appears to be beyond my knowledge...

I'm in Trouble

Last night I chained 219 for a blanket just over 60" wide. The grey I started out with will be the most-represented colour, since I have about four balls of it (more than any other). It's Polo Zitron cotton-microfibre. The pale purple that comes next is Rowan Cashsoft, and the red is an unknown deliciously soft 100% merino (I think). It was all I could do to put it all down to go to sleep. And now, in the middle of the afternoon, I'm dreaming ahead to getting into my pajamas for some more relaxing rippling. I'll shoot for better photos tomorrow.

Addicted!

Hi Everyone,

I found this knitalong through Flickr. I have been coveting the blankets on the Vintage Stripe Blanket Flickr group, but was able to hold off from starting one for a while. I finally succumbed to it last week even though I have many projects on the needles. This blanket is so addictive.

I am using 8 colors randomly. The yarn (Caron Simply Soft) is from my stash. The stitch pattern is "Soft Wave" from 200 Ripple Stitch Patterns by Jan Eaton. 147 stitches

Take a load off...

I have time for a quick post only right now...small people in need of naps. I wanted to get this to you starting to ripple or in the plotting stages, a tip from Alicia, The Musee:

Can't remember if I mentioned it, but the way I started mine was actually with the Random Stripe Generator?

http://rosylittlethings.typepad.com/posie_gets_cozy/2007/01/blizzard_blanke.html

I actually found it kind of a cool way to do random without really having to "think," because unless you have your eyes closed when you're reaching for the next color, you are thinking. I personally didn't want to think about that at all, but that's just me. I don't like thinking if I don't have to.

In that post she links to The Random Stripe Generator at Kiss Your Shadow. Now this my dears is some thing seriously fun to play about with. Serious time black hole, but whee! Have fun!

Plotting

I am SO psyched about this ripple-along. I've gathered stash yarn, eliminating a few balls because they're too light or too heavy, and one that was just the wrong colour. That leaves about fifteen balls of DK to light worsted weight yarn to start, and I'll see where it goes. I'm using a 5mm hook and a wavy ripple adapted from the Harmony Guide (I'm working through both loops instead of the blo called for in the pattern - I don't want ribs). My two constraints beyond yarn weight are colour (though I won't be too picky) and natural fibre. The yarns I'm starting out with aren't all 100% natural, but I won't use any entirely synthetic yarns. This is both because I'll have to hand-wash the blanket anyway, so I might as well make it as soft and luscious as possible, and also because I love natural fibers and I want to love making every stitch of this enormous project. Oh, and also, I often can't resist buying a ball of delicious yarn to play with, and using it in the afghan will both ensure that I play with it and also that I use up all of it. Tonight: I'll make a long chain!

ETA: How wide are you making your afghan, and how did you decide?

My humble start...

I started my take on the stash busting ripple afghan last week some time, before Dawn and Kim had this great idea! I think I'll enjoy it better knowing that as a group we'll keep up with each other's progress. I know I'm looking forward to see what everyone else comes up with. Like Dawn I'm using the Donna Kooler's lattice chevron stitch. My yarn stash wanted something a little more open and more pronounced than the ripple. I don't have the incredible stash that others have; it's mostly acrylic or wool/ acrylic left over from Christmas presents. The colors are either bright or dark, but some pastel too, along with some stripey/ variegated. I'll just have to see how they all come together. I'm a little wary because there are a lot of colors that clash pretty badly. Where will that bright orange fit in?

Here's the stash:

Not the most organized, I know. I haven't decided yet how I'll manage all these colors. It may literally be a random dive into the basket...

I look forward to seeing everyone else's afghans!

~Kelley

And so it begins...

WOW, is it good to be back crocheting. Not that it's been that long, but most of the last month and a half has been consumed with learning to knit. My brain goes to a totally different place with this, and double WOW, are my muscles A LOT less tense. Sooooooooooothing.

I'm off to a good start. Decided on the lattice chevron pattern out of Donna Kooler's Encyclopedia of Crochet. As I mentioned, I'm hoping the open work will be accommodating of the differing yarns I have to work with. The edges may be a bit rough,but I'm OK with that. I'm using a K hook, Boye aluminum if you need to know or care. So far I've worked up one ball of the Pehuen cotton, a scrap of Classic Elite Encore and now have some plain ole cream kitchen cotton hooking up. Since I'm a hopelessly lost color combiner, the stuff I pulled out of my stash is all blues, browns, creams to coordinate with the Pehuen. That way it really doesn't matter how it comes together, it should all work.

And oh yeah, if you want to ripple along, drop me your email at :

kyogadawn visi com

and I'll send you info on how to join the blog.

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!