Tips and Tricks Of The Round Ripple Afghan

Ending the Mystery

all afghans here were made using the same pattern

Virtues of the Round Ripple Afghan.

Unique shape as traditional afghans have been
rectangular or square

No corners to drag on the floor and probably uses less yarn 

Can be folded and worn like a shawl

Never have to worry about full coverage
 Rapid start, the center uses up those small balls of yarn
Excellent for stash busting and encouraging 
for those who get bored with large projects

Can be made any size, any yarn, any hook size  
Quit anytime you want, or add on when you have extra yarn. 

It starts out as a coaster, next a hot pad, it grows to a table center, then that cute baby blanket, which increases to becomes a little throw, which expands to an afghan, then explodes into a bed cover. 

What's not to like ?

     The pattern I use for my basic Round Ripple Star afghan pattern is my own which I worked out from a picture of a round ripple rug that I saw in a magazine over 40 years ago. That is how long I have been making this style afghan.

     I had no written pattern as it is so simple I committed it to memory years ago. I have been asked for it so many times I have decided to write mine out but you may use any round ripple pattern you choose. At this time there are many round ripple afghan patterns online that range from 5 to 24 points. Some are free some are not. Free or not from what I can see, the basic working structure is the same on all round ripple afghan patterns.  My personal preference is 12 points so any reference from here forward gives reference to a 12 point "star" afghan.

     The pattern increases in the points and skips stitches at the bottom or valley of same. The stitch format is the same as for the basic side to side ripple and any stitch pattern I have used on the rows for side to side ripple I have used on the rounds for the round ripple.  Unlike the side to side ripple where the stitch count remains fixed throughout the length, the round ripple increases its stitch count on designated rounds.  Also unlike the side to side ripple which is turned at the end of each row, when working in rounds, I always work this pattern face up without turning.

     The round ripple afghan can be made with any weight yarn and any size hook and can become any size you want.  When choosing yarn weight be advised, on a 12 point round ripple the number of stitches grows by 24 stitches on every increase round. The weight or thickness of the yarn will determine how many rounds are needed to accomplish the desired diameter of the afghan.  As you get to the outside rounds it can get tedious but usually by that time you are excited enough about it to dig up enough determination to finish it. However you can stop at the end of any increase shell round and call it large enough.

     This style afghan is a fabulous stash buster because very small amounts can be used in the center saving larger amounts for the outside rows. I always measure point to point and the afghan displayed on the pattern page is about 65 inches. I have made star afghans with diameters ranging from 36 inches up to 76 inches in diameter.  I use about four 7 oz skeins of Red Heart Super Saver worsted weight yarn to make a personal size afghan. A little more perhaps if you want an elaborate border. If making a "stash buster" I weigh out about 30 to 34 oz of worsted weight yarn in complementing colors arranging the smallest amounts for the center. I reserve the largest amount to be used as the base color and "work in" a base color row every so often to pull it all together. I do not mix different yarn weights in the same afghan unless it is trim attached later. I only use yarn that can be machine washed and dried as I find it more practical for active families.

     In my basic pattern I always refer to the 2 ch space of a shell as the point.  I always refer to the skipped stitch area between points as the valley.  There is always a ch 2 space at the points and a skip two stitches at the center of the valley.   Always skip the last stitch of the previous point and the first stitch of the next point.

     I detest the "hole" and ridge left by "chain loop starts" so I always use the "magic circle." often with a double wrap for strength.  There are many tutorials for the magic circle or loop on the web and You-tube.

Twins (done in mirror image)

     Never, ever clip the yarn tail from the magic circle, it WILL come undone.  Consider if you cut it, all that is holding your stitches is the microscopic amount of yarn the length of the center of the circle, which is less than 1/4 inch.  Always work in your yarn tails.  Heartbreaking when something you spent hours making comes undone in mere minutes.

     I  also detest the "joining line" or what I call the line of "demarcation" and on each new round I only chain 2 not 3 to help hide the joining line.  When adding a new color I always rotate my piece clockwise one point to the left of the last joining to help disguise an obvious joining line.

     Always join new colors in the first working stitch after the valley between points to maintain the integrity of the points.

     Always end an afghan on an increase shell round to keep the points crisp.

   Like side to side afghans, this style afghan should also lay flat, that is why I stress following the basic pattern sequence of 1 even round followed by 2 increase rounds is so important.  However I soon found out that as the round ripple grows in diameter it reaches its full potential for circumference expansion while working with the assigned number of beginning stitches.  If you want your project to be larger than that, the circumference can be unlimited, but not without adjusting / tweaking  the pattern.  It is impossible for me to say just when that will happen, the limit is different for each project.  It depends on the yarn weight, the hook size and the artists tension and when this point is reached, you will know because the points will start to curl back toward the center. When that happens the standard pattern repeat is no longer enough.  At this degree, you as the creator, are the only one that can determine how many stitches are required to keep your project flat.  There are a number of paths you can take.  You can choose to work only increase rounds and just insert even rounds should it begin to get too full and appear to ruffle.   Or you can change the pattern routine, perhaps work 1 even round followed by 3 (or more) increase rounds and see how that works out for you.

When working in a random manner it would be wise to check your progress every round. I have worked round ripple afghans in excess of 600 stitches per round.  When they get that big it can take an hour or more to complete just one round and those are the kind you don’t want to do over.  It is worth the time to lay it flat and smooth it out to be sure it is flat before for moving forward.

   

     In the same arena there are those who will find that even when they are exactly following the pattern there is a bit of fullness.  To prevent fullness from accumulating, break the pattern sequence again.  Work one even round followed by just one (1) increase rounds, then go back to the pattern.  Nobody is going to notice.

     There are no crochet police.  Nobody is going to be counting your points to see if you followed pattern sequence or if you added an extra increase round, or if you skipped one.  I wrote my posted pattern over 40 + years ago and I have never changed it.  It works for many but everyone has their own style, tension, different yarn, different hook….so I advise from my personal experience.

      While it is small I count the stitches every second or third round. Once each point gets to about 10 stitches each side (or 20 stitches per point) I count the stitches point by individual point to make sure all points have the same number of stitches.  Counting each point is less confusing than trying to count the entire round.  I count each side of the finished point to make sure they have the same,  number of stitches after I get to the bottom between points.  The reason for counting all point on each round is because uneven points quickly lean to one side and it is hard to determine where it started.  Since, on larger projects, you can end up with several hundred stitches on the last rounds if you need to rip it out you will rue the decision not to count.  I am a rather intense personality and early on I did not like to stop and take the time to count.  One thing I learned the hard way is, if you you don't have the time to count, you sure don't have time to do it over.

     Please refer to the page "My Basic Round Ripple Afghan Pattern" for the pattern of  how I make my round ripple star afghans.  There is only one basic structure for this type afghan, like the ubiquitous Granny Square there is no other way to make it.  So I lay no claim to the basic structure itself.  I claim only my ideas for my variations thereof.   What makes each afghan unique is the personal choice of colors and stitches used to create each.  Therefore, you can adapt my patterns as a base to create your chosen round ripple design.

http://idealdelusions.blogspot.com/p/basic-round-ripple-afghan-pattern.html

How To Fold A Round Afghan

1.  Fold in half

2.  Fold left side over 1/3
3.  Fold right side over left, afghan is now in thirds
4. Fold center over bottom
5. View of other side.

Print Friendly