Bringing home a bag full of new yarn has to be one of my tippety-top pleasures in life, it sends shivers of excitement down my spine. And when that yarn is new BLAnKeT-MaKiNg yarn, well now, that makes it Extremely tippety-top if you ask me. It's just so full of promise. A bag full of promise, how wonderful to think of it like that!
I look in my bag and see eighteen bundles of delicious colour and I squeeze my eyes tight shut and try to picture it all strung out and converted into blanket form. WoW. I see it! I can see it so clearly! This bag of yarn is going to transform into one a-MA-zing blanket, and I'm incredibly excited to be starting out on this new creative Blanket Journey.
This is my Blanket-to-be then, eighteen colours of Debbie Bliss Baby Cashmerino, details as follows ::
TOP ROW [left to right]
:: 044 jade :: 027 denim :: 059 teal :: 043 purple :: 37 maroon :: 700 red ::
MIDDLE ROW [let to right]
:: 047 green :: 046 turquoise :: 032 mid blue :: 060 magenta :: 042 cerise :: 023 bright orange ::
BOTTOM ROW [left to right]
:: 031 aqua :: 002 pale green :: 025 celery :: 062 mustard :: 063 tangerine :: 033 lavender ::
If you've been bobbing into the Attic for a while, you'll already know all about this yarn. You'll remember me showing you the shop it came from and you'll remember me nattering on about the process of choosing colours. You'll recall me having second thoughts and making changes. Trying hard to get it Just Right.
Choosing the colours for a blanket is a really fun process, but there is often a weeny bit of pressure. The colour choosing is such a crucial part of the whole process, and in my experience the colours do often become more important than the yarn itself. Ok admittedly I'm a right Spoilt Brat here cos the yarn itself is without doubt TO DIE FOR, but if this to-die-for yarn was given to me in cruddy colours I would find it incredibly difficult to create something lovely from it.
So how do I go about selecting my colours??? It's a veeeeeeeeeeeery tough question to answer! There is no magic formula folks, and truthfully it's really difficult to describe my method. I can tell you that I do appear to have a very consistent colour palette which doesn't seem to alter much from year to year or from project to project. So what defines it as Mine???
Well I start out by selecting what I call my "soul colours" first. For me these are the colours of the sea (the blues and greens). You probably know instinctively what your own soul colours are. They're the ones that you're naturally drawn towards without perhaps knowing why. They may be colours you like to wear, colours that you naturally surround yourself with. You can see in the selection above that half of them are either blue or green, there are three in each row.
As these colours are cool colours, I then instinctively balance them out by adding in some heat. So I select a good few pinks and purples, plus some red. Then last of all I look for some light relief, something to lift the whole scheme, and this is usually yellow and orange.
As a general rule I tend to go for good, strong "pure" colours. Colours that are quite close to natures Spectrum. I don't often use colours that are too diluted with white (pastel colours) or grey (mucky colours).
I also keep the tonal values of the colours quite close, and by that I mean not much contrast between light and dark. If you look at the colours above, you can see I've arranged them into three rows. The top row shows the dark colours, the middle row show the mid colours and the bottom row shows the paler colours. But I haven't included any very dark colours (eg navy blue) or any very light colours (baby pastel colours). There is just enough contrast to keep it interesting, but not so much that it becomes hard to combine them successfully.
Another thing to mention is that some colours might not float your boat on their own, but combined with others, they work a treat. In my selection I have several colours that are like this eg. the rather acidic green (on the left, above) and the deep maroon red (on the left, below). These are both quite difficult colours to get to grips with on their own, but combined with the others they help to add some light/depth respectively.
Now take a look at this...............................
.......this selection of eighteen colours is not mine.
These belong to Heather of Little Tin Bird, it's her current stash of Debbie Bliss Cashmerino DK.
Now look at our collections together....can you see that we have a lot of similarities, but there are also some noticeable differences?
Heather has a lot more contrast in her selection. She has some very dark colours and some very light colours. She's also added in a neutral colour (bottom row). But interestingly, she has chosen 9 blue/greens and 7 red/purple/pinks, which is the exact same cool/hot balance that I have.
Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh such beautiful piles of lushness!! Don't they look incredible together?
Now then, we can't talk Blanket Stuff without discussing the design, can we?
Well.............it's going to be stripes, ripply, wavey stripes to be precise. Yup, I'm starting out on another happy Ripple Journey.
The ripple blanket I made way back in 2008 is always in great demand around here and is the cause of many sibling Sofa Battles. The Little Peeps quite literally fight over it, it's the warmest, softest and most snugglesome blanket ever. So in the interest of keeping the peace I'm making a second one, although this one is going to be worked slightly differently. I'm working the stripes in a combination of single and double rows. In the rough doodle above, can you see what I'm doing with the design? Each colour is worked up as three stripes (a double row in the middle, with a single row either side). The colours above and below are then sort of "interlocked" by their single rows, do you get what I mean? It'll become clearer when you see the blanket itself I hope.
