I've just completed a three-year project. It's a filet crochet table runner in a farm pattern. The pattern appeared in a 2007 issue of Craft World Magazine, and when I saw it, I had to make it for our cabin. I had never done filet crochet before. I'm a little quirky when it comes to crochet, because I'm left-handed, which means I had to sit in front of my mom and mirror what she did. So it took me a little longer to learn than did knitting. I think at that point, I was adding in my name and completion date. I got the pattern for this online, from a filet crochet alphabet that someone kindly shared. The "2011" are really a Z, an "O," and two lower-case "L's" but they work! I'm glad one of my friends suggested that I add "provenance" to the piece. Since there are 268 rows (before I added about 12 more for my name and date)and 79 squares on each row, and 5 crochet stitches per square--and that's only the ones that are OPEN and not filled in to form animals or buildings or trees or my name and date which means 10 extra stitches each!! AND not including the two rows of lacework border!! Just the 280 rows x 79 squares x 5 stitches per square is over 110,000 stitches. Including the border, I'm sure it's close to 250,000-300,000. This puppy is not going anywhere *near* a table, where it might get ketchup or grape jelly slopped on it! Noooo! I'm shelling out beaucoups $$$ and framing it with archival touches. This piece will be passed down to my daughter, because I started it when we were looking at colleges her junior year in high school. She's nearing the end of her sophomore year at Emory University now. My how time flies.
This is a shot of the piece being blocked:
It'll take a little while before I can show the project all framed and completed! Stay tuned! At least it's off the crochet hook, though!
