This post originally appeared on the blog Stepping Away From the Edge August 10, 2022.

It’s been a while since I’ve checked in with my knitting progress, so here’s a bit of an update for you.

News Flash! I’m still working on squares for my blanket. I actually finished the 10 squares called for in the pattern a couple of weeks ago. I laid them all out, and it looked something like this . . .

(That JoJo. Always thinking I need to have a dog-for-scale in every knitting project photo I take.)

It’s a nice little blanket. Small. Good for throwing over your lap on a chilly morning. Or displaying on a chair. It would make a perfect baby blanket.

But something about it makes my eye twitch.
Can you guess what?

It’s the patterning of the overall blanket. The rows are arranged to show 3 squares – 2 squares – 3 squares – 2 squares. Which is fine. But from a design standpoint, my eyes expect to see the pattern finish with a row of 3 more squares. (Or start with 2 squares.) It’s just . . . off. And I knew it would bug me.

So I decided to see if I could add 1 more row (either a 3-square row or a 2-square row) with the yarn I have. I knew I had plenty of yarn to make the colorful centers; it was the neutral border yarn that I was unsure of. So I got out my trusty scale, and started knitting.

partial skein of yarn on a scale

Before starting any extra squares, I “finished” the blanket as designed (as much as possible) first. I added those “half squares” to the 2-square rows, for example. And I seamed the rows together. (That first photo above is after adding the “half squares” and seaming the rows.)  I discovered it takes slightly less of the “border” yarn to knit 3 squares than 2 squares with the “half squares” – which makes sense.

Anyway. After knitting a bit and measuring now and again, I could see that I had enough yarn to add another row of 3 squares. And I wouldn’t have to play “yarn chicken” to do it!

hand knit squares arranged in grid design

Better, non?

I took that photo above over the weekend, before we headed up north for the week. Since then, all squares are complete, and that last row is seamed. I’m putting it away now . . . until the weather calls for holding a whole blanket in my lap at once.

Which I guess means that . . . The Prodigal Son is going away again.
But only for awhile.

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How about you? What are making these days?