Learning German the Insane Way!

So I don't really think I've totally lost my mind. It really could have been way worse. But I think I am going to do something along these lines:

But I want it to be more square. And I don't speak any German. It's going to be great. Sometimes I wish I didn't work in a yarn shop so that I could really freak someone out by going into a shop with my giant wheel of yarn and this pattern (on a bad xerox, of course) and say something like, (totally seriously, of course) "So, I really wanna make this, in this yarn...so, can you help me? I mean, like, you guys can write the pattern out for me right? I'll just sit here and drink my coffee while you do that. Thanks!" And they would have to be nice to me. Or at least make me feel like I wasn't completely off my rocker.

But so far so good with the swatching:

This is on a 3.5 mm--I may go up a bit, or not...any suggestions?
It's going to be sooo lovely. Really. When I finish it. Sometime.