So Far From Random

It's not that I have control issues. Really. It all started so simply. Keep the duplicated squares away from each other. Assemble as you go. Other than that, let the chips fall where they may. Version 1 was free-spirited. Insouciant. Light-hearted.

Then, as I felt that "I need to be in charge here" feeling coming on, there was the pick-a-number scheme. It was an attempt to maintain randomness by removing control from my, well, control.

Then came the rules: No contiguous colors, no repeats within a square.

There were suggestions: Use diagonals, too few colors for the rules, consider them guidelines, let one color repeat per block.

The number of completed squares mounted. The ends devolved into increasingly complex tangles. My embarrassment at not having sewn together a single block increased in exponential increments.

Then came this weekend. This weekend I sent the crew off to the zoo while I took over the bed.

There was version 2 with post-it notes to account for missing squares.

There were labelled diagrams that were overlaid by full color diagrams.

I ended up with 81 squares to account for, marked by the mysterious self-replication of the Satine/Celery square. I think I may have mixed up which squares were missing. This necessitated new post-it notes. Also version 3. The crew got home from the zoo. There may have been some shrieking at my husband that he didn't need a nap.

Optimist that I am, at one point I had a final version -- I thought -- with a final diagram -- I thought. The knitting gods snickered. I roped Clare in.

There is now (I know you've been waiting with baited breath for this), a final, final diagram.

Just what this project needed. An iron-clad plan.

Random is for sissies.

Blocked - 52
On the board - 6
Completed - 58
On the needles - 59, 60, 61.