Crochet Update

Before the school holidays, I finally finished my last granny square for the throw blanket I am making for Miss Five.  Here they are...

All one hundred and sixteen!  I didn't do any crochet over the holidays but now they are all laid out on the loungeroom floor and I am painstakingly slip-stitching them together.  It feels like it's taking forever but I keep reminding myself that it takes time to sew love into every stitch and you can't get that out of a mass made product from China.

And because it's fun to add to the chaos by having more than one project going at anytime (am I the only person who does that?) I decided to teach myself how to ripple!  I've noticed lots of ripple and zigzag blankets happening in the crochety world of late and they all look pretty swish.  And since my nextdoor neighbour is pregnant I thought it would be a fabulous opportunity to ripple a baby blanket - something of a size that's not too daunting and that I'd be able to whip up a whole lot quicker than Miss Five's throw.

The lovely Hilary from here gave me a link to a marvelous rippley tutorial from over here.  I had seen this tute ages ago but forgot to bookmark it and then couldn't remember where it was.  So thanks, Hilary!!  (You should definately check out Hilary's awesome rippley goodness, I love the colours she is using)

Anyway, it seemed fairly straightforward with a couple of things I needed to learn (increasing and decreasing stitches) so I started on a small sample.  To begin with you have to chain a certain amount of stitches and then work your next row of stitches into the chain.

Well, I am not one for swearing (there are way too many other delightful words to use) and my hubby and close friends will tell you that when I swear they come running cause I clearly have good cause.  But working the first row of stitches into the chain?  That was an absolute bee eye tee cee aitch, let me tell you!!  To prove my point, here is my first attempt...

Gracious!  What the heck is that thing??  My tension is all over the shop and it doesn't even come close to resembling anything remotely ziggy or zaggy.  And getting my hook into each chain was absolute murder.  I came very, very close to ending up the same way Pip from Meet Me At Mikes did when she first attempted learning to crochet.  She cried, people.  And I now understand completely why she did that.  I do.

But instead of succumbing to the tears, I blinked a lot, cut that attempt off, went and had a cup of tea, came back, took a really deep breath, exhaaaaaaaaaaaaaled and began again.  This time I went awfully slowly and carefully, watching my tension and being really, really patient with those chains.  And look what happened!!

It's not perfect but it's much better, isn't it? It's quite ziggy.  And the second row was a breeze.  I can definately handle that problematic chain knowing how easy the rows afterwards will be

So after a little more practice I have some lovely white, navy and two nice blues to start rippling with (yes, my neighbour is having a boy).  Wish me luck!