Wednesday 14 September 2011

Rippling along


So - if you have been following my recent crochet conversion, you may know about my desire to ripple.  I did a practise swatch at the weekend - and here it is.  What do you think?  Pretty good - huh?
I loved doing it, and really got into the rhythm of it all.  Ready for the real thing?


Let's Ripple!


And again!

I have crocheted the foundation chain - 227 sts, and started on the first row last night.  This is the hardest part, as I really have to keep counting all the time to set the pattern up.  So - no distractions until that is done.  
I am choosing colours completely at random, by closing my eyes and picking a ball out of the basket.  First out was Debbie  Bliss cashmerino DK in  green (shade 18011).


No time for reading at the moment( except for glances at the new Country Living magazine), as this is taking up all my 'time to myself' moments, but James's bedtime reading right now is Exploring the Deep, by Jacques Cousteau.  A charity shop find for £1, and an absolutely delightful book.  What a beautiful gentle writer M. Cousteau is - even when he is describing some scary moments.
I am happy to be joining in with the Yarn Along weekly posts, hosted by Ginny @ Small Things.  Pop over and explore the wonders of the woolly world.

37 comments:

  1. Loving your ripple Jacqui, have fun with your hooky time x

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  2. oooh - I HAVE to learn - can you recommend a particular book/youtube page for self-teaching?

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  3. Rippling.......even the word sounds delicious, the colours of the yarns are so warm and earthy, it's going to be a lovely cosy blanket.

    lily x

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  4. The ripple is one of my favorites! I've made two ripple afghans and I love them so!. You're on your way.

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  5. Nice rippling! I love that green colour. Perfect for fall.

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  6. Super rippling! And I love that you are going to "pot luck" the colors. Looking forward to progress reports! :-D

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  7. Fabulous rippling! I do like your method of choosing the colors! :)

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  8. I really must learn to crochet.....
    Thanks for the picture it looks lovely and easy !

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  9. Fabulous...rippling is on my list of things to do too xxx

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  10. It looks great. I just started learning crochet, and on Friday posted about my very own first ever ripple (which was the first thing I wanted to make too!) - yours looks a lot neater though ;)

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  11. What a great start! I am eager to see your progress as I really do want to make one. It just seems like such a commitment. Right now I am just doing well knitting single skein projects.

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  12. You look like a pro already... gorgeous!

    Jacques Cousteau was my guru in junior high school. I read everything of his I could get my hands on. I took notes and dreamed of one day being a marine biologist. My dreams changed but I still love the ocean and appreciate what Jacques taught the young me!

    Blessings, Debbie

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  13. It looks like you really got the hang of it! Great job on the rippling! xx

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  14. From one hooker to another, you are doing great. Your tension looks perfect. And I love your colors.

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  15. Oh Thank you all - I really love this - and the word too (as if you couldn't guess)- it is such a great sound.
    Pinkundine - your ripple looks great. I will be very happy if I get that far in a week.
    Peg - thank you - I was a bit worried about the look of the tension.
    Little Macaroon - I used the book Crochet Unravelled to start with, as well as tutorials on You tube. I also found that the Blog Attic 24 was very useful in keeping me right on the ripple pattern. I have linked to the ravelry page, which links to that blog. Also, my original crochet post from a few weeks ago now, has some linky stuff too. (Hooked)
    xxx

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  16. Anonymous14/9/11 19:27

    Gorgeous ripple stitch! I have never tried it, either. I love the colors you chose.

    It's hard having so many loves, isn't it? I also love to read and crochet, and of course, blog. Sometimes it's hard to choose which to work on. Right now I have a book and a crochet project going, too.

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  17. When I saw that first picture I was in disbelief, thinking you had done so many colours to your blanket already, and wondered how you had found the time! It was therefore a bit of relief that it was the tester!! It looks really good, you should be proud of yourself for picking up the crochet skills so quickly.

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  18. Wow , jacqui, you have picked up the crocheting very quickly!
    Funny, just tonight I have been reading Country Living, too, it´s a lovely magazine!!!

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  19. Lovely rippling! Thank you for your comment at my blog. Great to hear that your son is into pink as well! Pink for boys is soooooo cool!
    Love, Sacha (maarnietvangrijs)

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  20. Great start on that ripple - maybe I should start one of those too. Don't think I have ever made a ripple - your swatch colours look very happy.
    Enjoy the crochet conversion.

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  21. Lovely :-)

    And save your swatches and pop them into a bag, and then eventually you'll have enough to make a ragtag blanket of different stitches/stitch patterns, yarns etc. ;-)

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  22. Anonymous14/9/11 23:12

    Ripple afghans are one of my favorites. Love your color choices.

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  23. I hopped over from Small Things, and I have officially fallen in love with your blog! You have a new regular reader :)

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  24. Love it! Now i want to ripple!! Thanks for the inspiration :)

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  25. that is your practice? it's gorgeous and the colors are so pretty too! have fun!

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  26. Wow, looks amazing. Where did you get your hook from-beeing searching for one!

    Uma x

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  27. Hello - thank you all for your encouragment - it is soo appreciated.
    Uma - i got the hook online from Laughing Hens.
    Lyndsey - welcome along - and all Yarn Along visitors too. xx
    Joxy - that is a good idea.
    I am so glad I did the practice swatch - 31 ch. it is making this long first row so much easier.
    xxx

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  28. I can only crochet granny squares, and would love to learn more. I'm going to look for the Cousteau book. Mine also like Gerald Durrell - favourite bed time reading round here is chapters of The Amateur Naturalist.

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  29. Anonymous15/9/11 15:04

    You are *such* an artist. Not just the cool things you make, but your whole life and how you share it. Thank you ! I will have to try this ripple thing soon. :)

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  30. I cancelled my Country Living subscription. I'm not missing it yet! Each month I have a peek at the contents and if there's nothing that grabs me then I don't buy it. Trying to cut down at source on the amount of paper going into the recylcing bin!

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  31. Kelly - will check that out. We recently read a lovely Gerald Durrel about a balloon journey around the world. I think I still have it on the sidebar.
    Thank you, Lee Ann
    Jen - what a lovely thing to say :)
    Linda - I did think about it a while ago, you may remember my disappointment with the Christmas edition. I think it has improved a bit lately - still very south oriented, but I am finding some inspiration each month.
    xxx

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  32. The ripple effect on your crochet is lovely. I'd love to be able to crochet, it seems to be such a versatile skill - I like it when you see crocheted edges on sewn items, I'd like to learn how to do that.

    I too like Country File magazine, I hadn't bought it for a long time, but then DH bought me a copy recently as I was book-less and crying out for something to read whilst waiting for the library to open!! It made me remember all the places I want to visit in the UK and all the reasons why I love being in the country too.

    Hope the weather is behaving itself where you are. Spoke to my friend in Scotland the other day and she said it had been very wet and windy up there in Inverness-shire. I'm currently making her a pair of gloves!!

    Lots of love to you

    Pippa
    xxxxxxxxxxxx

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  33. Everybody is rippling! Yours looks lovely too. Not me yet, although I do have some Sublime merino and cashmere (a little cheaper than Debbie Bliss) bought for the purpose of beginning to ripple.

    I am at the moment doing a crochet cover for my Easi Yo, in the believe that keeping it warm makes the yoghourt better. That is in straight stripes to use up some cotton. I am making it up as I go along.

    At the moment I'm making a crochet bag for my son's fiancee. I just hope she likes it.

    I hope the weather doesn't batter your vegetables this winter. I may look for some plants to put in myself, but only have a tiny area, the rest is lawn with shrubs around.

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