The pattern and colour palette of my Harbour blanket is inspired by my childhood growing up near the sea as well as many holidays enjoyed at the Yorkshire coast. The calming blues of sea and sky mix with bright pops of colour found in fishing boats to create a really happy, jolly blanket with a relaxed holiday vibe.
You can read more about the inspiration behind the design in this post >>
This Easy Eyelet Ripple pattern uses a basic UK treble stitch. The ripple is worked in an easy repeating pattern which is perfect for beginners or for those who have previously tried a ripple pattern and not quite been able to nail it! It's a lovely visual stitch with an easy counting rhythm making it extremely soothing and therapeutic to crochet. The eyelets are very effective in helping you keep on track as they neatly stack on top of each other as you work the rows.
If you are an experienced crocheter please can you read the beginning info which explains starting chains, pattern repeats, and the working of a tension sample (oh, yes, you know you will want to do this!), then you can jump to the end where there is a pattern PDF that you can download/print if you prefer to work from a traditional written pattern.
MATERIALS
For my blankets I use Stylecraft Special DK which is a 100% premium acrylic yarn. It's lovely to work with, comes in generous 100g balls and the finished blankets are warm, soft and machine washable.
As is usual for my blankets, I've chose fifteen shades of Stylecraft Special DK for my Harbour blanket
From left to right :
♥ Lipstick ♥ Tomato ♥ Spice ♥ Clementine ♥ Dandelion ♥
♥ Apple ♥ Aspen ♥ Spearmint ♥ Cloud Blue ♥ Turquoise ♥
♥ Aster ♥ Cornish Blue ♥ Storm Blue ♥ Denim ♥ Lapis ♥
You can find the Harbour yarn pack in my shop at Wool Warehouse, click on the following link...
HOOK SIZE and TENSION
The standard hook size for Stylecraft Special DK yarn is 4 mm. However, it's a good idea to be familiar with your own personal tension and experiment with moving to a larger or smaller hook to achieve a neat result. For example, I'm a tight crocheter so I'm making my Harbour blanket using a 4.5 mm hook. If you crochet quite loosely, then you will probably find that a 3.5 mm hook suits you just fine.
I would strongly advise you to make a small tension sample. Please, please take the time to do this, especially if you are following the CAL and using a yarn pack to make a blanket. It'll help you make your blanket the right size and drape, and will make sure you don't run out of yarn. Making this small sample before you begin on your blanket will also help you to feel familiar with the pattern and decide which hook size will work best for you.
To make a tension sample, chain 31 (4 x 7 + 3), then follow the pattern below.
Work 4 rows in total then measure the width. It should measure approx. 18 cm. This is an approximate guide so that you can determine if you are using the correct hook size to suit your tension.
PATTERN REPEATS AND STARTING CHAINS
The Harbour Blanket starting chain should always be a multiple of 7, plus and extra 3.
Here is a list of suggested starting chains for different size blankets :
Tension sample (18cm / 7” width) : Chain 31
Baby blanket (70cm / 28" width) : Chain 122
Lap throw (90cm / 36" width) : Chain 150
Single/twin blanket (120cm / 48" width) : Chain 206
Double bed blanket* (180cm / 72" width) : 304 *requires two yarn packs
King bed blanket* (210cm / 84" width) : 353 *requires two yarn packs
EASY EYELET RIPPLE PATTERN
This pattern uses a basic UK treble stitch, with little eyelets in the "valley" of the ripple which stack in vertical lines. This is a very visual stitch - the eyelets help to ensure your pattern repeats are accurate and stacking up correctly. Each ripple stripe is crocheted in two rows. I'm writing my pattern using UK crochet terms as follows :
tr [treble] :: yarn over, insert hook, yarn over, pull the loop back through the stitch (three loops on hook), yarn over and pull through two loops on hook (two loops left on hook), yarn over and pull through remaining two loops (note :: this is equivalent to the US dc stitch)
As mentioned, I would advise you to chain 31 and work 4 rows of the pattern to familiarise yourself with the ripple formation and to be clear how the rows start and end. The width of your sample should measure approx 18cm.
If you are an experienced crocheter and don't need a full tutorial, you can download a PDF pattern by clicking on the following link >>
DOWNLOAD HARBOUR BLANKET PATTERN
To Begin : Use Lapis yarn (mixed stripe and colourwash)
Chain 31 for the tension sample or
Chain 206 for the blanket.
Note : You can use a bigger hook size (5mm or a 5.5mm) to make your starting chain, then switch back down for the first crochet row. You need to count carefully - place stitch markers at regular intervals (every 25 stitches) if you need to.
