Road Trippin'

What arrived in South Africa today, courtesy of my sis on a blitz-visit from Ireland!

Lets go camping!

My sis tipped me off  to Kate's blog and I started following their family's road trip around half of Australia about halfway through.  While I loved the travelling tales, I also liked her crochet work, their way of thinking and outlook on life, and continued to follow her and farmer Bren's adventures at home, about life on an organic farm, crafting, hooking and the like.

It remains one of my favourite blogs; have a look at www.foxslane.blogspot.com

Now I just want to hook a caravan to my Xtrail and take off.  But a ±1500 km road trip southwards in three week's time will have to do! At the other end, there's a little beach house where my Rainbow Ripple actually lives, I can put up some bunting, two couches are waiting for new slipcovers...I can pretend it's my stationary caravan.  

One-Ripple-A-Day

Oops...I'm a bit late...but this is one of the things I've been busy with last week:

A third ripple, this time for a big fat cushion for ME.  Made up with ultra lovely Rowan Handknit Cotton, Rowan Summer Tweed, and Rowan Tweed.  The denim blue is a local 50% cotton.

For more One-A-Day projects, have a look at Carole's Gingerbread Girl Blog.

Guest Blog! The Widest Ripple Ever

And so I invited myself to be a guest blogger on my sister's blog!  

See, I've just finished the widest-ever-ripple and I'm so relieved and happy that it is e-v-e-n-t-u-a-l-l-y finished.  Some time last year I fell in love with Lucy's (from Attic24) Neat Ripple Pattern blanket and decided to do one for our Super King size bed (Ed.  It is wider than wide...).

The Widest Ripple Ever

I love colour, but also try not to think too much about colour combinations.  I knew I wanted the blanket to cheer us up, especially during the long, wet Irish winter.  I also wanted it to somewhat "go" with our Ikea bed linen.  I decided to use Aran weight yarn, with a 5.5 mm hook.  I went for a Hayfield Bonus in Cream.  And 10 colours in the Sirdar Supersoft range:  4 greens, pink, orange, yellow, purple, blue and khaki. 

Starting an epic blanket

I did not really have a plan in place, with regards to colour sequences.  I did decide to do two rows of a colour though.  And so I did the foundation chain and first double row.  (Here I must say that after about 15 rows I realised I made this blanket quite wide and it became the Widest-Ever-Ripple Blanket  It took me a while to get used to the hills and valleys of the ripple and in the beginnig I often had to frog some stitches.  At times I also got bored with the ripple and had to do some smaller projects inbetween.  

It's growing...slowly.

After slogging on for what seemed like forever, I decided to finish the ripple with a rainbow of the colours I used (bar two of the greens that ran out).  I also finished off the sides of the ripple with an American single stich in cream.       

Adding a rainbow for the Irish rain

The rainbow photo that Does Not Want To Go Horizontal

Some stats:

504 stitches in a row (American double crochets)

88 rows of which 80 was double colour rows

44 352 stiches in all

2.6 x 1.6 m in size

I love the colours, it looks great in our room and I can't want to start using it.  And I don't have to wait too long....we don't really have a summer this year.

All done!

Thanks, Stel, for this opportunity!

♥ GK

Snuggling away!

Tadaaah!! Lucy se Ripple in Afrikaans

Translated into Afrikaans with permission of Lucy, www.attic24.typepad.com

Baie dankie aan Lucy van Attic 24 wat ons toestemming gegee het om haar Neat Ripple
in Afrikaans te doen!

Die oorspronklike Engels is hier, met stap-vir-stap fotos.

The original English is here, with step-by-step photos.

Na 'n klompie navrae vir 'n Afrikaanse weergawe van hierdie patroon:

Lucy se Ripple

Hier is eers die verkorte weergawe...

Maak 'n beginketting in veelvoude van 14, plus 3 ekstra steke (telkens om te draai).
(Of dan - maak die ketting soos lank soos jy dit wel hê, kyk net dat die total 'n veelvoud van 14 is, en maak 3 ekstra steke om te draai).

R1

1 lb in 4e ketting van pen

1 lb in elk van volgende 4 k

2 lb tesame

2 lb tesame

1 lb in elk van volgende 4 k

*2 lb in volgende k

2 lb in volgende k

1 lb in elk van volgende 4 k

2 lb tesame
2 lb tesame
1 lb in elk van volgende 4 k*

Herhaal tussen * en *, eindig laaste herhaling met 2 lb in laaste k, draai.

