Seaside Ripple Blanket

I am so happy to have finished this Seaside Ripple Blanket to show you.

I bought the yarn way before Christmas, but didn't start crocheting until January 3rd. I know because I wrote down the date. I also wrote down the starting chain, hook size, yarn colours and their order ... making it so much easier to complete this write up.

I bought 12 balls of yarn at JoAnn Fabrics and Crafts in Port Huron then picked up 6 more balls at Michaels here in London at two-for-one sales. JoAnn's yarn turned out to be the better bargain because their buy two get one free sale was buy two and one is free while Michaels' was actually buy two get one free. I bought extra just to make sure I had enough for a blanket to fit our granddaughter's full size bed.

To make this blanket, I followed instructions covering Ripple Blanket Know How posted by blogger Lucy at Attic24. This is not my first ripple blanket and it won't be my last as it's possibly my favourite type to make.

I love how this Seaside Ripple Blanket turned out with ripply stripe upon ripply stripe in colours reminiscent of the sea creating a blanket so suitably named. Check out the photos to see what I mean.

This Seaside Ripple Blanket made with love from Grammeo is folded and ready for our granddaughter. She can get it when they're here in July or we can deliver it the next time we visit them in Boulder. 

Technical details for my Seaside Ripple Blanket are listed below for the crocheters out there who might like to make one too. 

Follow these free instructions covering Ripple Blanket Know How posted by blogger Lucy at Attic24. 

Starting Chain - 269 (19x14+3)

Finished Size - 94"(length) x69" (width)

2 rows per stripe 

91 stripes (182 rows)

7 colours

Time to Complete - Approximately 66 hours (40 mins per stripe + border)

Yarn Used (7 colours): Snuggly Wuggly by Loops and Threads (DK weight)

Dark Turquoise (3 balls) 

White (3 balls)

Dove Grey (2 balls) 

Soft Mint (2 balls) 

Cotton Candy (2 balls) 

Soft Grey (2 balls) 

Cool Baby (2 balls) 

Hook size - 4 mm

Eighteen stripes repeated five times ending with Dark Turquoise on the last repeat:

1.  Dark Turquoise

2.  White

3.  Dove Grey

4.  Cool Baby

5.  Cotton Candy

6.  Dark Turquoise

7.  White

8.  Soft Grey

9.  Soft Mint

10. White

11. Dark Turquoise

12. Dove Grey

13. White

14. Cool Baby

15. Dark Turquoise

16. Soft Mint

17. Cotton Candy

18. Soft Grey

Border Colours:

Round 1: Dark Turquoise

Round 2: Cotton Candy

Round 3: Dove Grey

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Stash-Buster Ripple Baby Blanket

I made another Ripple Blanket. I really liked the Teal Dreams Ripple Blanket finished over a week ago, but I absolutely adore this crazy colourful Stash-Buster Ripple Baby Blanket. 

When it comes to crochet, I love bright bold colours. This blanket is both bright and bold. As an added bonus, it was made using yarn from my stash. It didn't cost anything more than my time. How practical is that?

To make this blanket, I followed free instructions covering Ripple Blanket Know How posted by blogger Lucy at Attic24. Her brilliant colour combinations continue to inspire me.

Technical details for this Stash-Buster Baby Ripple Blanket are listed below for the crocheters out there who might like to make one too. 

Starting Chain - 129 (14x9+3)

Finished Size - 39"x51"

2 rows per stripe 

42 stripes

Time to Complete - Approximately 25 hours (30 mins per stripe + border

Worsted weight 100% acrylic yarn from my stash  

 

I still have a basket full of worsted weight yarn. It's good for making toys.

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Teal Dreams Ripple Blanket

This year, I intended to crochet using yarn from my stash. Instead, when my daughter suggested her sister-in-law who is due to have a baby any day might like a ripple blanket and praised the Sweet Summer Ripple Blanket I made for her two years ago, I couldn't resist. I rushed out to buy yarn in colours to match the nursery - teal, grey and white. I bought three shades of teal, three shades of grey and two shades of white for a total of eight different colours. I committed to making another Ripple Blanket.

This blanket took about two weeks to make. It was finished a couple days ago. I waited for a sunny day to take photos. 

