Random Waves Tutorial

OK, my first tutorial.....I'm going to apologise first as I am new to this but also as I don't have a decent camera....just my mobile phone.

Right, I first saw a concept in a library book "The Crochet Workbook by Sylvia Cosh & James Walters", just to be clear its not my concept and I'm not taking credit for it.  If you like this it's worth trying to find a copy of the book as there was a lot of great stuff in it about freeform, it is however out of print.

Firstly a picture of the piece that I am making to sample the technique, it going to be a cushion cover when finished so it isn't very large as yet.

This design has a 2 row sequence which means all your tails will be at the same side, at first i would just leave them there while you get the hang of how this works then when you are happy you can work over the tails as you work you rows.....there's lot of tails :(

Pattern
US terminology used
Yarn/ hook - whichever yarns and hook you wish to use, i used DK weight with a 4mm hook

Chain as many as you want for what you are doing

Foundation Row (this is optional but i wanted a straight row to start the work from)
DC in 4th chain from hook, DC in each chain to end, and turn the work.  It can be easy when working this technique to add stitches to the work as you can get confused when to count the turning chain as a stitch or not....so from here on in be careful :)

Row 1
Using the same colour that you used on the previous row, it should start with a straight edge but as this is random sequences it work be mm perfect straight....but ish....you know :)


Using Single crochet (SC), Double Crochet (DC) and Trebles (Tr) work along the row in a random way but don't jump from a Single Crochet to a Treble.  Always make sure that there is a Double Crochet between Single Crochets and Treble Crochets....that is how the waves form by flowing through the stitches. You can work each stitch anything from once to seven or more times....be unpredictable and try not to look at previous rows too much.  When you get to the end of the row, change colours, cut the yarn and turn the work.

The turning chain is random, the same as the rest of the row but making sure you keep to forming waves........ I personally am making the stitch next to the turning chains the same as the turning chain to help me remember what the turning chain represents.


Turning chains
Single Crochet = 1
Double Crochet = 3
Treble Crochet = 4

This next pic shows the end of row one, its all wobbly :) but its shows the waves flowing, theres always a DC between Sc and Tr to keep the sahpe of waves.  Sometimes its only 1 stitch, sometimes its 4 or 5, sometimes i go from SC to DC and back to SC before going to another DC then a Tr

Row 2

This is where you need to pay attention, the stitches you work are directly related to the ones below.  To begin with look at the last stitch you made......and using the rules below decide what stitch you need to make into it.....

Rules
If the stitch below is an SC......work a Tr
If the stitch below is a DC......work a DC
If the stitch below is a Tr......work a SC

The turning chain follows the rules as well, be wary of counting the turning chain as a stitch or not as you may end up increasing at the ends of rows.

Turning Chain Rules

If the stitch below is an SC......work 4 chain - does count as a stitch
If the stitch below is a DC......work 3 chain - does count as a stitch
If the stitch below is a Tr......work 1 chain - does NOT count as a stitch


Work across the row following the rules set out above, it can be tricky to start with but you get used to it quickly, i find i can flow across the rows at normal speed now but i was slow to start with. 

here's a pic of the completed row 2. 

Rows 3 onwards

Repeat rows 1 and 2 in sequence changing colours every 2 rows to form the stripes.  whenever you come back to row 1, do not copy previous versions, each repeat of row 1 is a new random selection

closeup pic of my sample piece

if you look back to the first pic you can see how this develops with a few rows on.  I hope i haven't confused anyone as this is my first time writing a tutorial and i hope it makes sense :)