I Think I'll Crochet Today

I'm not long for the blog world today.  But I thought I'd take the time to write a post about what I will be doing.

I think I'm going to put the computer away and get back to my crochet project.

{For those who are on my Facebook, this is a repeat of the photo album I put up last month.}

I haven't been crocheting very long.  My grandmother taught me many moons ago and I just recently decided to take it up again.

Above is a picture of me working on my Jacob's ladder afghan for our bedroom.

I've never crocheted an afghan before, let alone something so big.  I'm full of anticipation for its completion.  At the rate I'm going though, it will probably take me until 2012 to finish.  I'm a novice at crocheting and I do so at a snail's pace.

It feels like I've been crocheting on this afghan forever!  Especially since, I started the thing back in 2009!

Here's a picture of what I've done so far.  Not much, if you ask me.

In usual Michelle fashion, I decided upon a massive afghan for my first crochet project.

I can be a little over zealous.  Something you'll probably catch on to as you read my blog.

With that said, it is very relaxing to sit and crochet this pattern.  So it doesn't feel like drudgery.  I'm really enjoying it.

You do have to count a lot.  It's a good thing I can count and watch television at the same time.  Well, okay, some nights I can.  Other times not so much!  Just depends upon the day and my mental well being.

The pattern is relatively easy.  However, being the imperfect being I am, I have already made a mistake in it.  I didn't catch it in time to fix it without tearing it all a part {something I refused to do} so it is going to have stay there.  I'm hoping it won't be too noticeable when it's done.  We shall see.

Our bedroom has a lot of blue in it, so I chose three different types of yarn.  A solid blue, a dark variegated and a light variegated.  The dark variegated yarn is my favorite.  The lighter variegated yarn is, okay.  Now I wish I would have only used the solid blue and the dark variegated.  I'm not really happy with the light color in the mix.  Oh well, you live you learn; and I don't want to take it out now.

A friend of mine showed me how to do this pattern.  The pattern is suppose to be ch 10, dc 10 and repeat.  Also, at the end of each row you count in 3 and start your double crochet there.

After you've finished all the rows and the blanket is the size you want it.  You crochet the single crocheted columns together, making the Jacob's ladder part.

I never do anything by the book, just like in cooking.  I always have to tweak or mess with the recipe or in this case, the pattern.  I just have to make it my own.  I really hope I didn't make a mistake tweaking the pattern here.

Instead of 10 chains and 10 double crochets, I'm doing 10 chains and 20 double crochets.  All the patterns I've seen for a Jacob's ladder afghan, use an 8mm hook or an 'L' hook.  I am using an 8.5mm 'H' hook.

I've made the afghan really wide so it will cover our entire full sized bed.  I really haven't done any measurements and I'm just eyeballing it.  Hopefully, I guessed correctly.

When I see this afghan I'll just have to remember it was my first project; and view it with a learning curve.  I gave myself plenty of crochet work to learn with, didn't I?  It's humongous!

Here is a closer look at the pattern.  I really like how it is coming out.

Sometimes I find it hard to keep the tension on the yarn the same; and I worry about having it turn out too lose or too tight.

That can be tricky sometimes.

After I finish this afghan, I want to try and make granny squares.  I'd also like to learn how to crochet dish clothes, dollies, slippers and animals.

There are so many things I want to make crocheting.  I have some new yarn from my latest thrift store adventure, that I can't wait to turn into something grand.  You can see a picture of it here.

Finally, I have a thrift store find that I've had a long time.  It's a little wooden box to keep all of my crochet hooks, markers and scissors in.

I took several pictures.  It has a German phrase on the top of the box and on the inside of the box lid.  Google translator gives me the definition for two of the words, Dem and Kinde, but it does not have a definition for the other word, Fleiszigen.

If any of my readers know German or are familiar with this phrase, would you be so kind as to share with me what it says?  Please and Thank You.

So, without further adieu, here are my snapshots of the vintage wooden box.

My cat, Toby, had to help out in quality control.  He made it very difficult to get these pictures.  It takes a lot of patience when you have cats!

The minute I placed the box for the photo, he moved in.

He had to investigate it from all angles.  {He's very good at 

what he does, quality control job.}

We must always sniff things!  The smell test is very important.

I think he is saying, "I'm not finished examining it yet.

Don't even think about touching it!"

He just sat on top of it for a moment.

And then . . .

He stood up and sat next to it.  Anything to be in the way

of taking the pictures!  He is SUCH a cat!  But doesn't he look

so Regal?

Now on with my post about the little box.  The next pictures are of the front, back, top and inside of the box. Again, I use it to house my crochet hooks and the like.

The front side of my little vintage box.

The back side of the little vintage box.

The top with the German phrase:

"Dem, Fleiszigen Kinde"

on it.

This is a shot of the inside, with all of my crochet hooks and supplies.

The little phrase is also on the inside of the little vintage

box lid.

Well, I hope you enjoyed my post about crocheting and my vintage box.  Any help on the phrase would be greatly appreciated!  Have a restful Sunday afternoon!