Ahhhhhhhh look at all those hooky ripplesome ripples, aren't they glorious? I love crocheting this pattern, its relatively simple, rhythmic and soothing, but playing with colours in this way is also energising, exciting and a lot of fun. Well to me it is any road. there's something magical and mesmerising about the way the ripple effect makes the colours sing and dance next to each other, and it's a pattern I can see myself coming back to time after time.
When I made my first ripple blanket last year (finished in August 2008), I followed a pattern in Jan Eatons book (the Soft Waves pattern), and it has to be said that at first this pattern was not plain sailing. But I persevered and eventually I cracked it. But truthfully I always think crochet patterns look and sound far too complex, more than they actually need to be. And I have so wanted to write a tutorial for a ripple pattern that would be easy to understand for beginners and would eliminate certain niggles.
So what I've done here for you is to write my own pattern. I have to be clear about this for obvious copyright reasons that I have not copied this pattern from anywhere. It has been inspired by the one in Jane Eatons book, but it is truly my own. Just so's you know.
To start out, you need to crochet your foundation chain. It should be in multiples of 14, plus an extra 3 added on for turning. I would strongly advise before you begin any ripply project to make a small ripple sample so that you're confident of the pattern. Make a chain of 31 (2x14 +3) as I'm doing here, which will give you a good idea of how it forms.
Once you are sure you've got the right number of chains to begin (count carefully as you make them!), make a treble crochet stitch (this is UK treble / US dc) in the 4th chain from the hook. See in the above pic I've stuck my needle in there so you can see where to go...can you see the four chains?? You should be putting your hook under both loops of the chain stitch, and just to clarify what a treble crochet stitch, it is as follows:
yarn over, insert hook into stitch, yarn over, bring hook back through stitch (3 loops on hook). Yarn over, draw yarn through 2 loops (2 loops left on hook), yarn over and draw through remaining 2 loops. That's your tr (treble) stitch, ok?
For beginners new to crochet, working the first row into a foundation chain can seem incredibly hard at first. I know, because I can so well remember almost giving up when faced with this task. If you look at the above photo, I've stuck my needle in to show you where the next stitch will go...it helps if you twist the chain towards you slightly, so that you are looking down on the side of it rather than the top of it.
You should then be able to see the two loops of the chain and see where your hook goes so that it slips under both of these loops (above pic).
Ok, back to the pattern...you should have just made 1 tr into the 4th chain from the hook. Now make 1tr into each of the next 4 chains, as pictured above, so there are 5 in total (plus the chain-3).
Next you will be working a standard decrease stitch, known as tr2tog (treble two together). This is where you work 2 incomplete tr's, joining them into 1 stitch at the finish. So....here is the stitch in Plain English ::
Yarn over, insert hook into stitch, yarn over, hook back through stitch (3 loops on hook).
Yarn over, draw through 2 loops (2 loops on hook, as pictured above)
Now yarn over and insert hook into the next stitch, yarn over, hook back through stitch (4 loops on hook, as pictured above)
Yarn over and draw through 2 loops (3 loops left on hook, as pictured above)
Yarn over and draw through all three loops to finish the stitch (picture above).
That whole thing is a tr2tog (treble two together)
Now you need to make TWO of these tr2tog's, so go ahead and do that whole same thing again in the next two stitches ::
Yarn over, into next stitch, yarn over, back through stitch (3 loops on hook)
Yarn over draw through 2 loops (2 loops on hook)
Yarn over, into next stitch, yarn over, back through stitch (4 loops on hook)
Yarn over, draw through2 loops (3 loops on hook)
Yarn over, draw through all three loops.
Ok so far???? good-o, lets move on...
Work 1tr into each of the next 4 chains (picture above)
You have now worked what I call the "valley", with the 4tr's making the sides and the tr2tog's making the valley bottom. Now time to make the "mountain"....
...work 2tr's into the next chain.
And again, work 2 more tr's into the next chain.
These four stitches make the top of the "mountain", can you see in the above picture, the way it makes a V when 2 stitches are worked out of one?
I find it really helps when working a ripple pattern to be able to recognise what the decrease and increase stitches look like. Because when you are working this pattern it's sometimes veeeeeery useful to be able to look back over the row you've just made and see how the pattern has formed, to check for mistakes etc.
OK, after your two lots of 2tr increases on the mountain you need to make 1 tr crochet into each of the next 4 chains.
