September 3, 2019

I started the first square in the Wool-Ease but really did not like the (lack of) stitch definition. I started again with some Paintbox Yarns Simply Aran that I had in my stash and I like it much better. Sigh. I had to order more Paintbox in order to have enough (I hope I do not have an issue with dye lots). This means I’m mixing 80/20 arcrylic/wool with 100% aryclic. Oh well, should be fine since they’re both machine washable.

I’ll use the Wool-Ease for another blanket. I should return it to the store but it’s too dangerous for me to go near a JoAnn’s right now -- I’d likely come home with twice as much as I returned.

The first square was fun. There was a little glitch with the pattern release on the first night but the video was up so I just followed that. I’ll block the square once the border pattern is released next week.

September 18, 2019

I finished the Sawny square (#2) last week and started on the border yesterday. In the new video PeTra made for the border, she mentions that you can substitute a TR in place of the DTR if it is coming out loose. Light bulb moment! I did that and I also changed the popcorn to a 4 YO cluster and I like the result much better (they look less like spiders to me now). In fact, I frogged the border I had finished on square #1 and redid it to match. The border looks much neater to me now.

Because it is less high, I also had to change the DCBB (which were behind the popcorns) to HDCBB (behind my clusters).

Lastly, I switched to a non-ergonomic hook in the same size for the border and my gauge is noticeably tighter. I was able to do the border on a square with one 85g skein of yarn with 8g left over, which means I won’t have to buy an extra skein of the three pinks which is awesome! (I switched back to the regular hook for the final pink round since the next round is in the third loop which is easier with a looser stitch.)

September 22, 2019

Finished with square #3, Goodbye Mama, including the border. I really enjoyed this one. The border went much, much faster this time now that I’m more experienced.

The squares measure 16” unblocked without the final round that I’ll use to join them together.

September 27, 2019

I have been playing with layouts using the diagrams PeTra provided and Autodesk SketchBook to color them in. I definitely prefer Option 2 (see the pictures) for the layout, but that would mean I’ll need to buy more yarn after all and I’ll have a gap of 6 weeks between when square 14 is released and the triangle patterns come out. That is, there will be a gap if PeTra sticks to the current schedule. There was a bit of a kerfluffle with the CAL - Crochet A Long group on Facebook that was co-sponsoring the CAL (they no longer are) that may effect the original plan. (I did ask on the Facebook group if she could move the last 6 blocks to the end of Season 2, but we’ll see.)

I currently have a yarn buying ban in place until the end of the year but the additional squares won’t be released until 2020, so I’m all set.

November 1, 2019

Now that I am going to start a new, full-time job on November 18, I am thinking I may change my plan and make this into a 3x4 squares throw. At 16.5” each, that would make a 66” x 50” which is a very respectable size.

November 17, 2019

So, Petra has decided to put the CAL on hold for a little while as she transitions to a new helper team. (And deals with issues at home with the Australian wildfires.) Putting this project into hibernation until she’s ready to continue.

February 2, 2020

The designer released Square #7 - The Duel today. I’m excited to have this CAL start back up again. So far so good -- up to round 9 (of 20).

February 15, 2020

I finally finished square 7 in the morning and added the border in the afternoon. Petra reports she plans to release the squares monthly now. That works for me!

March 29, 2020

Yet another change-of-plan for this blanket. I’ve decided I’m going to just add two more squares to make it a 3x3 square throw. PeTra has a new design called Love Is in the Air that I’ll do in place of the March square, and I really like the one that will be the May square called Hunters. I’ll use the rest of my cream yarn to join, maybe with a Flat Braid Join.

April 11, 2020

I have finished the Love is in the Air square. I modified it a bit to follow the style of the others (with the sc in the back loop on round 14) as I had seen several others do on Facebook.

I laid them all out (which looks a little funny since some have been blocked and some have not) and I think it will be a great throw size when joined.

May 1, 2020

I’ve finished the Hunters square (#10) which makes 9 squares complete. I now need to add the sc-in-the-third-loop round, which is round #30, to the other 8 squares, block the ones that still need it, and join them up.

January 2, 2024

This blanket has been hibernating for almost 3.5 years. My goal for this year is to get through all my hibernating projects, and I realized this project is languishing because I’m not really liking the finished product. For me, the attraction of these squares is all in the challenge and fun of making them, but I’m not a big fan of the books/TV series and the squares are a little odd without appreciating that.

Plus, I’ve been waffling about adding three more squares to make it rectangular. Obviously, given how long it’s been, I’m not motivated to do that. So, Continuous Flat Braid Join time!

https://cypresstextiles.net/2015/03/19/continuous-flat-br...

This has the right combination of solid but decorative that I think will complement the squares and add a little bit of extra height and width.

I’m still thinking about the border, but I know it won’t be the one from the pattern.

January 6, 2024

Complete! The continuous join resulted in a (sc, ch 1, sk 1) round on the outside, which was just begging to be turned into linen stitch. I did a few rounds until the outside border was roughly the same width as the joins.