Why the Gauge Swatch Matters
I'm not usually fanatic about gauge, but I had a Very Bad Experience once (let's just say I now have recycled yarn but not a sweater out of the experience), and so I DO swatch, and sometimes I swatch a lot. Over and over:
Above you see several swatches for "Margaret Tudor," the main project of the year. If I can get this done this year I will be quite satisfied. (I say this now, but I predict I'll be whinging next May, when I won't think I've gotten enough done.) At the bottom of the gauge swatches, you see the gauge calculated on #2 needles, as called for in the pattern. Up at the top, you see the gauge done on #0 needles, which produces the correct number of stitches ACROSS -- and to the left you see the beginning of the center back panel, started on the #0 needles, but then stopped, when I realized that it was going to be too short -- in the center of the column of gauge swatches you see the gauge pattern worked on #1 needles, which makes a sample which is slightly too big across but is just right, maybe even a bit scant, up and down. That's the needle size I'll be using for the sweater itself, since it will be too difficult to figure out length changes, and it won't end up being too very big. In fact, I'm beginning to wonder whether the thing can be made just right by tugging it lengthwise while blocking.
Or, indeed, by tugging on it whilst wearing it. That should be charming.
Much easier project, just arrived from an eBay seller -- yet another vintage sweater-and-matching-skirt kit:
Will produce a nice mindless cardigan, suitable for spring, as you see from the colors.
By the way, if anybody has an extra copy of "Dale #107," the booklet from which Lisa is knitting her fox sweater, and wishes to sell it to me, let me know -- email info, slightly disguised, is down at the end of the sidebar. It's out of print, darn it all, and I hadn't seen the foxes in it before it bit the dust, or I would have bought it then.
Above you see several swatches for "Margaret Tudor," the main project of the year. If I can get this done this year I will be quite satisfied. (I say this now, but I predict I'll be whinging next May, when I won't think I've gotten enough done.) At the bottom of the gauge swatches, you see the gauge calculated on #2 needles, as called for in the pattern. Up at the top, you see the gauge done on #0 needles, which produces the correct number of stitches ACROSS -- and to the left you see the beginning of the center back panel, started on the #0 needles, but then stopped, when I realized that it was going to be too short -- in the center of the column of gauge swatches you see the gauge pattern worked on #1 needles, which makes a sample which is slightly too big across but is just right, maybe even a bit scant, up and down. That's the needle size I'll be using for the sweater itself, since it will be too difficult to figure out length changes, and it won't end up being too very big. In fact, I'm beginning to wonder whether the thing can be made just right by tugging it lengthwise while blocking.
Or, indeed, by tugging on it whilst wearing it. That should be charming.
Much easier project, just arrived from an eBay seller -- yet another vintage sweater-and-matching-skirt kit:
Will produce a nice mindless cardigan, suitable for spring, as you see from the colors.
By the way, if anybody has an extra copy of "Dale #107," the booklet from which Lisa is knitting her fox sweater, and wishes to sell it to me, let me know -- email info, slightly disguised, is down at the end of the sidebar. It's out of print, darn it all, and I hadn't seen the foxes in it before it bit the dust, or I would have bought it then.
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