Recently in Ripples Projects (crochet) Category

• Size: 38 inches x 54 inches
• Colors: Scraps in White and Pastels
• Pattern: Stripped Ripple (my own design)
• Hook: H
• Date: start April 6; finish May 6

Another lap blanket to be donated near the end of this year.

• Size: 63 inches point to point
• Colors: Soft Forest Green, Forest Green, Rich Periwinkle, Seascape Ombre (Bernat Berella)
• Pattern: Round Ripple Afghan - Design by Mary Jane Protus - with my own modifications to increase from 6 points to 12 points to 24 points (how did I do it?)
• Book: New Crochet Basics - Leaflet 777- Copyright 1989 - Leisure Arts
• Hook: H
• Date: start April 7; finish April 18

William is a young man I met just over 5 years ago during my second job interview at the college. He showed me around the two spaces where the new Web Designer would possibly be sitting. Bright, friendly, and just 4 years older than my son, I took to him like a mom.

We shared an office for my first few months at the college. Since he was the go-to person with regard to the college's course management system and technology used in the classroom, we have similar skill sets and regularly geeked out together over web technologies.

Over the years, I watched him grow, be a good dad, be a good husband, have a second child, begin coaching soccer... Mature. But still be fun.

At the end of April, he moved on to a job as a Web Designer at a web design firm. When I learned he was looking for new opportunities, I decided to make him and his family a round ripple afghan - here it is!

I miss William, but like any good mom would do, I encouraged him to reach for more, to try something new, to grow.

[Update May 31, 2007 6:50pm] For those who want to know, here are the instructions:

I increased the number of points for my round ripple afghan by crocheting an additional point in each valley on the rows where I wanted to double the number of points (6 to 12, then later 12 to 24), then continued the up-and-down (hill-and-valley) ripple pattern. See the 4th and 5th photos of this post for photos of an added point.

Someone at Crochetville posted photos of the way they added points to their afghan using granny squares in the ripple valley.

The way I added the points it allows for more color striping options vs. the granny square method.

[Update August 30, 2007 5:50pm] Here's a more detailed explanation of how I added the new points...

As the hills (points) and valleys get larger and larger, it is possible to add a new point in each valley to create more hills.

So, when the side of a hill is, for example, 22 or 23 stitches long, finish that row and tie off the yarn.

Then, divide the number of stitches in the hillside by 2. So, 22 or 23 divided by 2 equals 11 stitches.

* Now you'll start a new point in one of the valleys: From the top of any hill/point, count down 11 stitches and start a row for the new point in the 12th stitch. Continue making stitches down that hillside, do the stitch you've been using at the bottom of the valley for all the other rows, and make the same number of stitches up the next hillside, leaving 11 stitches UNDONE before the top of the next hill/point. First row of new point is done.

On each successive row of the new point, you'll want to do a decrease at the beginning and the end so that a point is formed. The last row of the new point will be either 2 or 3 stitches. When done, the new point SHOULD BE the same length as the original points.

Repeat from * in each remaining valley.

Whew. Look closely at photos 4 and 5 (click the thumbnails to see larger versions) above and you'll see the rows in the new points.

[Update February 15, 2008] Here are photos of round ripple afghans with points added in the valleys made by members of Crochetville: 1, 2, 3, 4. Very nicely done!

• Size: 30 inches x 51 inches
• Colors: Scraps in White, Cream, and Dark Colors
• Pattern: ??? Not sure (with mods by me)
• Book: ??? Not sure
• Hook: H
• Date: start March 31; finish April 4

Another lap blanket to be donated near the end of this year. Oh, and, that's Jaz helping again!

• Size: 39 inches x 68 inches
• Colors: Dark Orchid, Medium Purple, Fiesta Jewel, ? (Red Heart Super Saver)
• Pattern: 93
• Book: 101 Ripple Stitches - Leaflet 1237 - Designs by Jean Leinhauser - Copyright 1997 - American School of Needlework
• Hook: K
• Date: start March 22; finish March 31

Candace and her new husband moved into the neighborhood over a year ago. They seemed like nice people - and happy to be together. Candace is legally blind, although she can see large objects, and her husband was disabled in a wheelchair. Both left the house each morning in a paratransit bus to begin their commute to work, and returned some 12 hours later. Last fall, her husband died unexpectedly at home after a short stay in the hospital with heart problems. And in March, Candace had a double mastectomy. I don't know her well - we say "hi" when our paths cross outside - but I wanted to do something for her.

