Hurray! My first and wonderful rainbow ripple blanket is finished!

This is a post I thought I would never write. If someone had asked me one year ago if I would ever start to crochet a blanket I would have answered " Are you crazy? I will never buy such a great amount of yarn to start a project I am sure I 'll never finish!" And then after marvelling at so many beautiful blankets in the net I started a ripple blanket just a couple of months later. 

I decided upon this pattern because it looks just lovely and there are not so many loose ends you have to weave in as with a granny blanket for example. I used the pattern written by the wonderful Lucy of attic24. When I started the first stitches I always told myself that it could become a baby blanket, my brother is 33 years old and I am sure he will have a child sooner or later. But then the pattern really got me. It was so soothing and almost meditative to crochet these ripples that I never wanted to stop once I started. I don't know how many times I told my children "Oh I just have to finish this row before... 

                            

                  a) we have lunch, 

                  b) I'll help you with your homework, 

                  c) I'll come and have a look at what you've done

                  d) I'll make dinner... 

                       ... and so on and on and on. 

But my children loved this blanket very much as well and they were quite proud that I didn't forget it in some of the baskets or on some shelves where it would lie forever and ever. Instead they encouraged me to go on and to finish it. Lovely them! 
So here it is and please forgive the huge amount of pictures!

I used these 22 colours of Stylecraft Special DK. Don't they look gorgeous?

I used Stylecraft Special DK in the following 22 colours:

Sherbet, Turquoise, Petrol, Aspen, Cloud Blue, Denim, Clematis, Candy Floss, Lavender, Fondant, Raspberry, Pomegranate, Magenta, Shrimp, Lipstick, Claret, Citron, Saffron, Sunshine, Spring Green, Meadow and Bottle.

And when I finally finished the ripples, I pondered long about the edging. I knew that I wanted to make one but I wasn't sure about pattern. Just a couple of single crochet rows? Or some kind of shell stitch? But then again I found a pattern on Lucy's blog I liked a lot. You can find it here. I like this neat yet simple pattern very much, it puts the finishing touches to my blanket. What do you think?

My happy, happy blanket full of sunshine and felicity! It feels so good that I managed to finish it.

I just read a quotation by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe that he must have written with crocheters in his mind: 

'Glücklich diejenigen, die im Praktischen gegründet sind und sich zu gründen wissen!'

I haven't found a good translation in the net but I can give it a try (if someone has got a better translation, please let me know!):  

'Happy those who are established in the practical and who know how to establish themselves.'

 

And this was the first time I took my lovely blanket outside. It was a fine and sunshiny day but as we are living in the Northern part of Germany, there is always a wind, and most of the times a quite strong wind. But I was quite find, wrapped in my new blanket, sipping a cup of hot tea and feeling happy, oh so happy!

I am so very, very happy with my blanket, though I am of two minds about the Stylecraft Special DK yarn. It is a pure acrylic yarn and I think that you can feel it. Lately I crocheted quite a few projects with a cotton/merino yarn and the difference between these two yarns is enormous. The feel of the cotton/ merino mix is much softer, warmer and more comfortable. 

But nevertheless I like my rainbow blanket incredibly and wouldn't want to change it. But the next blanket will be a cotton one, that's for sure! Yes, I will start a second blanket and I have already chosen a pattern, but more about this in my next post. 

Last but not least I just wanted to answer a question concerning the mandala that I have shown you in my last post, remember? 

 You asked about the pattern and you can find it here. It is a free pattern and really easy to follow. Enjoy!

My next post will be about my next blanket and about our trip to - guess where! - LONDON! I really can't believe it myself but we planned this trip months ago, all the four of us saving money to get there. The children desperately want to visit the Harry Potter Exhibition and they are very curious about this large and famous city. We will enjoy it so much.

Bless you,

Viola