Too tight stiches on a blanket

[Jennifer Claire Stanfield]

Hey guys! First time on here So happy I found this!

So I started a blanket for my mom about a year ago and during that year I got married, moved and started a new job so my project fell to the way side. I had about half of it done before I picked it back up about a year later. It is a granny square pattern with a puffy flower in the middle. Its so pretty. But here is the issue...The work I did a year ago has relaxed so much that the new tighter stitches have made the blanket narrow down in a hexagon shape. I tried stretching the new work but I don't want to stretch it too much and it doesn't even seem to be helping. Any suggestions?

[Granny Square]

Welcome to the 'ville!

 

I think it's improbable that the old fabric has gotten looser by itself unless you stored it on a hanger; I think it's more likely your tension changed (this happens) or you grabbed a smaller hook a year later to continue it.  It won't block out at all if it's acrylic (without 'killing' with indirect heat when the blanket is done, it's difficult to get right and I wouldn't recommend this.).  If it's wool or cotton it would need to be aggressively blocked after each washing, which wouldn't be a good thing for a gift.

 

I really hate to say this, but if it were me I'd grab a bigger hook and try to see if I could match the gauge of the old work, and tear out the new squares and start the new section over.  Another way to try to match gauge is to use a taller stitch, maybe just in 1 round or whatever it takes to match the older square size - for example, if it's DC use EDC (extended DC).  Maybe you can just tear out the last round of each new square and make that 1 round taller/looser enough to match the old squares.