I was considering calling it "Shades of Grey and Teal", but decided Teal Dreams Ripple Blanket was more appropriate. This combination of colours looks so calm and soothing. I love it.

Changing colours for each stripe creates a lot of ends to weave in and cut.

I love how mesmerizing stripey ripples look. I used approximately 1.5 balls of each colour, adding the rest to my stash. 

 

The blanket is folded and ready to go, although it will probably be months before it gets to California. We will take it with us when we visit our daughter in Boulder this summer. Our daughter and her husband travel to California regularly. Hopefully it will get there by next winter.

To make this blanket, I followed free instructions covering Ripple Blanket Know How posted by blogger Lucy at Attic24. I love all of Lucy's colourful crochet ripple blankets. Her brilliant colour combinations inspire me.

Technical details for this Teal Dreams Ripple Blanket are listed below for the crocheters out there who might like to make one too. 

Starting Chain - 157 (14x11+3)

Finished Size - 44"x62"

2 rows per stripe 

54 stripes

8 colours

Time to Complete - Approximately 30 hours (30 mins per stripe + border)

Patons Canadiana 100% worsted weight acrylic yarn:

2 balls (100 g/3.5 oz) of each colour

• Pale Teal 
• Medium Teal 
• Dark Teal 
• Pale Grey Mix
• Medium Grey Mix 
• Toasty Grey
• Winter White
• White

Hook size - 5 mm

Stripe Colours in this Teal Dreams Ripple Blanket:

1. Pale Teal
2. White
3. Pale Grey Mix
4. Dark Teal
5. Medium Grey Mix
6. Medium Teal
7. Toasty Grey
8. Winter White
9. Toasty Grey
10. Pale Teal
11. Medium Teal
12. Dark Teal
13. Pale Grey Mix
14. Winter White
15. Medium Grey Mix
16. White
17. Medium Grey Mix
18. Pale Teal
19. Dark Teal
20. Medium Teal
21. Pale Grey Mix
22. Toasty Grey
23. Winter White
24. White
25. Toasty Grey
26. Pale Grey Mix
27. Medium Teal
28. Dark Teal
29. Pale Teal
30. Medium Grey Mix
31. Winter White
32. White
33. Medium Grey Mix
34. Winter White
35. Pale Grey Mix
36. Dark Teal
37. Medium Teal
38. Pale Teal
39. Toasty Grey
40. Winter White
41. Toasty Grey
42. Medium Teal
43. Medium Grey Mix
44. Dark Teal
45. Pale Grey Mix
46. White
47. Pale Grey Mix
48. Dark Teal
49. Medium Grey Mix
50. Winter White
51. Medium Teal
52. Pale Grey MIx
53. White
54. Pale Teal

Border Colours:

Round 1: Pale Teal

Round 2: White

Round 3: Medium Teal

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Sweet Summer Ripple Doll Blanket

In September I crocheted my first "Sweet Summer Ripple Blanket" named for the soft summery colours selected for our sweet granddaughter. This week I finally got around to making a matching doll blanket from leftover yarn. I love how it looks so teeny tiny and cute.

If you look closely, you can see I used a ripple made of 10 stitches instead of the standard 14 stitch repeat. I also switched colours every row instead of every other row working all the rows in the same direction. There is clearly a right and a wrong side with this blanket.

With so many colour changes I made good use of my yarn needles, yarn threader and scissors. With DK weight yarn, I used a 4 mm crochet hook.

A small bowl full of yarn ends. I counted 34 stripes with a 3 row border for a total of 74 yarn ends so lots of weaving in for this little blanket.

I still have yarn left but will find a use for it. No yarn wasted here.

I had fun taking photos this morning. See how much smaller my Sweet Summer Ripple is beside my Cosmic Rays Ripple Doll Blanket. It's mostly due to the difference in yarn weight and hook size. My Cosmic Rays Ripple Blanket was made using worsted weight yarn and a 5 mm hook. 

 

Miss Violet enjoys laying on ripples dreaming of summer and picnics in the park. Bunny likes to snuggle under ripples for a much needed nap.

Miss Violet admires both ripple doll blankets folded and piled together. Any doll would be happy to have such cozy and colourful blankets.

