Baby Ripples......

Gosh, Peeps, I have had so many friends having babies just recently! I kid you not when I say there are 6 ..... And then yet ANOTHER one of my dear friends announced a few months ago that she was in the baby way.....Now  I have made so many  Baby Owl Toys that I could not face making  yet another so I really had to put my thinking cap on..... but nothing - ABSOLUTELY NOTHING!

 

However as with many things I do,  late one night I thought about a unfinished blanket..... or WIP(work in progress ) as I  like to call anything unfinished!(And I have many WIP's)  I had started this ripple blanket a while ago, but I never finished it! It was a difficult pattern and I had struggled with it and eventually put it away. But I had also JUST started my hooky journey, so I think I can be forgiven for shelving it.

 So I went in search of it..... and there it was lying under a pile of yarn in a drawer!

 

Now my friend Gem, did not know if she was going to produce a girl child or boy child.... This blanket was 3 shades of blue. Beautiful Blue that reminded me of the ocean on a bright summer day, tranquil and serene!   ..... The ripple pattern also undulates like the waves in the ocean.....Boy, am I being poetic today! I decided that even though it  might be a little girl I would  use it. I would simply add a pink border to it and some flowers on the bottom - I thought that was actually a VeRy CleVeR idea....

The Ripples somehow seemed easier this time, I was using Lucy from Attic24's pattern and now that I am few years down in my hooky journey, it was easier to understand. The stitches were simple, 4 trebles then a decrease across 2 stitches then 4 trebles and  increase across 2 stitches.... simply put it is a hill and valley type of thing, increase on the hill decrease on the valley...... understand? Well it does seem a bit odd when I read it back but Lucy writes patterns in an easy manner so pop over and try it out.

The Valley(Decrease Stitches)

The Hill(Increase Stitches)

I cannot lie and say I never made any more  mistakes, I pulled out a few rows  and even totally mixed the colours up on one occasion!(my first hooky tears!) But soon  the pattern became almost cathartic and repetitive - I almost became lost in the pattern not thinking about anything except repeating and repeating.........

Suddenly  it was looking gorgeous and although the first 20 rows of ripples had been more of a gentle curve than a ripple,  it was looking really ripply. I was happy. I kept rippling and soon it was all done.

 

 

A few days later very happy Gem told us that a Baby...... GIRL was to bless them.
 

   

 

  A pink border  of single crochet was dully added and it looks really sweet and girly.... 

 

 

 

 

I hooked up a little garden of flowers(Flower pattern to come - as it is my own)  and added them along the bottom, with stems and leaves.(I doubled up my yarn to chain the stems as it makes the stems thick and looks better)

 

 A pretty white Butterfly flitting across the blue ripples.

The Finished Blanket - Not A great Picture  - Sorry!

 

The blanket was all done. The different coloured flowers, green stems and leaves really break up the blue, and it will be perfect for this soon to be born  little girl! The baby shower was a riot..... A house full of wonderful, loud and gregarious family and friends, writing down blessings and wishes for little Grace's future! And I do have to say with a family like this.... She is already BLESSED ....xxx

 

PS:: Can not wait to meet her.....