Tuesday 19 July 2011

Rainbow Ripple Ta~Daaaaah!!!!


I have to warn you - this post is very much a festival of Ta~Daaahing over my newly completed Rainbow Ripple Blanket.  If you are not in the mood for gratuitous shots of bright coloured yarn, and artfully draped blankets then I suggest you skip this post and come back another time :D  If you are, then sit back and prepare your eyes for a burst of rippling lovely~ness!

You may remember me starting this blanket way back in February 2010.  It has taken a long time to finish it - 18 months to be exact but it finally is finished and I have to confess to being absoloooooodely and completely in love with it.

 
Just look at those gorgeous rippling colours...it sends me into a slight trance looking at it.  In fact, this will be the perfect Dreaming Blanket...imagine one of those days where the need to snuggle up and spontaneously nap occurs...  It fits the bill perfectly.


I used a lovely bunch of colours from the Sirdar Sublime Cashmere Merino DK range.  Needless to say, it was not a cheap blanket to make; and that is also one of the reasons why it took me so long to complete (I had to keep saving up for new yarn supplies).  However, it is beautifully soft, and naturally warm and I know it will become a well loved, well used blanket over the years (which kind of justifies the expense).

 
The measurements of the blanket are approximately 130cm x 130cm square.  I would tell you how many balls of wool I used, but as it's taken me so long I've kind of lost count.


There were heaps of ends to weave in, which I finished off last night.  There is something very pretty about all the little inchy bits of wool collected together in a bowl.


The pattern, which is fantastically simple to follow, can be found at Attic 24 Blog here.


My sofa is becoming one of my favourite, and most comfortable places to be in the whole house.  It is a feast of colour and soft yarn...I love it.

So what next, you may be asking - of course I'm still working on my Japanese Flower scarf which I started in June and it's coming on nicely in fits and starts.  But it seems I cannot be without a Big Project.  No, there has to be something on the sidelines that I can go back to over time, that may take a while to do but is satisfying in that it's there and can be picked up and put down as the feeling takes me.

A Blanket then.  Another one.

And this time a request from my daughter; 'please can I have a blanket for when I get my new Big Girl's Bed?'

How could I possibly say no to that?  So I dug out the only pattern that I'd been itching to do, from a rather lovely book I treated myself to some time ago:


You can find this quite cheaply on both Amazon, and The Book Depository websites.  There are some gorgeous things to crochet in it, but this is what caught my eye:


See that blanket?  Oh my - heart stoppingly glorious!! I am already With Wool for this...


...these are some of the colours my wee one helped me choose, much lighter than my normal bright palette, but she likes the wool that looks like sweeties.  I'm waiting on three slightly more vibrant shades to be delivered that weren't in stock in my local wool shop and I think that these will stop it looking too wishy washy.

The wool I'm using for this project is a rather cheap acrylic one.  The stuff in the picture is King Cole Big Value DK (a couple of pounds for a 100g ball).  I've worked up a few squares already and whilst it's a pretty soft yarn and will make a perfect blanket for general everyday use (read den making, snuggling, spilling drinks on etc) I'm finding it a teeny tiny bit greasy to work with after a time.  I'm guessing it's because acrylic yarns are oil based, but I'm going to bear with it as it ought to be cheap as anything to make; which in these cash strapped times is a bit of a Good Thing isn't it?

Right - well that's about it!  If you're still reading along after all those hooky yarny pictures, thank you!  I'm so glad that you stopped by today and would like to thank you for taking the time to visit and read.  Also, apologies too because my little trips around Blogland haven't been so frequent just lately due to me having a rather Busy Time of it both work and family wise, but I will endeavour to catch up with you soon and just wanted you to know, I haven't forgotten you.

Sending you love
J x





41 comments:

  1. This is one gorgeous blanket! And another one in the making!!!

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  2. Oh god I am so jealous,it is absolutely gorgeous. I took a look at the pattern and it looks fairly straight forward too but I know I shouldn't do it (neck injury prevents crocheting!!)maybe I could just do 1 row at a time? after all it is so darn GORGEOUS!!
    Love the colours too
    Hugs Pene x

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  3. What a mammoth stunning ripple Julia, sheer joy xox

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  4. Hi, Julia!
    I just L.O.V.E your blanket!! The colours you´ve chosen are gorgeous! Perfect combination and it seems so soft!
    Nice work!