Then work a tr2tog decrease, and then another tr2tog decrease (the valley again).
Then make 1 tr crochet into each of the next 4 chains.
And finally, if you've done it right, you should have 1 chain left at the end of your foundation chain. Make 2 tr's into this last chain to end the row.
I've drawn a little diagram above there, underneath the first row so you can get a feel for the pattern visually, to see how the ripples are formed.
ROW 2, same colour.
Chain 3
Make a tr crochet stitch in the SAME stitch...see where I've stuck my needle to show you where to go?
Now follow this pattern, exactly as before ::
Make a treble stitch into each of next 4 stitches.
tr2tog (decrease)
tr2tog (decrease)
Make a treble stitch into each of next 4 stitches.
2tr's into next stitch (increase)
2tr's into next stitch (increase)
Make a treble stitch into each of next 4 stitches.
tr2tog (decrease)
tr2tog (decrease)
Make a treble stitch into each of next 4 stitches.
If you started out with 31 stitches, you should have reached the end of the row now, as pictured above. Two more stitches to go.....
You now need to make 2 tr's into the top of the chain-3 from the previous row. See in the above pic where I've stuck my needle to show you where to go?
This chain can often be quite tight, you may have to work hard to wiggle your hook into that little hole....
There, can you see the V of the last 2tr's in that row on the left there? Good! Now fasten off and turn the work round to join in a new colour.
Joining a new colour is easy...simply knot the two yarns together as close to the stitches as you can. Insert your hook through the first stitch, yarn over the new colour and pull it through to the front ready to begin.
All rows from now on will be the same. So here we go, ROW 3 ::
Chain 3, then make 1 tr into the same stitch, as pictured above.
Now work the following ::
1tr into each of next 4 chs
tr2tog
tr2tog
1 tr into each of next 4 chs
2tr into next ch
2 tr into next ch
1tr into each of next 4 chs
tr2tog
tr2tog
1 tr into each of next 4 chs
2 tr into the top chain of the chain-3 from previous row.
And thats the end of that row, so turn round and get ready for ROW 4...
Same as before, begin by chaining 3, then make 1tr into same stitch...
1tr into each of next 4 chs
tr2tog
tr2tog
1 tr into each of next 4 chs
2tr into next ch
2 tr into next ch
1tr into each of next 4 chs
tr2tog
tr2tog
1 tr into each of next 4 chs
2 tr into the top chain of the chain-3 from previous row.
THE END
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WOOOOOOHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!
Did you manage it?? Did you do it??? Are you full of Ripplesome Ripply Joy???? Got enough yarn to now make a longer chain, to start a Neat Ripple cushion, a blanket perhaps??????
And in case you wish to print out some Compact Instructions to pop into your yarn basket, I'm writing out a more condensed Patterny version just for you. You will obvisouly need to copy/paste/print it for yourself........
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NEAT RIPPLE PATTERN
tr2tog = work two incomplete tr stitches, keeping last loop of each stitch on the hook, as follows ::
YO, into stitch, YO, back through stitch (3 loops on hook)
YO, draw through 2 loops (2 loops on hook)
YO, into next stitch, YO, back through stitch (4 loops on hook)
YO, draw through 2 loops (3 loops on hook)
YO, draw through all 3 loops.
To begin, chain multiples of 14, plus 3 for turning.
ROW 1
1 tr into 4th chain from hook
1tr into each of next 4 chs
tr2tog
tr2tog
1 tr into each of next 4 chs
*2tr into next ch
2 tr into next ch
1tr into each of next 4 chs
tr2tog
tr2tog
1 tr into each of next 4 chs*
Repeat between ** ending last rep with 2 tr into last chain, turn.
ROW 2
ch3, 1 tr into same stitch,
1tr into each of next 4 chs
tr2tog
tr2tog
1 tr into each of next 4 chs
*2tr into next ch
2 tr into next ch
1tr into each of next 4 chs
tr2tog
tr2tog
1 tr into each of next 4 chs*
Repeat between ** ending last rep with 2 tr into the top chain of the chain-3 from previous row.
Repeat row 2 for length required.
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Well........GOOD LUCK!!!!!! HAVE SOME NEAT RIPPLY FUN!!!!!!!!
And let me know how you get on.......let me see some pictures??? Ahhh thanks, I look forward to that :o)
Single thread
Thinner yarn, held double 