R2
Maak 3k, 1lb in basis van die 3.
1 lb in elk van volgende 4 k

2 lb tesame
2 lb tesame

1 lb in elk van volgende 4 k

*2 lb in volgende k
2 lb in volgende k

1 lb in elk van volgende 4 k

2 lb tesame
2 lb tesame

1 lb in elk van volgende 4 k*

Herhaal tussen * en *, eindig laaste herhaling met 2 lb in die boonste lus van die 3 ketings van die vorige ry.

Herhaal so tot kombersgrootte wat jy verkies.

Lucy beveel wel aan dat jy 'n oefenblokkie doen soos hier:

Maak 'n beginketting van 31 steke (2 x 14 + 3).

Maak 'n langbeen in die 4e steek van die pen.
Maak 1 lb in elk van die volgende 4 kettings - nou het jy dus 5 (2 lb + 3 k)

In die volgende steek - maak 2 lb tesame, so:

Haak wol oor, hekelpen in steek, wol oor, haak terug (3 st op pen), wol oor, trek deur 2 lusse (2 st op pen), wol oor, steek in volgende ketting, wol oor, haak terug (4 steke op pen), wol oor, haak deur 2 lusse (3 st op pen), wol oor, haak deur al 3 steke op pen. 

Klaar: 2 lb tesame :-)

Maak nog so een!

Werk 4 lb in elk van die volgende 4 kettings. Nou behoort jy die "valleitjie" te kan sien, die V-vorm van die Ripple.

Om die "piek" te maak...

Werk 2 lb in die volgende ketting.

En nog 2 in die volgende ketting.

Dan weer 1 lb in elk van die volgende 4 kettings.  

Twee maal 2 lb tesame.

1 lb in elk van die volgende ketting.

Al asl reg geloop het, behoort jy 1 ketting oor te hê, maak 2lb hierin om die ry te eindig.   

Draai nou die werk.
Maak 3 k, dan 1 lb in DIESELFDE steek (die basis va die 3 kettings)

En volg die patroon:
1 lb in elk van die volgende 4 steke

Twee maal 2 lb tesame

1 lb in elk van die volgende 4 steke

Twee lb in elk van volgende 2 steke

1 lb in elke van volgende 4 steke

Twee maal 2 lb tesame.

1 lb i elk van die volgende 4 st.  

(Nou behoort jy weer by die einde van die ry te wees). 

Maak nou 2 lb in die boonste lus van die 3 kettings van die vorige ry.

Begin weer die volgende ry met 3 k en volg die patroon... 

Hierdie was my eerste poging tot 'n vertaling, en ekself hekel nie eintlik in Afrikaans nie!  Laat weet asb hoe dit gaan, is daar enigiets wat ek moet duideliker maak.  Ek het probeer om haar stap-vir-stap verduideliking so eenvoudig moontlik te volg.  Hierdie patroon sal deurentyd bygewerk word soos daar vrae inkom.  

Vir diegene wat ook sukkel om in die basisketting te hekel...ek werk in die agterste lus van die steek, dis vir my baie makliker as in die boonste twee lusse.  Na die eerste ry gaan ek dan weer normaal aan.  

Klaar! Baby J Ripple

Eintlik wou ek iets heel anders doen, vir hierdie baba Joshua. Twee moontlike patrone het reggelê, ek wou Vinni's gebruik, maar eendag gooi ek al my wolle so op die bed, om bietjie te sorteer...en die klompie bloue perse groene val so langs mekaar...en toe word dit 'n Ripple.

I actually wanted to do something totally different for this baby Josua. Had two patterns ready, wanted to buy some Vinni's; but then one day when I was sorting yarn, I threw everything on the bed and the greens blues lavender fell in a pile...and it became a Ripple.

Die wol kom meestal uit my Opgehoopte Voorraad...elle Pure Gold, elle Rustica en enkele onbekende ander.  Ek het die kakie en bruin bygesit omdat dit amper begin dogtertjierig lyk het.  

The yarn is mainly from my Stash Pile...elle Pure Gold, elle Rustica, and some unknown others. I added the khaki and brown in the end because it started to look a bit girly.

Nog so drie  weke, dan ontmoet ons hom. Intussen is wag sy kombersie in sy kamer.

We'll meet him in another three weeks.  Meanwhile, his blankie will be waiting in his room.

3KCBWDAY6- Improving My Skillset

One year ago, I took up my mom's old 4.5 mm crochet hook, some DK I had in the house, and proceeded to learn how to crochet.

Three days later , I gained muscle control over my fingers and the crochet hook.

At one stage I sat with The Happy Hooker on my lap, You Tube open in front of me, and my sister on the line from Ireland, to try and figure out how to make a DC.