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  5. Beautiful! I am using that yarn too for my granny square blanket and no it is not cheap!! But yes gorgeous to work with. Can't wait to see the new blanket progress. x

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  6. Gorgeous ripple and pillows ! Love the colors for your new blanket !

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  7. Whow, doesn't your sofa look stunning with all that crochet lovelies. It is so welcoming. The blanket is smashing and the new one will be to.

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  8. Your ripple blanket is absolutely beautiful! I've used the granny stripe to make many baby blankets, but haven't tried a ripple yet. One of these days, when I finish all the other projects I've started. I keep putting off the big stuff so I can work on small things and feel a sense of accomplishment. :) Have a great day! Tammy

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  9. I Lovvvve your blanket. Its gorgeous!!Your heart must be bursting with joy every time you look at it. It is so much worth the effort right?

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  10. Oh it is soo beautiful! It's going to be a family treasure I'm sure. I think if you kept count and worked out the cost you might cry so it's probably best that you lost count :0)
    I have a soft spot for the Sublime Baby Cashmere, but it is quite expensive. I have seen that little squares blanket on lots of blogs and I adore it each and every time, I might pop over and buy that book to take on holiday to make a start, you have spurred me on!
    Kandi x

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  11. I love hooky goodness! Your blanket is lovely.

    Cindy Bee

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  12. Your ripple is wonderful, one to treasure for many years.
    I ordered that book from Amazon last night as a sneaky pre holiday purchase and can't wait for it to arrive as so many of the projects look lovely. Acrylic yarn is handy for blankeys and things that are going to get a lot of love from the children and will need washing! I order Stylecraft DK from Masons Needlecraft as it doesn't feel too yucky and comes in about 50 different colours.
    Looking forward to seeing your new blanket finished...next year?!

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  13. very pretty. I am still working on mine. I haven't worked on it in a while.

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  14. It is wonderful! It's worth the effort and time!

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  15. Ahhhhh & mmmm, wrapping a rainbow around yourself - quite lovely!

    It's fab your little one wants to have one too...

    Lx

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  16. Hi Julia! That blanket became a real beauty and that yarn must be so soft and comfortable! It looks wonderful with those pillows!
    I love also your next choice for your daughter!
    xxx Teje

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  17. Gorgeous Julia!
    I too love that pattern that you have chosen for your next blanket. :)
    Vivienne x

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  18. hello,
    this is amazing, love the colours. And the book from Nikki Trench.
    hugs
    Ariane

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  19. oohhh scrummy blanket, love the colours! I had that book delivered to me today and can't wait to get my little mits of some nice wool to play with :-)

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  20. Love love love your blanket!! I've made a few but haven't got pictures as they were made for other people, but no where near as big as yours I don't think!
    x

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  21. Absolutely gorgeous - I would be gazing at it with pride if I were you!
    I made that Springtime throw and am really pleased with it (I added a sneaky edge to mine, which wasn't in the book...)
    Emily x

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  22. It's gorgeous I love the colours the pattern and the wool. It's nice to work with good yarn although it's expensive. I have just finished that nicki trench blanket I used rowan handknit cotton. That cost me a small fortune.

    I hope to make a ripple blanket one day it will have to be in cheaper wool though. I tried out the pattern and found it difficult to keep the edges straight. I need to religiously count the stitches. Happy snuggling under your new blanket it's wonderful.

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  23. mmmm.... rainbow ripple, sounds like a fantastic ice cream :) Just love your blanket and it looks beautiful on your sofa with the equally gorgeous cushions.

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  24. Absolutely love your blanket! No wonder you're proud of it - so you should be!

    Love the look of that book too .... just off to Amazon!!