Row 1 : The first stitch will be made in the 4th chain from hook, as shown by my needle above.
Work 1 tr into the 4th chain from the hook; 1 tr in the next chain; 1 tr in the next chain;
Skip the next chain (this will form the eyelet hole, and create the ripple "valley")
Note : throughout this pattern, I'll be referring to the "valley" and the "mountain" to help you visualise how a ripple pattern forms. The valley is formed by skipping stitches and creating an eyelet hole, and the mountain is formed by adding in extra stitches. I hope this makes sense!
Work 1 tr in the next chain; 1 tr in the next chain;
Work 2 tr in the next chain; 2 tr in the next chain; (these 4 stitches form the "mountain")
1 tr in the next chain; 1 tr in the next chain; (as shown above)
That's your first ripple complete - 8 stitches in total.
Skip the next chain to form the "valley" eyelet space;
1 tr in the next chain; 1 tr in the next chain;
2 tr in the next chain; 2 tr in the next chain (the "mountain");
1 tr in the next chain; 1 tr in the next chain;
That's your second ripple complete, as shown in the photo above!!
Skip the next chain to form the "valley" eyelet space;
1 tr in the next chain; 1 tr in the next chain;
2 tr in the next chain; 2 tr in the next chain (the "mountain);
1 tr in the next chain; 1 tr in the next chain;
That's your third ripple complete, as shown in the photo above - I hope you're getting the feel for the rhythm of it all, and how the ripples are made.
The text in red above forms the pattern repeat.
If you are working your 31 stitch sample, you should now have four stitches remaining, as shown above.
If you are working your long 206 starting chain, you need to keep repeating the pattern in red above, until you have four stitches remaining.
Skip the next stitch; 1 tr in the next stitch; 1 tr in the next stitch; 2 tr in the last stitch.
Do not fasten off - turn your work.
If you are working your 31 stitch sample, you should be able to count 4 eyelet spaces.
If you are working your long 206 starting chain, you should be able to count 29 eyelet spaces.
Row 2 : Chain 3 (counts as 1 tr); 1 tr into the stitch at the base of the chain-3, as shown by my needle in the above photo;
1 tr in the next stitch; 1 tr in the next stitch;
Skip the next 2 stitches to create the eyelet;
1 tr in next stitch (as shown above, sorry it's a bit blurry!);
Note : try and keep your tension nice and even when you create the first stitch after the two skipped ones. Also, don't worry if you think the eyelet space may look a bit big after you make that first treble, it'll be fine once the next row goes on top.
1 tr in the next stitch;
2 tr in the next stitch; 2 tr in the next stitch (the "mountain");
1 tr in the next stitch; 1 tr in the next stitch;
That's your first ripple made, as shown above.
Skip the next 2 stitches to form the "valley" eyelet space;
1 tr in the next stitch; 1 tr in the next stitch;
2 tr in the next stitch; 2 tr in the next stitch (the "mountain");
1 tr in the next stitch; 1 tr in the next stitch;
That's the second ripple made.
The red text highlighted above is the pattern repeat.
Repeat the pattern highlighted in red above until five stitches remain.
Skip the next 2 stitches to form the final eyelet;
1 tr in the next stitch; 1 tr in the next stitch;
The final 2 tr's will be worked into the top of the chain-3 from the start of the previous row, as shown by my needle in the above photo.
There you go - that's the first ripple stripe complete, so fasten off, and turn your work. We'll talk about darning in ends once we've competed the second stripe.
From now on, every row should end in the exact same way - you should always have five stitches remaining so that you can skip over 2, then work (1 tr; 1 tr; 2 tr) to finish. If you end up with more or less than 5 stitches at the end, then it means you've miss-counted along your row and need to go back and find where! Hopefully the eyelet full-stops will prevent this happening - get used to checking after every 8 stitches that your eyelets are lining up correctly.
Ok, time for the next colour.
Row 3 : use Turquoise (mixed stripe) or Lipstick (colourwash)
Insert your hook into the first stitch and pull through a loop of the new colour.
Chain 3 (counts as 1 tr), then work 1 tr into the stitch at the base of the chain-3.
1 tr in the next stitch; 1 tr in the next stitch;
Skip the next two stitches;
Note : you will now easily be able to see how the eyelet spaces are stacking neatly on top of each other. This will help keep each ripple accurate and lined up correctly and makes it a very easy, visual pattern to trouble shoot.