Since then, I proceeded to successfully make one square.

Hot on its heels followed various simple cowls, a baby blanket, a vintage stripe blanket -gone-wrong-gone-wrap, two mug warmers, some coasters (actually testers),  two cushions for our beach house, a giant granny for my boy, flowers to mark my new suitcase, part of my aunty's to-be African Flower blanket, a Rainbow Ripple, another baby ripple still to be revealed here, some simple Christmas decorations, two winter scarves for my sisi, a flower scarf for me, some potholders, two amigurumi, a vintage brooch, a cushion for my cousin, a cushion and hearty garland for a Curly Girl, and a monster pouch for my iPhone. And a beanie. And a superlovely MyPicot scarve for me.

On holiday in Swakopmund, Namibia, April 2011, trying to figure out this DC thing

I learnt about British and American crochet language. Now, just for fun, throw Afrikaans into the mix - the terms are totally unrelated to the English counterparts. And for more fun, try Dutch, 'cause that where Afrikaans comes from, and no one can blame you if you want to throw your hands into the air and run away.

I learnt that crochet has a back and front :-D

I started blogging about my adventure, and in the process learnt so much from great ladies around the world, who are generous with their patterns and advice, not to mention inspiration.

And with online friend and fellow South African-based-in-London, Natasja King,  I started a crochet group on Facebook, that is now 1120 members strong.  What a joy that is!  At "Ons Hekel" I have seen the most beautiful ideas, met up fellow hookers and learn more every day.

So, in the next year, I Will:

1. learn to hook from a diagram
2. complete a Japanese flower scarve adapting from an existing doilie type pattern
3. learn to hook from a diagram
4. go beyond simple amigurumi
5. learn to hook from a diagram.
6. continue meeting new hookers at Ons Hekel and meet up with them where possible.

Did I mention I want to learn to hook from a diagram?

Then I'll order One Japanese Book for myself, as reward :-)

One-A-Day, or...A Production Line

...of African Fower centres: 29

(I got the mini-skeins of tapestry wool (new wool) for almost nothing, plus another bag for free - might have been in the shop for too long!)

The Sea-colours Ripple has grown to 17 double rows:

The GRB didn't really grow...but there's hope for this week.

How did you do?

One-a-Day... or, New WIP's!

Lot's of hooking going on here...

With High Hopes of a Europe visit coming Dec, I completed 7 of these...

and 9 1/2 bands of these for a friend's coming baby...

and The Great Romany Blanket is going to Get Started today:

with one of these:

I think the tomato red in the right hand corner.

Wish me luck, think of me!

And have fun with your projects. I love meeting for Tuesday's Tallies at Carole's to see what everybody is doing with their One-a-Days. 

One-(Ripple)-A-Day...or Klaar! Die Reënboog Ripple / Rainbow Ripple

(Ok...technically this is not a One-A-Day post, but since I showered you with my ramblings and cussing during the making of the Rainbow Ripple, I thought you'd like to see The End of it!)

Wie het gedink dat hierdie dag ooit sal aanbreek!

Onthou, toe ek met die ywerige entoesiasme van die oningewyde met my Ripple begin het...

Who would have thought that this day would arrive!
Remember when I started out with the Ripple, all unbound enthusiasm...

Dit het semi-goed gegaan, die kleure was pragtig, maar o!, die gesukkel om die randte reguit te hou!

It went semi-well, but oh!, the struggle to keep the ends neat!

Ek het regtig van hierdie kleure gehou, mmm, miskien moet ek tog weer die kombinasie nadersleep.

I really liked these colours, mmm, maybe I should try the combination again for another project.

En toe trek ek alles uit.  Alles.  Kon net nie die randte reguit kry nie, kon dit nie red nie.

En ek begin weer oor.

Dit het gehelp dat ek weer begin het met 'n kort vakansie by die see.  Daar's net iets aan die branders by Kenton-on-Sea wat die senuwees kalmeer as die kombersie weer so hoog soos 'n duin voor jou lê!

And then I frogged. All of it.  Couldn't get it right, could save it 

And started again.

It helped that I started again during a short trip to the sea side.  There's just something about the waves at Kenton-on-Sea that calme the nerves when the prospect of this blanket started looming like the highest dune over you!

Maar toe begin die strepe en kleure, bergies en valleie bymekaar kom.  Ek het die olyfgroen uitgehaal, en die res in reënboogvolgorde gedoen.

But then the stripes and co,ours, peaks and valleys started to come together. I discarded the olive green, and arranged the rest in a rainbow. 