In case you would like to make one too, I've included instructions on how to make this Sweet Summer Ripple Doll Blanket.

PDF Version

Stitches Used:
ch (chain)
dc (double crochet)
dc2tog (double crochet 2 together)
sc (single crochet)

Starting Chain 53 (5 x 10 + 3)

Row 1: dc in 4th ch from hook, *dc in next 2 ch, dc2tog 2 times, dc in next 2 ch, 2 dc in next 2 dc**, repeat * to ** across ending with 2 dc in top of last dc, finish off leaving a long tail to weave in

Same as crochet ripple pattern described here but reduce by 2 dc on either side of the 'valley' and the 'bump' to get a 10 stitch repeat instead of 14

Change colour every row, work right to left (for right-handed crocheters)

Border - 3 rounds (follow instructions found here by blogger Lucy at Attic24)

Finished size - 13.5" x 16.5"
34 stripes randomly selected colours
10 colours (left over from Sweet Summer Ripple Blanket)

Yarn Used (10 colours):

1. Bernat Softee Baby - Soft Peach
2. Bernat Softee Baby - White
3. Bernat Softee Baby - Antique White
4. Bernat Softee Baby - Flannel
5. Bernat Softee Baby - Aqua
6. Bernat Softee Baby - Pale Blue
7. Patons Beehive Baby Sport - Violet Mist
8. Patons Beehive Baby Sport - Spring Clover
9. Patons Beehive Baby Sport - Rose Bud
10. Baby Marble - Shade (blues, pinks, purples)

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Christmas Wrap Up

Christmas this year was much like other years with the focus on family, fun and food. In an effort to simplify, we have scaled back on gifts but still have plenty under our tree. 

My parents and son join us for breakfast and our Christmas morning is off to a good start with capuccino, biscotti and gifts. 

After breakfast and before starting dinner, we hike to the Sifton Bog Boardwalk. Last year it was cold and snowy, but this year it's mild and clear, a perfect day. 

Our dinner is relatively easy with everybody contributing. I cook the turkey, broccoli and brussel sprouts. My parents make a huge pot of mashed potatoes, my sister-in-law makes crockpot stuffing and my mum-in-law makes gravy, trifle and lemon pie. With so much help, we are able to relax with drinks and more gifts while dinner cooks.

Our family Christmas dinners include lots of laughs, lots of fun and lots of food. We all save space for my Mum-In-Law's Santa-adorned trifle. It has become a favourite family tradition.

We all had a bit of fun with a magnifying glass from my Christmas cracker this year. Who can resist making googly eyes? Funny how we all picked our right eye to enhance. I wonder what that says about us?

So to wrap up our Christmas this year, I have to say it was truly wonderful. Of course we missed our daughter and her family but I am happy to hear they are enjoying themselves in Brazil. I feel lucky to have such a fun and loving family both at home and abroad.

With such a simple Christmas, I managed to fit in lots of crochet time over the holidays. I am working on both a cowl and a big fluffy blanket. 

I decided to finally use some luxuriously soft and expensive hand painted yarn I bought a couple years ago. I am making a cowl using this pattern but my yarn is finer so the cowl is too short to loop around the neck.

I love the colour and can't wait to see how it turns out. I might make another in the grey/green colour only longer for looping next time.

I plan to keep going until all the yarn is used up. As you can see there is quite a bit left so I think this cowl will be warm and cozy once it's done. I'll be sure to share a photo but it might be awhile yet because I also started working on a big fluffy blanket this week.

On Boxing Day I couldn't resist buying Lion Brand Homespun Thick and Quick yarn on sale at Michael's for $7.99 a ball, a significant savings from the original price of $12.99. I bought 6 balls each in Dove and Pearl to make a fuzzy ripple blanket for my son. I don't enjoy working with chunky yarn as it tends to snag and stitch details are lost in the fluff.

My son loves fluffy blankets so that's why I'm doing it. I decided to follow the same ripple pattern I used to make my Cosmic Rays Ripple. It looks completely different but still very nice and of course totally cuddly with such chunky yarn.

I'm hoping to finish this blanket by Saturday but I also want to write a year end review and I'm running out of time. Wish me luck.

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