So, I made her this blanket - a comfortghan you could call it. In spite of it being Red Heart Super Saver yarn, the blanket is soft because of the pattern and the larger-size crochet hook I used - and will become softer after washing. Oh, and, purple is Candace's favorite color!

The stripes of color in this ripple blanket follow this Fibonacci-like number sequence:

3 2 1 1 1 2 3 5 1 1 2 1 1 5 3 2 1 1 1 2 3
M X M D M D X M E D E D E M X D M D M X M

where M = Medium, X = Mix, D = Dark, E = Darker.

• Size: 29 inches x 45 inches
• Colors: Dark Colonial Blue, Colonial Blue, Dark Sage, Sage, Nutmeg, Oatmeal (Caron Wintuk), Navy (Red Heart Super Saver)
• Pattern: Santa's Stripes #144
• Book: 200 Ripple Stitch Patterns - ISBN 0-89689-276-X - Designs by Jan Eaton - Copyright 2006 - kp books
• Hook: H
• Date: start March 4; finish March 11

A woman at work gave me a large bag of mixed yarns, including skeins of Wintuk in colors that coordinate well together so I decided to use them on this ripple - gotta divert from the granny square addiction sometimes...!

Size: 31 inches x 44 inches
Colors: Cape Cod Blue, Lace, Winter White, Country Basket Ombre (Caron Perfect Match)
Pattern: #156 Cluster Ripple
Book: 200 Ripple Stitch Patterns - ISBN 0-89689-276-X - Designs by Jan Eaton - Copyright 2006 - kp books
Hook: I
Date: start December 28; finish December 30

Third of 3 lap blankets for 2007 donation finished during the holiday break from work. That's Cleo helping to display the top right corner of the blanket.

Size: 35 inches x 50 inches
Colors: Dark Green, Light Green, Off White (Caron Perfect Match)
Pattern: #52 Lavender Fields
Book: 200 Ripple Stitch Patterns - ISBN 0-89689-276-X - Designs by Jan Eaton - Copyright 2006 - kp books
Hook: J
Date: start December 17; finish December 20

"Lavender" is in the name of the pattern, but of course, other colors can be used!

This is the last lap blanket to be donated this year.

Size: 36 inches x 48 inches
Colors: Magic Scrap Ball
Pattern: At least 3 ripple styles
Hook: I
Date: start Dec. 28, 2005; put aside after a while; continued Nov. 8, 2006; finish Nov. 12)

I started this lap blanket in December last year and when the Magic Scrap Ball^* ran out, I put it aside until more scraps had accumulated. I continued working on it last month and finished it a few days later. I didn't realize that I had started the blanket using one ripple pattern, did some rows in the middle using a different ripple pattern, and than continued at the end using yet a third pattern. The pattern changes are not obvious, and even if they were, they make the blanket more unique!

^* A Magic Scrap Ball is a ball of yarn created by joining together (with knots or not depending on your philosophy of using knotted yarn) a variety of lengths of yarn scraps. For best results (depending on the project), the yarn scraps should be similar in thickness and use the same material (such as all acrylic or all wool) or the material should all be washable (or be sure to only hand wash the completed project). At each join, leave a 4- to 6-inch length of yarn tail to be weaved in.

Colors: Grass Green, Mellow Yellow, Pink Power (Patons Kroy Socks)
Pattern: Rippled Effect
Book: Learn to Crochet Socks - Leaflet 1308 - Designs by Kathy Wesley - Copyright 2000 - American School of Needlework
Hook: D
Date: March 2006

I love these socks! The colors and ripples are so fun! The original pattern has the same color order for the ripples and uses the same color for the heal and toe on each sock. I decided to mix it up!

Size: 35 inches x 46 inches
Colors: Scraps in Grey, Peach, Cream, White
Pattern: Ripple (p. 116) (modified)
Book: 40 Fabulous Afghans - ISBN 0-696-02357-1 - Designs by Patricia Bevens - Copyright 1993 - Meredith Press
Hook: L
Date: February 2006

I started this lap blanket last month and have worked on it in between other projects. I finished it today while I am home from work trying to get rid of a cold (?) that crept up on me. After last week's 4-day migraine, I'm worn down and taking a few days sick time hoping it won't get worse.

I miscalculated the width of this blanket (only 28 inches), but since I didn't catch it soon enough I added the rows on the left and right sides to make it wider so it matched the length better.

The ripples are smaller than the original pattern: The number of stitches is 7 up and 7 down. The original pattern is 11 stitches up and 11 down.