Lisa asked if I were knitting this freeform.

I did sketch a sketch, but it looked nothing like what’s coming out.

The beginning edging had been done for awhile so I laid it out and figured, okay, from here to here will be for this and then from here to here, this, and then there. The eye needs things in thirds to be satisfied.

The more I get done the more I’m liking it. Which, frankly, is a relief.

One thing I learned from knitting my sister Carolyn’s house is how important it is to get it onto two long circular needles while it’s in progress and lay it out like that repeatedly from early on to really assess how it’s going; hers would have had a lot more flowers in the area I was reserving to maybe add her driveway later if it needed it, maybe just a chain-stitch-effect outline of a one?–but that was never going to be. All scrunched up on the needles, it looked like the wide green space in its absence was fine. But it was out of proportion.

I’m still tempted to knit a freestanding deer to plant in her front yard.

So. I took my own advice today, found the other pair of afghan-length 8s again, and spent about an hour just considering the thing laid out flat and open. Did other stuff, came back to it, stared some more. I debated making paper figure cut-outs to lay above it here here and here but finally just got down there on my knees and pantomimed it with my hands because I’m lazy like that: this many rows or stitches between trees equals this distance, this height means this much separation, etc.

So now that I know what the final amount of the Willow green will be, I’ve figured out what the next part is, roughly how far it will go, and how to visually balance it with the beginning. (Or that is the hope.)

I’m on it.

Just don’t ask for the specifics yet on what comes after that.