The weather around here has been hazy. We had some sun yesterday and I’m kicking myself for not mowing the lawn as it rained hard last night and is threatening more today.
We finally have leaves and blossoms hurray!
I’m gonna go on a rant about something. I’m a bit of a tight knitter. I didn’t think it was a huge problem until I wanted to make myself a sweater. I’m not even sure why I would want to do this again as the first 5 sweaters I attempted were an abomination to knitting.
This point aside I decided I wanted to make a light spring sweater. I found a great pattern I had a the right weight yarn (in the right amount) so I set to making a swatch. I think I swatched 5 times, washing the swatch letting it dry and carefully counting my stitch count as a conscientious knitter would. I could not get gauge if my life depended on it.
I took the yarn in question to my local fiber group after looking at the fiber the ladies agreed it was not the weight it was advertised to be. Bear in mind that the knitters in the group have never used a pattern so as far as gauge was concerned I was on my own (they laugh in the face of gauge, and snicker at the fact I was so bent out shape about gauge). So I scrapped the pattern and found another one that would use the actual weight of this yarn.
Now bear in mind that most patterns I’ve found I pretty much have to rewrite to fit me due a plus sized bosom and a normal sized body. This new pattern was no different so after taking gauge into account and rewriting the pattern to fit me. I was pretty confident I could get gauge. I ignored my sense I should go up 3needle sizes and swatched in the needle called for in the pattern. I washed, dried and carefully measure my swatch and found I still had too many stitches than what the gauge called for. After tearing out the gauge swatch for a 1000th time. I wondered to myself if I should even be attempting this. Would I even want to wear it after I was done or would I look at it and want to throw it into a bonfire laughing maniacally?I did one last swatch last night in the needle size my gut told me washed it and waited till this morning for it to dry. I set to measureing this morning. Lo and behold!!! The stitch count was correct. I didn’t even try to go for row count as this is much easier to compensate for. So I set in and started the neckline.
I still don’t know if I will even want the sweater when it is done. I have a funny feeling if it doesn’t come out right the bonfire will start. I think it may be cathartic at that point but the Knitter in me still has to try. I love knitting although some parts of it make me want to stab myself repetitively with size one dpns.
I would love to hear some comments on your success and failures with gauge. Let me hear your stories.
I guess I will be brave enough to show the pattern I started this morning. It is the Ruched Yoke Tee by AnneLena Mattison in Interweave Knits spring 2011 edition.
Tags: animal rescue, animals rescue maine, knitting, knitting a swatch, knitting a swatch for gauge, knitting a swatch in the round, knitting a test swatch, knitting patterns, knitting projects
