Trinity Ripple Pattern/Tutorial thingie.

Hello, I thought I would break up my post from when I did the big reveal on this blanket as it would have made for a very long post otherwise.  Here is a tutorial on how I made the blanket.

Each ripple is multiples of 14 stitches and then + 3 at the end to start the next row.  I also included here how to make a ripple blanket with deeper ripples or softer waves.   All you have to remember is to start and end every row with a 3 chain stitch which counts as your first double crochet on every row through the blanket. Instead of counting for the foundation chain, I just crochet a long chain about one and a half times the width I want, and keep making the first row until it is as wide as I want.  Then I cut off the extra leaving about a 6 inch tail, and carefully unravel that tail until I get to the foundation stitch and carefully weave it in to secure it.  I can't count how many times I have had to rip out projects because I got the foundation chain wrong with counting.  It never fails, that the phone should ring or someone talks to you, and your get distracted... I found this is the no stress easy way.   If you want to count you still can, it is up to you.  Just count in multiples of 14 (if you are making the blanket like I did) and then add 3 more stitches which counts as your first double crochet and start the next stitch the 3rd foundation chain in from the end.  

Say for instance you want to make the ripple deeper and make 6 double crochets instead of 3 between increases and decreases.  Start with the number 8 to allow for increases and decreases and add to that 8.  You will need to times the number you choose times 2. 

So let's do the math here... 2 x 6 = 12 + 8 = 20  so that would mean multiples of 20 + 3 for the first double crochet on the next row.  

If you would like to see it with a photo this might help you more.

You can alter a ripple pattern very easily to make it do anything you want.  There is only one rule and that is that you have to decrease and increase the same amount, and the number of stitches you put in between those increases and decreases is up to you.  Just make sure they are the same too.  

I made the end of the blanket straight so that I could put a border on it that was ruffled and fun.  This is how I did that. 

Please note:  This above image only works for the increases and decreases I made on the blanket and drawn in the pattern earlier in this post.  If you add or decrease stitches in the center, you will need to adjust the stitches and it may not work for really dramatic ripples.  But for the trinity (3 decrease stitches, 3 double crochet, and 3 increase stitches) you will want to do what I have graphed in this picture.

And now on to the happy ruffle edging. My grandmother used to put this border on all her towels back in the 1920s.  It is so festive and fun isn't it? 

It is basically making a cluster of 7 double crochets in one space, and skipping over 2  double clusters of double stitches (4 double crochet stitches total) and securing it with a slip stitch, then skipping 2 more double stitch cluster stitches (4 double crochet stitches total), and making another 7 double crochets again, and doing this all the way around.  This will make a secure scallop but it does not ruffle.  Let's move on to the next part to see how to make it ruffle shall we?

Just be sure to start the picots on the edges (which makes it ruffle) in each space.  slip stitch, chain 3, and in the next space do it again and again until you go all the way around the blanket. 

I hope you enjoy this free pattern and play with it some.  I hope it inspires you to make whatever kind of ripple blanket you want, whether it is with deep dramatic wavy ripples, or tiny little subtle ripples.  

Until next time.... xxxxxxxxxxxx