    Julia x

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  25. Wow, that ripple is gorgeous, what a lovely thing to have, well one you! Like the look of the new one too, lovely squares. I wish I could get into it! I've been very busy workwise and my eyeballs can't stand any detail on an eve, if I could do it with my eyes shut, as you probably can?? It will take me a while to get back into it I think? But those of yours are inspiring! X Julie

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  26. I absolutely love the blanket and the colours you've used - it's just gorgeous! :)I'm so torn between going with a ripple or granny square for my first blanket, but after seeing this, I know which way I'm leaning, lol.

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  27. I love your colorful ta-dah post! Beautiful work...all good things are worth waiting for...and this is no exception, eh? Congrats on finishing it. x&o, Annette

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  28. The hands of a very good friend of mine blanket, I run an excellent health loves you ..

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  29. Incredible and a bit too inspiring! Thank you!

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  30. I think rainbow ripple could become the flavour of the day! Your couch just needed this rug to tie in all those glorious cushions..so much cosy goodness in one place.

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  31. I have the crochet book and planned on doing that blanket, only because it reminded me - for some weird reason - of cathedral window patchwork, I thought I might do it with black instead of the cream/white, and strong colours instead of pastels. Like you, I have to have a big project on the go, which is why there are more throws in this house than you can shake a stick at and why I try to sel them on Ebay, to get more dosh for more wool for more blankets......sigh!
    Love the ripple, I did Attic 24's pattern too.

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  32. Oooooh Julia, it's absolutely gorgeous !! Perfect for snuggling on the sofa ..I'm sure it will make you happy for many years to come ...and that's the best thing about a big crochet project :0)
    Jacquie x

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  33. Hi Julia! The quilt is AMAZING!! I could never have enough patience to do this! And Thank you for the compliment on my drawing! I draw almost everything in Photoshop with a pressure sensitive tablet. I can imitate almost any media there. And about time - that's a very interesting question! It probably deserves a separate post!I write a plan every day, otherwise it is impossible to remember all the things that need doing, because I have a day job as well.... I try to draw something every day, even if it is just for an hour or two.

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  34. Your ripple blanket looks wonderful. I have that crochet book too. Your colour combinations are lovely.

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  35. Hey Julia, we seem to be in the same blanket rythm here! I love your ripple and finished mine (although a lot smaller!) a few weeks ago, it is shown in my blog-header. I love the colours you used and the yarn, it looks so beautiful and chunky!

    And that new blanket you just started is my next blanket project too! Well enjoy and I will stop by now and then to watch your progress :-)

    Lots of love, Maaike

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  36. Gorgeous ripple blanket, Julia!! It looks so perfect and so BIG, and I love the colours you've used. I also love the new one you've started, so pretty!! The new book looks very inspiring - might have to indulge there I think.
    Helen x

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  37. You totally deserve to show off this blanket. I can never get enough pictures of yarn any way ;-) I'm a bit obsessed with the craft. Kudos to you for your dedication to this long term project. It is c'est magnifique!

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  38. Absoluteley beautiful Julia. Isn't it a strange feeling when you finish a big project, a mix of elation and bereavement. So pleased to see your achievement but at the same time a feeling of what now! lol.

    Like you I'm not a fan of acrylic yarn but obviously I like the price of it. Have you tried Stylecrafts yarns. They are cheap and available in Boyes stores but they do one (I think its called 'Life', I've used it for my granny blankets) and its 75% acrylic and 25% wool. That little bit of wool makes all the difference. I noticed recently that Lucy at Attic 24 has been using it too. Stylecraft also do a 100% acrylic one called 'special' so check the ball band when choosing. Google Stylecraft, they have a website.

    I'm looking forward to seeing the new blanket as I fancied doing that one too, only I would join as you go. I don't like joining all the squares together at the end whether it's stitched or crocheted together, teehee.

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  39. My mum is making the blanket too! She bought me the book as an early birthday present and I have already made the jam jar tops, circular cushion and fingerless gloves. Oh and the tea cosy which I loooooove! I still have to finish the roses though, they take forever!!

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  40. Que linda sua ripple.
    Acabei de fazer minha primeira ripple, venha conhecer e me seguir.
    Obrigada.

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