Climbing Jacob’s Ladders and the Aftermath

My funny-looking ripple eventually grew to its full length of 86 rows, or about 56 inches.

I consulted Heather Tucker’s Jacob’s Ladder Ripple pattern before attempting the next step – ‘climbing’ the ten-stitch chain sections.

Heather’s directions are clear, yet I wondered if I could find a tutorial somewhere on-line.

Crochet N’ Crafts has a great Jacob’s Ladder video tutorial! The first couple of minutes show how to climb a ladder using a crochet hook. You can ignore the border directions that come next because they won’t work on a ripple.

After doing some loops going from the bottom up like both Heather and C n’ C say, I decided to instead lay my blanket horizontally and then, being right-handed, worked from my right toward my left. This was easier for me; it might be easier for you too!

Start by picking up two adjacent ten-chain strands, one in each hand, in this case a cream chain in my left hand and a burgundy one in my right, and pull them up so they form loops.

Insert the center of the cream loop (left hand) into the burgundy loop (right hand)

Then pull the cream loop through and up with your right hand.

Pick up the next unworked chain to the left with your left hand. It’s a dark rose one this time.

As before, insert its center into the loop in the right hand.

Pull the loop through and up with your right hand.

Keep repeating these steps, moving from right to left, stopping to smooth your work after every few loops.

Once I had worked all the chain columns, I followed the pattern’s directions for the last row, which anchors the remaining topmost loop of each ladder. Finished, I excitedly threw my new ripple down to admire it, only to find that I had crocheted a blanket that reminded me far too much of my ripple’s sad-looking beginnings. sigh

Not only was it slightly rumpled, it had terribly curled points on both ends as well!

Not Good!

I wondered if anyone else had this problem, so I went to look at the finished Jacob’s Ladder Ripples already in Ravelry. I saw that lacyann74’s tips (click on 2nd photo from top) also curl a little and I suddenly didn’t feel quite so alone.

Obviously, I had crocheted at least my ripple’s chains, if not the entire blanket, too tightly. Ugh!!

I threw it in the dryer with a load of damp towels, hoping that would help the stitches relax. I read somewhere that this works with acrylic yarns. Fresh out of the dryer things looked much better! phew.

But I wanted flat points, with no curls, so I decided to try Sssssteam! Steam worked on the curly acrylic/wool neckwarmers I knitted for charity this summer!

It could work on my blanket’s curls too!!

Here’s my recalcitrant ripple, pinned down and thoroughly steamed. I am hopeful!

After letting it set to cool and dry I yanked all the straight pins and found its ‘ending row’, the lesser curled of the two ends, was now flat.

Don’t point out that single slightly curled tip on the far left end – that would just be rude.

The points on the more severely curled ‘beginning end’ were flat now too!! YAY!

What a Relief!

All well and good that the points were flat immediately after I removed the pins, but I was suspicious of what mischief they might get up to later, like a cowlick that reappears after an hour. Boing! So you can imagine how thrilled I was to see that they stayed flat even while I flung the blanket about for its official photo shoot!

But my celebration was short-lived because. . . while taking the flat shots of my ripple I discovered a new problem.

I have a loose loop of the burgundy Red Heart Plush yarn! Aaaaaargh!!!!

It’s not a chain, so it wasn’t meant to be part of a ladder. . . I don’t know where it came from! But I do know that I can easily tack it down with burgundy sewing thread. Since I’m going to do that, I might as well fix the big holes at the base of the chain ladders too. sigh.

They’re almost two inches long, which is definitely big enough to snag a toe! Tsk.

April 12, 2017, edited to add . . . Dorothy Stephenson left a very helpful tip in comments today, (too late to help me, but maybe just in time to help you!) “If you twist the first loop before “climbing the ten stitch chain section” it’ll tighten that first loop so there’s not as bit a hole at the start. ”

And now, back to my original post. . .

I’m going to tack each slit at its middle, so it will become two shorter slits, each less than an inch long.

After all this trouble, do I ever want to do another Jacob’s Ladder afghan? Well, Yes, I do! This really is a simple pattern, made up of just double crochets and chains. . . oh, and dc3tog decreases, which the pattern explains how to do. I don’t like feeling that it nearly got the better of me – scoff! I haven’t yet decided whether I’ll simply move up one size to an I hook or add a couple extra chains to each ladder strand next time, but I know I will at least choose yarns of all the same weight – the pale rose is significantly heavier than any of the others. Well, whichever way I go, I’m keeping my little steamer handy! HAHa.

And once I’ve conquered the Jacob’s Ladder Ripple pattern. . .

Just Look at all the other Jacob’s Ladder patterns I can choose from!

More Jacob’s Ladder Patterns

1. Rectangular – basic with all ladders going in the same direction, or with alternating ladders, one going up, then one going down – Jacob’s Ladder Afghan by Bev’s Country Cottage. Many examples, here.

2. Rectangular with different distances between ladders – Jacob’s Ladder Stash Afghan by SpaceWhisper in Ravelry. No pattern. Link takes you to this afghan’s project page, where Nancy’s notes say she alternated 10 dc and 10 chains, with 5 dc and 10 chains.

3. Rectangular, ladders go in one direction but post stitches lead the eye the opposite way – Southwestern Cable Afghan by Karen Wolfram. A few examples, including some close-up photos, can be found here.

4. Rectangular with criss-crossed angled ladders – Jacob’s Snakes and Ladders Blanket by Becky Simmons

5. Another Ripple, but with ladders between the peaks and valleys – NW T4 Dissertation CAL – Jacob’s Ladder Afghan, Another wonderful idea from SpaceWhisper in Ravelry. The first link takes you to the afghan’s project page. This one takes you to the beginning of the Jacob’s Ladder CAL, which has many ideas hidden within.

6. A 12″ Square/Motif – link is to photo only – a Jacob’s Ladder pattern someone found in the book, “99 Granny Squares to Crochet”

7. Round with nine ladder spokes – Loops-A-Dazy

8. Round, begins with nine ladder spokes, which soon increase to twenty-seven! – Round Jacob’s Ladder Blanket for Babies by Maxine Gonser. Many examples, here.

9. A Round Ripple with eight ladder spokes – Jacobs Ladder Round Ripple Pattern by Julee Reeves. A few finished examples, here.