Could you please give crochet advice? Thank you!

[OwlMother]

I have been teaching myself basic crochet using YouTube. I've managed a basic granny squared blanket and I'm going to attempt a baby blanket for my dsis (due in November). I've seen the attic 24 ripple and was thinking this looked doable, someone said to aim for 75cm by 95cm and this seemed ok. I'm a bit stuck about yarn. Is the Stylecraft dk ok? Or is it too chunky for a baby blanket? Is it "nice" enough for a baby blanket? I presume it washes ok. Any advice gratefully received, thank you.

I have done the ripple in stylecraft dk and it is lovely. Washes really well and is soft. Enjoy!

Stylecraft is perfect for your project. I have made a few blankets in it and I was surprised how well they have washed.

The Attic24 blog is brilliant - I love her eye for colour

I would say, if you are brand new to crochet, a granny stripe blanket will be quicker and easier! That's also on the Attic 24 blog!

Stylecraft DK is not too chunky. I have used it a lot. I actually think it is quite thin compared to other DK yarns.

You should have a look on Ravelry lots of info and advice on there, this is the Attic 24 group: www.ravelry.com/groups/we-love-lucy

Thanks everyone. Daveface, I need a break from the granny blanket thing, I've spent six months (and a terrifying amount of money) crocheting 96 squares for my dd's blanket. She is a hard taskmaster! I started with "nice" wool, as my DM told me I'd enjoy it more with good quality stuff. Unfortunately it ended up being really expensive! So the Stylecraft wool looks reassuringly affordable. Glad to hear it will be suitable.

This is my thread asking for Stylecraft help. There is a photo of my finished granny stripe blanket shameless attention seeking post

Thanks for the link- means I can see the photo! It's a lovely blanket maybe this is my fall back plan when I fail with the ripple. I've never crocheted without YouTube to copy, following a pattern seems daunting.

You won't fail with the ripple Lucy does a great photo tutorial.

Apologies if you don't need the following explanation - but I find that once I work out "how" the pattern repeats occur then I can see if/when I go wrong.

You just need to be meticulous with counting your start chain - it needs to be multiples of 14 plus 3 extra stitches at the end. (I count to 14, then start counting again for the next 14 and so on until it looks long enough AND THEN count the extra three stitches - just so I don't lose count in the middle of 100+ stitches or more).

Once you are happy with the chain then do your foundation row. Once this is right then the rest of the rows follow the same pattern. There are peaks and troughs. As you head up the peak you will see two stitches either side of the peak. Work two trebles in the last stitch as you head "up" the peak and the two stitches in the next stitch heading "down" the peak. You work two stitches together in the last two stitches heading "down" the trough and the next two stitches together heading "up" the trough.

Remember that the very last stitch on each end is a one sided peak so you need 3 chain and a treble in the first stitch and 2 trebles in the last stitch.

It looks more daunting written down. I did a sample first with 45 chains and 5 or 6 rows just to practice.

Thank you! Much appreciated. I'm in holiday at the moment, on my own with the dc and have forgotten my crochet stuff. I found a wool shop today so have a hook and a ball of Stylecraft dk (turquoise!) to practice with. The cottage has no wifi so I'm reliant on my phone. Hopefully between the attic 24 tutorial and your help I'll manage a practice section. Will take your suggestion of 45 chain. Now I just need the dc to go to sleep...

I love the turquoise! I'm currently knitting a cardigan for DD1's friend in turquoise, orange (spice) and white. Subtle it ain't

Now I'm totally hooked! (No pun intended!) I've managed two rows of the 45 chain and all seems to be going well. Will head to the wool shop tomorrow for another colour to see it with the contrast. Thanks for all the help.

The key to not failing with a Ripple is to pay attention when you get to the "mountains" and "valleys" and ensure they are always stacked neatly on top of each other row after row. If you do that, you probably won't go far wrong :)

I am also new to crochet, and am now on my second ripple blanket.... I have got a bit addicted to buying the stylecraft wool
I am currently making a large one for dd's bed, in pretty colours, it is going to take me ageeeeeeeees! but I am really enjoying it.

How are you getting on OwlMother ? Did you get a second colour?

Hello! Reporting back, a bit late. I got two more colours ( matador and aspen- not sure they work but let the dc choose!) I've continued my practice section and everything seems to be going well. I've done another two rows and the actual pattern seems ok.

A couple of issues when doing the second colour. First, the knot and "fastening off". Previously, with my granny squares, I kind of made the loop on the hook bigger, cut off the end and passed the end through the loop forming a knot. I didn't tie the two ends together, and in the new section incorporated the loose end from the previous section, which ended up being gone over by the stitches. This seemed quite tidy. The knot seems a bit clumsy. Is there a knack to it? Will it be covered at the end?

The second issue is more of a learning thing, I think I started my new colour in a stitch that doesn't exist?! So the whole thing looks a bit off. Except now I reshape it it looks ok! I'd attach a photo but I'm on my phone and I'm not sure I can! Thanks again for all the help!

Tomorrow night I'm going to do a final two practice rows before gearing up to do the foundation chain!

I'm learning the ripple ATM, and what I do whenever I join colours (which might be wrong) is when doing the last stitch I don't pull the last hook around through the last two loops. I use the new colour as my hook around and pull it through instead, then chain three/turn.
THen I pull things tighter and crochet over the the ends as I carry on my merry way (slowly, counting aloud etc )

Folknnora, are you doing a knot before the last hook around? I've been using my granny square method as I described and so far it looks ok- I was put off by the photos of the knots and dangling yarn.

I have however had endless problems with my foundation row....

No, I'm using the chain to anchor it down and then crocheting over the tails as I go. I don't suppose it matters if you knot it, you can still crochet the ends in as you go, I hate all the tidying up after I've finished

I counted and chanted and still had to undo my first three rows on my first attempt but I knew it must have been a rookie mistake of not quite using the chains properly IySWIM which meant I was out stichwise. I've got it now though (phew)

I do tie the end tail and the new tail in a knot, then I crochet over the tails. I do find that going over two tails in the same place can make a fattish bulge though - sometimes I crochet over one and darn the other in at the end or crochet over it when putting the border on.

Hi

I am in the middle of making this in cream and shades of petrol blue:

madebydo.blogspot.nl/2013/02/large-circles-in-square-tutorial.html

I bought some other [non actual wool as I am allergic to wool so has to be polyester or cotton] blue wool and am making the nieces scarves for christmad.

I have translated their names into numbers [a=1, B=2 etc] and then the whole number into binary; and am doing a circle for 0 and an oval for 1 so they get the same but different scarves [stops the arguments].

We have a long drive and 5 nights in a big tent coming up so am hoping to relax by crocheting lots and lots of circles and ovals whilst I am away.

Last autumn I crocheted a cape with hood for my littlest niece who still loves it and they were incredibly intrigued with the circles I was making plus they are geeks and once they get the binary thing they will love it.

Binary scarfs! Brilliant!!

Um... scarves.

Sorry - that was just to give context and I went and made some toast.

To end one colour and start another - I pull the wool through at the end of the one colour and tie a tiny knot and thread it back through the previous stitches. Then when I start the next I make a small tied loop, pull that through and try and add the loose bit around when I loop the first chain stitches. If that doesn't work or look ok; it gets threaded through the first few stitches when I have finished that colour.

And binary - yes I am a maths kind of gal. I loves it.

Funkyboldribena- you have described that so much better than I did! That's what I've been doing. So far it looks ok. I'm on my fourth colour, row 7 and I seem to be managing. I'm also living the idea of binary scarves!