Wavy ripple help

[alohadave]

I want to start on a wavy afghan, so I found a couple patterns, and I'm doing swatches to make sure that I'm doing them right.

 

I'm having a problem with my peak curling around way too much, and the valleys being very shallow.

 

Is there a trick to the tension that is making the peaks curl around so much, and the valleys not curving enough?

 

I did a 3 section swatch and it looks like a letter M when I set it down.

[acraftylady]

Ok don't know what happened there. Mary

 

http://attic24.typepad.com/weblog/neat-ripple-pattern.html

[Whimsicalmiscellany]

The Attic24 pattern is my favourite pattern, ever. When my nephew was born I made him a blanket with this pattern and it's one of my favourite things I've made.

[mandymae]

I can't necessarily tell you what's going on with your pattern, but I did want to share my favorite wavy/ripple afghan pattern. It's probably the easiest available. The chain at the beginning is weird (I almost always end up with too many) so just leave your slipknot a little loose so you can pull out the extra chains.

 

http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/hobo-blanket

[ddc]

If your starting chain is too tight, you can do it with a larger size hook. I always do that with long chains, as do many on the forum. It's hard to keep a long chain loose, and they always stretch out some, if they're not too tight, when you begin the actual stitches. That's why they need to keep a looser tension, or just a slightly larger stitch.

[alohadave]

Hmmmm, I am using that pattern on Emmas, and I have had no problems at all, and believe me when I say I am a woman full of mistakes waiting to happen, LOL!!! I followed along with him at the start. As for the tension in your chain, I am not sure I understand, the tension in your chain is adjusted by you, so I am misunderstanding something. Not even sure why I am offering to help since I am so new to this. But was trying to help, sorry. Are you wanting a M shape for peaks and valleys, or the more relaxed wave ripple? Ok, going away now, best of luck.

 

Don't be sorry.

 

The peaks were fine, the valleys though, I couldn't get enough enough decrease with them. I'd stitch them, and they were flat. The top of the stitches were much longer than the rest of the stitches, but it felt like I was keeping the tension the same.

[alohadave]

Your peaks and valleys aren't balanced. You are increasing by 2 (2 dc in stitch twice) but decreasing by 4 (3 together twice turns 6 stitches into 2). You need to increase and decrease by the same number on each peak and valley.

 

I did some diagramming tonight and figured that. At least I only have to rip out one row. I figure that I can fix it by adding a ch1 between the sets of 4dc. So; dc, dc, ch1, dc, dc.

[MamawNaNa]

Hmmmm, I am using that pattern on Emmas, and I have had no problems at all, and believe me when I say I am a woman full of mistakes waiting to happen, LOL!!! I followed along with him at the start. As for the tension in your chain, I am not sure I understand, the tension in your chain is adjusted by you, so I am misunderstanding something. Not even sure why I am offering to help since I am so new to this. But was trying to help, sorry. Are you wanting a M shape for peaks and valleys, or the more relaxed wave ripple? Ok, going away now, best of luck.

[ddc]

Your peaks and valleys aren't balanced. You are increasing by 2 (2 dc in stitch twice) but decreasing by 4 (3 together twice turns 6 stitches into 2). You need to increase and decrease by the same number on each peak and valley.

[alohadave]

I found this video and it is awesome, this is a very simple pattern and he shows us everything. Everything is done in sets of 3 so the counting is much easier than many. Below is the video site, it is on youtube

 

 

 

That's the video for the maroon sample that I made.

 

I was using his pattern, but my tension was messed up and I was getting rippling, and the valleys were pretty flat, I couldn't get enough tension to make the valleys deep enough, and the peaks were ridiculously tight, in addition to my starting chain being too tight.

 

I frogged the whole thing, 5 rows worth, and came up with a compromise solution. I took the valleys from Lucy's pattern, and the peaks from the Crochet Crowd pattern and combined them.

 

So it is dc, dc, dc, dc, 2dc in one stitch, 2dc in one stitch, dc, dc, dc, dc, dc3tog, dc3tog, and repeat.

 

It worked fine on the first row, the peaks and valleys were even, and I figured I'd need 16 stitches per set. The second row is a bit wonky, I had to go to 3 dcs between the peaks and valleys to make them line up right. I need to count the stitches in the second row to try to figure out what happened. I'm not sure if the same thing will happen with the third row, but we'll see.

[MamawNaNa]

I found this video and it is awesome, this is a very simple pattern and he shows us everything. Everything is done in sets of 3 so the counting is much easier than many. Below is the video site, it is on youtube

 

 

[marpan79]

Love the attic24 pattern. Here is her site asnd she has other neat stuff there. Mary

 

http://www.watoday.com.au/wa-news/pilbara-set-to-dodge-cylone-narelles-fury-20130111-2cjre.html

 

I think you copied the wrong site....although interesting, I got a news site for...I think Australia?

[acraftylady]

Love the attic24 pattern. Here is her site asnd she has other neat stuff there. Mary

 

http://attic24.typepad.com/weblog/neat-ripple-pattern.html

[ddc]

I agree that the attic24 pattern is a winner. I've used it many times for charity lapghans. It really is a gentle wave, not a sharply peaked ripple. I even saw a photo once of one done in solid white that was really nice because of the texture. I would never have thought to do it in a solid color.

 

Your swatch for that one looks just fine.

[texas sunflower]

I posted a picture in the show n tell section--Afghans

[alohadave]

I just finished a ripple using the pattern from Attic24, for me, it was the easiest pattern to read and do. I really like the finished afghan.

 

Good to know. I'd love to see the finished piece if you don't mind sharing.

[texas sunflower]

I just finished a ripple using the pattern from Attic24, for me, it was the easiest pattern to read and do. I really like the finished afghan.

[marpan79]

I like the blue better and I felt like the pattern was a bit easier to understand when I quickly browsed them. This is one of those patterns that should work itself out as you go and it becomes larger. The peaks and valleys are shallow due to the pattern, if you want them more pronounced you would need more stitches in between the peaks and valleys. Your dc2tog does the valley and the 2dc are the peaks.

 

I hope it works out for you

[alohadave]

I've attached two pictures of my test swatches.

 

The one on the left, with the maroon yarn is following this pattern: http://thecrochetcrowd.com/christmas-wave-afghan.html

 

The one on the right, with the blue yarn is following this pattern: http://attic24.typepad.com/weblog/neat-ripple-pattern.html

 

Both use dc stitches, the maroon uses dc3tog, and the blue uses dc2tog as the increases for the peaks.

[magiccrochetfan]

often you have to do quite a few rows to really see the ripple emerge. And you may need more width in the swatch to see it also.

 

can you post a clear, closeup photo of your swatch(es)?

 

What patterns are you using?