02-08-2016

I have only used the pattern for the colors and color placements (and even then I’ve added and created more color combinations - I need a longer blanket than the pattern will make).

The first change I made was to chose to not do as the pattern says - to create the first row of a color, and then begin again on the same side (front side) to do the 2nd row. There are already way too many yarn ends to weave in to start a color over again in its second row, imo. And doing it that way will put all the yarn ends on one side of the blanket - and that didn’t seem like a good idea to me.

Using the pattern for the original ripple (though I added chains to make it wider). I simply crochet back and forth in a ripple pattern, choosing to crochet in the back loops only when crocheting on the “front side”. And this only to add a bit of interest. Crocheting this way also evenly distributes yarn ends along both sides of the pattern.

About half way through I realized I needed a longer blanket than this was going to make (I wanted it 72 inches long), so I crocheted the first sequence of color combinations as written (substituting colors that were no longer available). Then I created a middle section that was made up of color combinations I made up. Then I repeated the original color combinations, but in a mirror image, instead of the order they were originally crocheted in.

Also…I added three rows of Taupe/Linen at regular spacings, so the blanket starts and ends with Taupe/Linen, but also has two repeats of this combination evenly spaced within the body of the blanket.

In the end, the pattern was only used for color combinations. After that I simply crocheted a ripple blanket as explained above.

I couldn’t be happier with it. It’s a warm, cozy winter time blanket. If I were to do it again, the only change I’d make in how I crocheted it is to possibly make it wider, but with the weight this blanket is, 47” across is plenty, really.

03-07-2016

Color combinations I used (some original to the design, some made up):

Taupe/Beige
Brick/Dusty Rose
Honey/Olive Green
Antique Rose/Chocolate
Dusty Green/Honey
Antique Rose/Beige
Mustard/Dust Rose
Dusty Purple/Silver Blue
Honey/Fisherman
Mustard/Brick
Dusty Green/Taupe
Taupe/Beige
Purple/Fern Green
Dusty Blue/Rust
Taupe/Colonial Blue
Brick/Dust Rose
Fern/Navy Blue
Honey/Dusty Rose
Honey/Dusty Green
Antique Rose/Taupe
Taupe/Beige
Olive Green/Dusty Purple
Antique Rose/Fisherman
Honey/Olive Green
Purple/Silver Blue
Honey/Dusty Rose
Colonial Blue/Taupe
Dusty Blue/Rust
Purple/Fern
Taupe/Beige
Dusty Green/Taupe
Mustard/Brick
Honey/Fisherman
Dusty Purple/Silver Blue
Mustard/Dusty Rose
Antique Rose/Beige
Dusty Green/Honey
Antique Rose/Chocolate
Olive Green/Honey
Dusty Rose/Brick
Taupe/Beige

Edged in single crochet with Taupe/Beige