Pretty Easy Crochet Afghan

Crochet and I are like boyfriend and girlfriend right now. That sounds odd, but look: we are new to each other and I am totally infatuated with it, spending a LOT of my free time looking for patterns and buying yarn and stuff. Sometimes it annoys me and I don't mess with it for a few days, but then I miss it and come back. Seemed like a good analogy at the beginning... anyway this started because I wanted a slouchy hat to cover my transitioning hair and couldn't find one in the store, so I thought I'd try to make one. I found a free pattern through Pinterest, and  a bunch of videos on youtube to demonstrate the stitches and now numerous hats and scarves and half an afghan later here we are!

I went on lionbrand.com after buying some of their yarn and discovered a wealth of free patterns!! I was originally looking for a hat pattern (which I found, but more on that later) and came across this gem that got added to Craftyness for a rainy day. Well it didn't exactly rain, and I don't really have much free time, but Michaels had a great sale on one of my favorite yarns for making cozy stuff so I was able to get a bunch.  BTW-no one told me that once you start making things that actually look good this becomes a sick addiction...I have a huge basket that has been filled with "just in case I have time to start something" yarn.

Anyway, here's a look at what I've got so far.


I like blankets a lot. What I don't like are the funny sized ones that don't quite cover you when you're on the couch trying to watch a movie and be comfy. The pattern says the finished size is 36x41 in, which is too small for something for an adult to me. So I figured out how to increase it by basically counting the stitches needed for one ripple and then adding ripples until I thought it would be wide enough. I ended up adding 4 ripples to the width, and it's measuring about 54 inches across. If you notice the discrepancy in the amount of ripples I added being proportionate to how much bigger the thing should be, just turn a blind eye. I did a big no-no...I didn't make a guage swatch (gasp!!). SO instead of each of the ripples being 6 inches as the pattern says, mine ended up being more like a little less than 5inches. I also started with a size N hook because I know I crochet tighter than apparently normal, and that is what I got. Since it's a blanket and not a sweater, and since I'm still relatively new to the whole thing, I'm not worried about it. I will probably use more yarn (this is almost 1/3rd of the length I want and I'm on the 2nd ball of each color) but that's ok for me too.
I am so excited about finishing it someday soon, it has a good weight and a soft feel to it.
I have had some folks say that they dry clean finished products to make them fluffy and keep from fuzzing up...any thoughts on that?

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BTW-this is not a sponsored post!

5 thoughtful comments:

Paula said...

I keep seeing all these awesome ripple blankets (LOVE the colors in yours!), and thinking I should learn to crochet. It's perfect, and you did a great job of increasing the width -- perfect for a sofa snuggle.

SarahFay said...

Welcome to the fold. I've been crocheting for 29 years or so now and my only advise is: don't stick to the rules, do your own thing, experiment, and have fun. If you like the finished project and enjoyed making it then that is all that counts. There is no wrong or right way. I usually follow the care instructions on the yarn wrapper. Oh, and your blanket is looking awesome!

Unknown said...

You said you were having a bit of trouble finding patterns. Have you checked out Ravelry.com? There's tons of free patters there. :)

Marie/Underground Crafter said...

The ripple looks great so far! It sounds like you are balancing "the rules" with having fun and learning :).

heather said...

I love your ripple!! A lot of people have trouble if they are new to crochet when they tackle the ripple, but yours looks perfect and I love the colors!

I find a lot of great patterns through Lion Brand, Ravelry, and Pinterest!

Also...this is my first time on your blog and your babies are gorgeous!!!! :-)

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