Since I didn’t want this tablecloth 72 ins, I decided to work it until I thought I had about 60 inches. However, the only true way to know when I reached that point, or near it, was to block it.
I learned how to do this when working on the Princess Shawl designed for the Queen of England. The lady who published the pattern advised checking out what the final blocked edging looked like. Her advice was, “When in doubt, block it out.” The only stipulation is to have all your stitches on needle cords, and secured with stoppers.
*Even, if your project is rectangular, the circle needle cords work great.
For this project, that meant using my other 47 inch circles needles, from 2 on down. Since I have an abundance of them, this wasn’t an issue. I just dunked, squeezed, toweled and dropped it on my bedroom floor, which I had covered with a heavy cotton quilt, and used the burgundy sheet to create contrast.
**I did put my attached working thread in a Ziplock bag to keep it dry.
The carpet, and pad underneath gave me a perfect base for pinning. I also used different colored tips for the original 60 inch needle, so when it is dry, I can just pick it up and start knitting the stitches off the other needles.
Since I now have the right measurements, I know exactly how much further I want to knit. I also like the scalloped edge, so I will add the stitches necessary to maintain the stitch count to make that possible.
Don’t be afraid to try it. You can do this with any size project.
When I do my final wash and block, I will use the tape measure to ensure that each point is exactly the same distance from center to outside edge.
Happy knitting- KT
Creative Knitting - Beyond Knit and Purl 
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