How Do You Like My Candy Cane?

I'm in love with RED and WHITE!

OK...it's not a real Candy Cane that you can eat!

For over a year I have been anxious ~ OK obsessing ~ to try a red and white ripple throw. 

I thought I would keep using Lucy at Attic24's "Easy Ripple" pattern but then I bought a new book on ripple stitches...Jan Easton's "Ripple Stitch Patterns".   

I love this book.  

All the patterns on the left page sides of the book are for knitting and the ones on the right page sides are for crocheting.  I don't knit, at this time, but I wouldn't minded trying some of the knit patterns some day.  The only thing the book doesn't have are stitch diagrams which I like to have in addition to the stitch pattern description written out.   I like the photo sample of each stitch and there is even an alternate look for each stitch.    

This stitch pattern is called "Storm Clouds" and I agree with Jan that it seems as if it is inspired by the groups of double crochet stitches that make up a traditional granny square.  

This ripple stitch is called "Storm Clouds".

I'm having fun working out the color pattern as I stitch.  

Probably most crocheters plan out their color arrangement in advance but I don't.  

I just wing it as I go along.  

That's the fun of it...seeing it come to life.  

It's amazing to see the strikingly different color patterns one can achieve by alternating the red and white yarn.

My color pattern of red and white...so far.

This pattern stitch, Storm Clouds, is very easy to do.   

I had it memorized immediately. 

The only problem I had was at the edges of the rows.  I noticed after crocheting the first two bands of red and white that my edges weren't straight.  But I kept on crocheting thinking praying they would work out in the end.  

Finally I realized, no, duh, they wouldn't work out and I wouldn't be happy with uneven edges...particularly after all that work.  

So I cut one end and tried to fix it.  

That didn't work so I had to frog two rows back where I cut the yarn.  

After staring at the edges for a while I figured out how to frog them back to where they all lined up and were straight.  It took a little work but it was worth it in the end.

If I had paid attention to my edges at the beginning I probably wouldn't have had this problem at all.

I highly recommend Jan Eaton's book!

It's a Work In Progress!

I love the "Granny Square" look to this stitch pattern.   

I'm already thinking about the next Christmas ripple throw in red, white and lime green.  There's another stitch pattern in Jan's book called "Granny Chevons" that I'm drooling over.  Actually there are so many of her patterns I'm crazy about it's hard to choose just one.  

Do you like my "Candy Cane"?

This is a good post for this week's REDnesday.

And there are more REDs to enjoy with our host, Sue, at 

It's A Very Cherry World

(here) 

for REDnesday!

Many thanks to all my readers for taking the time to visit me...I'm still amazed that anyone wants to read my little blog.  

Have a Happy Monday!