Friday night I had trouble falling asleep, in no small part because of the anxiety I was experiencing with regard to my state fair project. There were no sugar plum visions, simply an overwhelming cloud of anxiousness as a result of needing to crochet squares, squares, and more squares.
My progress on the center panel has been slower than I would like, but I have made progress, and now all that I have left to do is to finish crocheting the pieces, join them, and then block the completed panel. From there I will have to move onto the two side panels, the top and bottom panels, and the four corner panels.
By Friday after sunset, the fact that I had no specific plans for what would comprise those panels began to gnaw at me.
Adding to my distress was the question of what to do for a border.
In an effort to assuage my restlessness I got out my graph paper and colored pencils and got to work. I tried one thing and another, and then somewhere around midnight, the pieces began to fall into place, and among all of the other things I determined, I figured out that to get the look that most pleased me, I would have to make the center panel 19 x 19 squares rather than the 18 x 18 squares I had been planning on.
What this means for the overall project is that I will need to make an additional 81 squares.
What it meant for the center panel was that instead of needing 44 more light green squares, I needed 55 more light green squares, and while didn’t quite finish them all, I came close, and ended the day just five light green squares shy of what is needed:

Now that I have more of the details worked out, it will be much easier for me to concentrate on what needs doing, and if that isn’t enough, I will take an afternoon to crochet myself some blinders so that I don’t run off course, but instead stay focused on my state fair deadline.
One square at a time! It should be easier to proceed now that you know more of what you have to do.
The afghan is looking amazing…. Slow and steady wins the race!
Keep on keepin’ on…