Saturday, September 8, 2007

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:
Soft Waves

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

Sunday, September 2, 2007

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.


Saturday, September 1, 2007

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.

Sisters ripple

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

Thursday, August 30, 2007




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.

Monday, August 27, 2007

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!

Saturday, August 25, 2007

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

Friday, August 24, 2007

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

Wednesday, August 22, 2007

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
She'll get a pattern to you.

Saturday, August 18, 2007

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

Friday, August 17, 2007

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?

Wednesday, August 15, 2007

Tuesday, August 14, 2007

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.

Sunday, August 12, 2007

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:

ripple afghan for dad in a pattern called Waterfall

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)

Saturday, August 11, 2007

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.

Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket

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.

Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket

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.



photo