I am often asked the same questions about my blankets, the ripple in particular. How many chains to start out with? And how many balls of yarn are required?
Firstly re the size and the number of chains....I'm aiming to make a good Snuggle Blanket, which shouldn't be skimpy on size. I think the size of a standard single bed is a good measure (roughly 110 x 180cm). You can see on the scrap of paper above how I calculated my starting chain, as follows ::
1. Make up a sample swatch by chaining 31 (14x2+3) and working 2 or 3 rows.
2. Measure the width of the sample (mine measured 14cm).
3. Work out how many multiples you will need to get the required width (mine was 8 multiples, ie 8 x 14cm = 112cm)
4. Each multiple requires 28 stitches, so 8 x 28 stitches = 224, then +3 for turning. So chain 227 altogether.
As for the number of balls, roughly speaking, a blanket this size worked in a medium weight yarn would need approx 30 x 50g balls. As I have 18 colours worked at random, it's not a case of simply having 2 balls of each colour. I know I'll use less of some colours and more of others. So I tend to start out with 1 ball of each colour, then buy more as and when I need it. I know this isn't ideal if you are ordering via the internet, but this is the way I do it.
So. A new blanket begins. Ripple, ripple, ripple, it's love with every stitch. And the love grows with every row.
Can you get a better idea of the design now? The interlocking colours? I'm thrilled with the way it's already beginning to look. The colours are incredibly vibrant in real life. They sing such a beautiful colour-song!
I showed you Heather's yarn stash above because we are embarking on a joint Ripple-A-Long together (you can read Heather's ripply write-up here). I've not ever worked with a friend on a joint hook-a-long before and I'm really, REAlly excited to be doing this with Heather. I anticipate it taking us right through Autumn and Winter, my-my, what a delicious thought. My first ripple blanket was a Spring/Summer affair, so the very idea of cosy, fireside hooking with these rich colours is wonderful.
So the first 14 rows of our blankies are shown above....Heather's blankie is going to be chunkier than mine as the Baby Cashmerino I'm using is slightly thinner than standard DK weight and I'm using a 3.5mm hook. Don't they look good together? Already very different too.
Ahhhhhhhhh, what sweet, neat ripples, I love love love them.
Love hooking them, love looking at them. A sea of glorious colour, wave upon wave upon wave.
It's going to be a wonderful creative Blanket Journey this one, I can just tell. And I'm soooooo much looking forward to sharing it with you!
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Edit to add :: if anyone is rippling at the moment or would like to join us in our ripple-a-long, it'd be fabulous to hear from you! Come join the Ripple Party! ♥
Do you answer or comment on the messages you get? I have so many of the same questions or am wondering about so many of the comments, so I'd love to know if you answer - and how I could see your responses.
Posted by: Judy Taylor | October 10, 2016 at 02:59 AM
Have always loved this blanket. Are the colours you have listed above in the order you hAve used them?
Posted by: Gillian | July 26, 2016 at 06:03 PM
But I just noticed this is from 3 years ago! Whoops
Posted by: Karen | May 12, 2014 at 12:51 AM
I would love to be included in this blanket journey
Posted by: Karen | May 12, 2014 at 12:50 AM
A motivating discussion is definitely worth comment. I do believe that you need to publish more about this topic, it may not be a taboo matter but generally folks don't discuss such topics. To the next! Kind regards!!
Posted by: concealed weapons permit class | November 21, 2013 at 04:50 PM
Hi Lucy! I’ve recommended your terrific article today on my blog and for that purpose used one of your pictures, I hope this is okay with you?
http://made-in-k-town.blogspot.de/2013/10/the-like-list-all-about-colors.html
Have a great week-end!
Barbara
Posted by: Barbara | October 11, 2013 at 01:30 PM
How soft are those yarns? Do they make a lush blanket? Are they easy to care for? Sorry for the questions, but I have been looking for reviews on those yarns. I have LOADS of baby stuff to make for a friend's baby and Debbie's yarn looks so lush and soft, not to mention, the colors are fab! Thank you SOOO much for any answers you can give me. :D
Posted by: TangledMama | September 08, 2013 at 08:14 PM
Hiya! Do you own any writing or it is just a completely natural gift? Can't wait to hear from you.
Posted by: ProblemsDisappear | December 17, 2012 at 11:49 AM
This bag of yarn is going to transform into one a-MA-zing blanket, and I'm incredibly excited to be starting out on this new creative Blanket Journey.
Posted by: Tempurpedic beds | December 13, 2012 at 11:36 AM
Where can I find instructions for the ripple pattern?