Skielik is daar eendag net 3, 2, 'n laaste ry oor!  En die berg is oor, die Ripple klaar! Ek was so bly dat ek dit net daar laat lê het, kon nie eens dadelik lus kry om los drade weg te werk, of 'n randjie the maak nie.

Maar dis nou ook gedoen.  My Reënboog Ripple is klaar, met 'n rooi randjie, en is supermooi en supersag en ek het nie gedink ek wil ooit weer so iets doen nie.
(Daar's klaar weer 'n Ripple in my kop...).

And then, one day, it was finished! I was so overwhelmed and relieved I couldn't even bother to weave away the ends or do something about the edge, I just put it away.

  But is done now!  My Rainbow Ripple is finished, with a red edge, and it is super pretty and super soft and I thought I never want to do anything like it again .
(But already there's another Ripple being planned...)

Klaar!!

Ek het besluit om die reënboogbande rug aan rug te doen. En met die tweede rondte die ligpienk uitgehaal, want dit was nie helder genoeg nie. En een heldergeel strepie vergeet!

Done!

I decided to mirror the rainbow bands.   And took out the light pink, because it wasn't bright enough. And forgot one bright yellow stripe!

Ek lief dit.  Oor 7 weke gaan dit Hartenbos Huisie toe :-)

I love it.  in seven weeks, it's going to The Little Beach House :-)

Patroon/Pattern

One-A-Day 10, or, The Rolling-on-nicely Ripple!

At last!

Two rainbow bands finished!

This is what it looks like...



..and I'm a Happy Hooker :-)

BUT

I am going to put the rainbow aside for a while. We are experiencing our second heatwave in as many weeks, and that amount of acrylic on my lap is a bit much.  So I'll take it up again in December when we're on holiday in the southwestern Cape, with a much more civilised climate! Until then, I'll be One-A-Daying with some smaller projects that I Need To Finish.

Thank you for all the lovely comments and feedback on my rippe so far. It is really encouraging and keeps me from throwing in the blanket! Gonna blow you all away in January ;-)  In the meantime, I really love looking at your work, the beautiful prjects coming from this One-A-Day, and there are so many ideas coming up.

(PS.  Translation of previous post Ons Hekel/We Crochet now done to English).

Now.  Let's have a look at all the other great projects listed over at Carole's blog...

One-A-Day 9, or, The Redeemed Ripple

Hello to all my co-hookers/knitters doing one row/square/circle/flower...a day!

A week's rest -of-the-ripple did me a lot of  good.  Not that I really got a change to do much else! I did finish 2 placemats and 2 coffee mug coasters for my cousins's fiancee's kitchen (photo's somewhere, and will come later), and finished an almost 30x30cm flowery-granny square for a certain Curly Girl (which wil turn into a cushion) : 

But then there was also a rush to A&E with my Little Bull Calf (seems to be something quite common here amongst the crocheters, if you look at the last couple of weeks...) - amazing what a gholf club to the forehead can do:

And then there was a fun gala where my Little Man placed 3rd in freestyle and breast stroke (yeay for him, as he doesn't like cold water!  :-)

And there still is the ongoing Concert Week at the primary school, can you imagine the excitement levels here...

(Tall one in the back is mine).


But The Ripple, the Rebellious-Recovering-turning Rainbow Ripple - it grew. 

I didn't get to finish a whole new band, as I would have wanted, but still am very happy how it's turning out.  Remember I asked your opinion on how to proceed?  Should I continue randomly, or with another rainbow, or with a rainbow mirror...

And this is what I decided on, and I love it!!  Yeay!!  I have new love for my Ripple:

I LOVE how it's working out, mirroring the rainbow.  And then I'll mirror again.  Can't wait.  Have got new inspiration!

And now over to Gingerbread Girl's blog to see what's happening with the other One-A-Dayers!

PS.  Little one is doing much better, stitches came out today and he earned an ice cream for his bravery.

One-A-Day (8) or, The Recovered Ripple

Joy, oh Joy, I've made it through 1 set of rainbowish colours and managed to suppress the rebellion!

Am going to use these 14 colours throughout.  Some look a bit funny here...the slushy grey beneath the cerise is actually a light dusty pink. Anyhow.  I'm happy so far, but I need to take a little break from this Ripple. For one whole week I'm not going to touch it and just get on with a few other things and ponder the following...

How To Continue?

Shall I go all random now, as planned from the beginning, and end with another rainbow band, mirroring this one?

Or shall I just repeat rainbow bands?

OR shall I mirror each band as I continue?

