So I've never been much of a swatcher. In all honesty, I rarely swatch at all. If I do actually make a gauge swatch, I am never all that particular about it, and have been guilty of the whole "close enough" thing. If you are a serious swatcher, I am sure you are gasping at this point. I now understand. Here's my story.
I am working on a super secret project with a few friends. It's one of those joint projects, so all of our individual items need to match each other's. At first, I just wasn't all that concerned about gauge, and leaving up to the swatch gods as usual seemed to be a fine plan. However, soon after we received our knitting assignments for the project, emails began to circulate. Now let me tell you, not just one or two calm emails, but dozens of panicked emails of people claiming they were not getting the gauge the pattern had called for on the needles it suggested. This struck me as a point of concern for myself, and I made a mental note to actually, really, (try to) swatch for this project. I mean, I didn't want to be the one to screw everything up.
On new year's eve, I got together with a few close knitting friends. We had decided to ring in the new year by knitting (how awesome was that?!) and we planned to work on our joint project. Excellent, I thought. This will be my motivation to get started, and I'll just bring needles that were one size above as well as one size below the needles being suggested in the pattern. The pattern called for Size 7s, so I brought along my Size 6s, Size 7s, and Size 8s. I felt totally prepared. If only I had known...
Now let me clear my throat at this point. (Ah-hem.) I want to make sure I have your utmost attention.
I ended up getting gauge on Size 4s.
Needless to say, I had to borrow needles from one of the girls. I had not at all been prepared for that revelation. Size 4s? Really? But I had Kara check it for me, a few times, actually. And yes, I was getting gauge on Size 4s.
So do you think this explains why all of my knitted items have always turned out so big up to this point?
"I, Kathy," (raises right hand) "do hereby promise to (try to remember to) do a gauge swatch for all projects from here forth."
Who knew I was such a loose knitter?!
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7 comments:
I'm a non-swatcher myself. I swatch for sweaters, but that's about it. For anything else, I figure if I don't like how it's turning out, I can frog it.
I hope the kniots are going well now. I don't think your a loose knitter at all. The patterns just pretend to give a guage and needle size that the designer used. Could be could be not:)
4s??!!? you're nuts! i'm still panicking...
Swatching -- fuck yeah!
You needed size 4's!?!?! WOW!
I'm swatching right now too. Have you seen Zephyr's new sweater - 28thirty?
You loose knitter! I mean really.:) I have to admit that I'm sort of loose too. I usually have to go down two needle sizes. Swatching does pay off.
Bwahahahahaha! Size 4?!?!? Hee. ;)
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