Posted by: Evelyn | October 20, 2012 at 02:34 AM
Hello Lucy, hope all is good in the Attic. Could I get some yarn help please? I want to make a blanket for someone really special. I want some really snuggly wool and some really bright colours. I like your summer garden throw, the colours are amazing, but Rowan don't seem to have a yellow or orange in that range and I really want my blanket to be a rainbow. I was wondering about using the Baby cashmerino to make Granny squares. I know nothing about Yarn, really. If I did use this, how would I know which size hook to use and how much wool I would need to say make 150 granny squares? Also another project I am embarking on is to make a teacosy cover (not one that fits on the pot) the pattern calls for Rowan Cotton Glace or similar, I already have a good stash of handknit cotton could I use that instead? I have borrowed some crochet books from the library but I am more of a visual hands on learner, any advice you can give would be greatly appreciated
Many Thanks x
Posted by: Kat | May 15, 2012 at 06:27 AM
Just finished my first ripple blanket ever! Thank you so much! It's a gift for my new niece/nephew who is due tomorrow. Your patterns are fabulous and I'm really enjoying improving my crochet :)
Posted by: Madeline Plummer | October 31, 2011 at 11:04 PM
lucy, i have a question for you. are the rows supposed to match up exactly? does the placement of the tr2tog have to be directly above the tr2tog of the previous row or will they be off a little bit?
Posted by: Jessica | October 24, 2011 at 07:08 PM
I am so pleased with myself that I have just completed my first ever blanket -the granny stripe with the picot edge - my first crochet project! I am delighted with it and am now planning the ripple blanket to start in the next few days. Why have I never crocheted before? Your blog is so inspiring and I have a lot to learn about colours. What a happy winter its going to be!
Posted by: hilary | October 23, 2011 at 08:37 PM
Ok, so I am just finishing off Rosehip flower squares, combined with big and small versions of your flower squares...as in, still crocheting the last few squares - I still have to tackle the joining process! BUT...I nEEd to start your ripple along. I have so many other projects on the go, may as well add another. A quick question about your rows. It looks like you have 3 row widths. Widest: 2x treble crochet rows; middle: 1x treble crochet row; narrow: double crochet? (UK terms). Could you clarify for me please? I love your variegated row widths and would like to go rippling in a similar manner.
Posted by: keri from twolittleflowers | October 20, 2011 at 09:27 AM
I've been thinking about doing a ripple blanket for a while now and would love to join in with you guys. I enjoyed reading your post, thanks for sharing. Deb xxxx
Posted by: Deb Hickman | October 18, 2011 at 02:30 PM
Hi there, just in love with the color combination so far on what you have rippled. i am trying to get your exact wool colors and live in Australia. I am finding it difficult. I can get 12 of the colors from a UK website but still can't get 5 of the colors, particularly any orange. Could you give a contact for your local store - email or website? I would be happy to purchase direct from them :). Thanks for your help.
Posted by: Yvonne | October 16, 2011 at 08:34 AM
Do you support Burnley FC by any chance? That is what the claret and blue at the beginning of your blanket screamed at me!
Posted by: Claire | October 15, 2011 at 10:11 PM
I loved reading this post, colour is such a personal thing and it's really interesting to learn how you make your selections. I think the blanket looks scrumptious - my heart was always with Granny Stripes, but I do love those skinny ripples. I'm sorely tempted to do a seaside ripple, as the seaside granny worked so well, but will just enjoy watching every one elses progress. Thank you!
Posted by: Kate | October 15, 2011 at 09:33 AM
This totally makes me want to ripple along!
Posted by: Vanessa :P | October 14, 2011 at 07:26 PM
I will be rippling along with you too! I am very excited about my ripples and will be sharing updates also! Happy rippling! :)
Posted by: Samantha | October 14, 2011 at 04:33 PM
Hang on a minute - 30 balls of wool - that yarn is £4.95 per ball in Create - thats £148.50 for a blanket! - I wouldn't even spend that much on yarn for a garment let alone for a blanket!!
Posted by: Violetsrose | October 14, 2011 at 12:44 PM
I started a ripple blanket for our double bed in June but as it got bigger I decided to leave it until the weather got cooler as I was sweating doing it lol - I certainly feel that now's the time to finish it. Only about a quarter to do. I look forward to following your progress.
Posted by: Liz | October 13, 2011 at 07:52 PM
Lucy I love posts like these where you aort of deconstruct the blanket making process - I'm a very novice hooker and really don't have much confidence when it comes to choosing colours so info like this is really helpful, thank you. I LOVE LOVE the interlocking ripples, they look brilliant! Will have to pinch this idea, once I've finished my vintage stripe baby blanket which also very much inspired by you! :)
Posted by: Lucy | October 13, 2011 at 02:25 PM
Love the way the colours sing out and also the variable width of the stripes. I am nearly finished with my first ripple blanket for my daughter - inspired by your blog at attic24. The Debbie Bliss wool is lovely to work with and looks fab too. Look forward to watching your new project grow - its got off to a brilliant start!
Posted by: Sue | October 13, 2011 at 01:16 PM