How to do a ripple pattern

The ripple stitch gives a wonderful, wavy look to any crocheted piece. It's reminiscent of the ripples on water created by tossing a pebble into a pond. The look can be very subtle and soothing or more pronounced and vibrant depending on how you choose to mix your colors and tweak the amount of curve to the ripple.

Snap Guide shares how the ripple stitch is great for "baby blankets, afghans and dish clothes." Also known as the V stitch or the chevron stitch, as The Crochet Crowd shares, the basic ripple stitch is made up of the chain, double crochets (dcs) and double crochet 3 together (dc3tog).

To practice this stitch, Snap Guide recommends making a chain of 32. Then, place a dc in chain 28. Place one dc in each chain for the next five chains. In the next three chains, place a dc3tog, creating the dip. Place five more dcs in the next five chains and then place three dcs in the next chain, creating the lift. Place five dcs in the next five chains and repeat the process from the dc3tog.
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You can expand the style of the ripple pattern by making chevrons like the blanket below instead of just straight double crochets.

For a tighter look and warmer blanket, use a single crochet and make the ripples more pronounced.

For a soft, squishy look, you can do a "rumpled ripple" stitch. This is great for baby blankets, hats and scarves.

If constantly changing yarn seems like too much the first time through but you like the idea of different colors, using variegated yarn is a good option. If you are doing a large pattern, picking a yarn with long stretches between color change is better as you will have more of a flow to your end product.

The pattern below will get you a nice, lacy looking afghan. By not placing a stitch in every chain, you can complete the piece faster. The downside is that it won't be as warm as those that have a stitch in every chain.

Stepping out to try something new can always be a little scary at first. Check out A Very Pink Knits' tutorial video below. With a little bit of practice and some patience, you can be "making waves" all on your own.