Meanwhile, I'm going to finish this:

Flowery Squares for a little something for a Curly Girl's room.  It's so quick and easy and a lovely thing to do while watching the World Cup Final ;-)

And I want to share these oldies:

My friend Stel got a box full of doilies and other crocheted thingies, made by her grandmother, even a crocheted apron!  What to do with all of these?  My Little Beach House got lucky and got the two round little table cloths, as well as the apple green place mats. I'm trying to convince Stel to use the white doilies with purplepink edging on pillows for her Ballerina Girl's bedroom.  Nice to re-use these old pieces.

Enjoy your week!  Have a look at the others' posts over at Gingerbread Girls's blog and I'll join in again in two weeks' time.





One-A-Day a.k.a. The Rebellious Rainbow Ripple

Tuesday again!  Time for a One-A-Day progress report (slow).  We were away for the weekend and I crocheted on the plane, on the beach, on the verandah with a lovely view towards a lagoon (that made up for my snail's progress)*.

Weeks since I started :  10?

Numbers of times frogged : 1 (whole blanket), 3 (some rows)

Rows completed now : 19

Colours : 10, ±5 more

I am now aiming to just. Get. The. Sides. Straight.

That entails finishing and starting with only 3+2 stitches (as opposed to 4+2 in the pattern) and following the peaks and valleys as I get to them. Sometimes with 4 stitches between them (as per the pattern), sometimes with 3 (as not per the pattern).

As long as the final row remains more or less in place and semi-straight on the previous one. 

I am SO not frogging again :-)

(I actually like the colours, it looks sooo nice, the rainbow.  If I can just finish this thing! I do like the blanket, I know it will be pretty, on the back of the denim-covered couch at The Little Beach House).

Next week I'm going to blow you away with my mindboggling speed and accuracy ;-)

For other lovely projects and some real progress, have a look at the Tuesday Tallies over at Carole's blog, Gingerbread Girl. There are some looovely things to behold (good luck with your ripple, Barbina...).

* If you're in the mood for some Geography...search on a map, for Kenton-on-Sea in South Africa. What a beautiful place. 

Hint: Eastern Cape, halfway between Port Elizabeth and East London.

Or just Google!

One-A-Day (6)



"I don't know why they call this frogging", I moaned to my husband, as grrrrrr grrrrrr grrrrrr went the 32 rows (ROWS!) of my Ripple. 

"Grrrrrrr grrrrrr grrrrr" went my Little Man, just like a frog.  I got it. 

Yes.  I frogged ALL of my Ripple. *

From this:

Tried to save the first two rows, so I wouldn't have to go through The Foundation Chain of Hell again...so I promptly made a mistake and had to restart. From scratch. 

Not once.

Not twice.

FIVE times.  Five times I chained and rechained before I got it right, and can proudly now say that I've GOT it and The Ripple II is going along just fine. 

*Relief*

I am so far now:

(Blood-red, burnt orange, light peach.  Looks a bit funny here.)

I am just so happy that this time I GOT it, and I'm getting my valleys and hills in place and managing my last two stiches in the top chain etc. And I got to discard the olive green that was bothering me, plus the very pale dusty pink and two of the cheap superacrylics, so now I'm continuing just with Pure Gold.  Nice and soft.

SO I need to ask - how do you manage the foundation chain? I followed recommendations from both Lucy and The Happy Hooker - first hooked a bit loose, then tried using a bigger hook, and then, big revelation, hooked in the Back Loop of each stich, and it was just so much easier, and neater, and Easier.  Took me the whole of "Source Code" (watching the dvd with husband) to get through 199 stitches, and absolutely happy with it. (Loved the movie. Love Jake. He'll probably get a fit when hearing that somebody hooked through the movie :-).

Also got 30 African Flowers in the mail, off on their way to Potchefstroom :-) where they'll be waiting for more flowers from here, Cork and Potch:

Thank you for sitting through this rambling.  Thanks for the lovely comments on my previous post.  Hilly T, I did see you green edges as well, and its looking so nice and fresh.  This CAL is really worth it, doing some hooking every day, writing up a post, and then sharing in the progress. I love it.  Thanks for participating and sharing your ideas, feedback, support etc. 

(Have a look at other participants in One-A-Day at Gingerbread Girl's blog every Tuesday.)

*What was wrong...I  somehow missed the loast two stitched in the top if the chain and the end of the row, somewhere (hooked one day in the beginnig without my instructions).  Then couldn't get my peaks and valleys aligned, and the one edge of the work ended up looking ...rippled, while the other side was perfectly straight.  Couldn't fix it, it just got worse. Had to throw in the towel/blanket.