1 tr in the next stitch; 1 tr in the next stitch;
2 tr in the next stitch; 2 tr in the next stitch (the "mountain");
1 tr in the next stitch; 1 tr in the next stitch;
Skip the next 2 stitches to form the "valley" eyelet space;
1 tr in the next stitch; 1 tr in the next stitch;
2 tr in the next stitch; 2 tr in the next stitch (the "mountain");
1 tr in the next stitch; 1 tr in the next stitch;
Repeat the the above text highlighted in red until you have five stitches remaining.
Skip the next 2 stitches to form the final eyelet;
1 tr in the next stitch; 1 tr in the next stitch; 2 tr into the top of the chain-3 from the previous row.
Turn your work.
Row 4: chain 3 (counts as 1 tr), then work 1 tr into the stitch at the base of the chain-3.
1 tr in the next stitch; 1 tr in the next stitch;
Skip the next 2 stitches to form the "valley" eyelet space;
1 tr in the next stitch; 1 tr in the next stitch;
2 tr in the next stitch; 2 tr in the next stitch (the "mountain");
1 tr in the next stitch; 1 tr in the next stitch;
Repeat the the above text highlighted in red until you have five stitches remaining.
Skip the next 2 stitches to form the final eyelet;
1 tr in the next stitch; 1 tr in the next stitch; 2 tr into the top of the chain-3 from the previous row; fasten off.
And that IS IT!!!!!!!!!!! Isn't it a breeze??? Did you like how easy it was to keep a track of the pattern, using the eyelet spaces to line everything up and make sure your ripples were correct each time?
Rows 3 and 4 form the overall pattern so just repeat those two rows, changing colours every alternate row.
Now it's time to measure your sample, and we can talk about darning in those ends.
Your tension sample should measure approximately 18 cm across. Don't worry if it's a little bit over or under, but if it's wildly out, then you will need to change your hook size.
If your sample ended up bigger and feels quite loose, then switch down to a smaller hook.
If your sample ended up smaller and feels quite tight, switch up to a bigger hook.
DARNING IN ENDS
I thought it would be useful to give some guidance about darning in ends. I do them as I go along, it's be far the best way (trust me on this, you know I'm right!)
First of all, thread up the tail end left at the end of the first stripe (Lapis). Pass your needle under the stitches, taking care to keep it neat as you pass under the eyelet hole.
Now pass your needle back in the opposite direction so that it pops out at the outer edge. Take care not to pull the yarn too tight.
Next, thread up the tail end left at the start of the second stripe (turquoise or Listick). Pass the needle up through the centre post of the end stitch - you want it to come out in the middle of the stripe.
Pass your needle under the stitches along the middle of the stripe, taking care to keep it neat as you pass under the eyelet hole.
Now pass your needle back in the opposite direction so that it pops out at the outer edge. Take care not to pull the yarn too tight, and keep the eyelet hole intact.
You can now snip the ends close to the edge of the crochet. Don't worry if this edge isn't perfectly straight - borders are great at taking care of this.
And I think that's about all you need to know - you are ready to begin week 1 of the CAL and enjoy watching these easy ripples grow into the beginnings of a beautiful blanket.
If you are making the Harbour Blanket with me in January/February 2022 as part of my Crochet-A-Long, the colours of the stripes will be released each week here on my blog. I'll add each part as a link at the bottom of this tutorial as soon as they become available.
You can download a PDF copy of this pattern to save/print if you wish. This is a traditionally written pattern with no step-by-step photos. Click on the following link >>
DOWNLOAD HARBOUR BLANKET PATTERN
If you are using the Harbour yarn pack, there are two versions of the blanket to choose from. They each use the exact same yarn colours but arranged in different ways.
The Mixed Stripe is a random mix of all the colours throughout the blanket.
The Colourwash is an arrangement of the colours in a very considered way. The blues wash upwards from dark to light, alternating with the bright pops of boaty colours.
Please note that the Colourwash isn't suitable for small size blankets as the stripes are a fixed number (84) in order for the arrangement to work as a 6ft long blanket.
There is a separate tutorial to show you how to create a border for the Easy Eyelet ripple blanket. This will explain how to fill in the rippled top and bottom edges and create a neat stripy border to give a lovely finish to your blanket.
You can find the colour info for the Harbour blankets by clicking on the links below.
♥ HARBOUR CAL PART 1 - stripes 1-15
♥ HARBOUR CAL PART 2 - stripes 16-30
♥ HARBOUR CAL PART 3 - stripes 31-45
♥ HARBOUR CAL PART 4 - stripes 46-60
♥ HARBOUR CAL PART 5 - stripes 61-75
♥ HARBOUR CAL PART 6 - stripes 76-84
♥ HARBOUR CAL PART 7 - the border
♥ HARBOUR BLANKET INTRODUCTION
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