Epic Gauge Fail
Jun. 14th, 2020 12:58 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
janestarzWhen I knitted the swatches for this project, I never considered checking the row gauge. My row gauge is always too high. I knit very high stitches.
During the Sock Madness this is most obvious: even when knitting the minimum requirements for the contest, I still end up with socks in my size; where other people knit a perfect 38 and I end up at a 42.
I probably even boasted about my row gauge at several points. "My stitches are always taller. That'll make up for my freaky tall body."
Consider them famous last words.
After finishing the fronts of this top, they still had to meet in the centre. The band of lace overlaps and the 16 stitches of lace pattern at the front are knit in a three-needle-bindoff style. Except you don't bind them off. Okay, so it's more like a k2tog but with stiches from two different needles.
Behold:
The right needle is inserted in the first stitch on the top left-hand needle, AND the first stitch of the bottom left-hand needle. Then you take the working yarn through both of these stitches at the same time. Magic!
Now that both fronts were joined, I could really tell it wasn't very big. I had a sneaking suspicion for a while, but I figured just fitting the top while everything was still loose wasn't very accurate. You'd probably pull part of the back panel to the front while fitting. The front and back were still unattached except at the shoulder, but at least the two fronts were now stabilised together. My first thought:
Will my head even fit through this?
Yes, it did. Even unblocked this is very stretchy stuff and even the i-cord has more strength than you think. It got caught on my bun, of course, but otherwise I could get it on without a problem.
But here's the thing: I am suffering from Epic Row Gauge Fail.
This is only a "sexy neckline" because there is so much of my body still not covered.
On my 2.75mm needles I am well on track for the stitch gauge. This determines how many stitches you will need to get 10 cm width on your knitted fabric.
However, I am nowhere near the row guage I needed. Apparantly, I don't always have a row gauge that is higher than the pattern gauge suggests. Even my blocked swatch on these needles had almost 37 stitches for 10 cm of height. (The pattern called for 34.)
These needles were my second choice, I had initially started my first swatch on 3.5mm needles. The resulting gauge was 19 stitches and 31 rows for 10 centimeter. Nowhere near the stitch gauge, nor the row gauge either. *sigh* Still, much better than what I just spent the last two weeks on.
Downsides to reknitting on 3.5mm needles:
I have to start over. (Worth it to get something that looks good).
I have to recalculate which size I will then need to knit because my stitches will be bigger.
It will be much shearer fabric than it currently is, but I doubt I could ever wear this without a camisole or tank top underneath no matter which needle I will use.
Upsides to reknitting on 3.5mm needles:
The finished product will be something that fits and is flattering.
Larger stitches will mean I have to knit less stitches, so it will go a little bit faster.
The resulting fabric will have an even more beautiful drape..
I will need to knit a vanity size because I'm knitting off gauge.
If I use 3.5 mm needles I'm still not quite on row gauge, but because it will end up being longer it might actually mean I will have no further alterations for my tall body. (The NEW famous last words.)
There are still 7 unused skeins of linen left, so I can easily cast on anew from one of those and have this on hand for comparison pictures.
So. Continue on 2.75 mm needles is OUT. Re-knitting on 3.5 mm is an option. I could stop knitting this altogether, but I really don't want to. Or I could re-swatch on 3 mm and try to actually get on the right (row) gauge. Not looking forward to more swatching and extra length is not an issue for me, so 3.5 mm it is!
During the Sock Madness this is most obvious: even when knitting the minimum requirements for the contest, I still end up with socks in my size; where other people knit a perfect 38 and I end up at a 42.
I probably even boasted about my row gauge at several points. "My stitches are always taller. That'll make up for my freaky tall body."
Consider them famous last words.
After finishing the fronts of this top, they still had to meet in the centre. The band of lace overlaps and the 16 stitches of lace pattern at the front are knit in a three-needle-bindoff style. Except you don't bind them off. Okay, so it's more like a k2tog but with stiches from two different needles.
Behold:
The right needle is inserted in the first stitch on the top left-hand needle, AND the first stitch of the bottom left-hand needle. Then you take the working yarn through both of these stitches at the same time. Magic!
Now that both fronts were joined, I could really tell it wasn't very big. I had a sneaking suspicion for a while, but I figured just fitting the top while everything was still loose wasn't very accurate. You'd probably pull part of the back panel to the front while fitting. The front and back were still unattached except at the shoulder, but at least the two fronts were now stabilised together. My first thought:
Will my head even fit through this?
Yes, it did. Even unblocked this is very stretchy stuff and even the i-cord has more strength than you think. It got caught on my bun, of course, but otherwise I could get it on without a problem.
But here's the thing: I am suffering from Epic Row Gauge Fail.
This is only a "sexy neckline" because there is so much of my body still not covered.
On my 2.75mm needles I am well on track for the stitch gauge. This determines how many stitches you will need to get 10 cm width on your knitted fabric.
However, I am nowhere near the row guage I needed. Apparantly, I don't always have a row gauge that is higher than the pattern gauge suggests. Even my blocked swatch on these needles had almost 37 stitches for 10 cm of height. (The pattern called for 34.)
These needles were my second choice, I had initially started my first swatch on 3.5mm needles. The resulting gauge was 19 stitches and 31 rows for 10 centimeter. Nowhere near the stitch gauge, nor the row gauge either. *sigh* Still, much better than what I just spent the last two weeks on.
Downsides to reknitting on 3.5mm needles:
Upsides to reknitting on 3.5mm needles:
There are still 7 unused skeins of linen left, so I can easily cast on anew from one of those and have this on hand for comparison pictures.
So. Continue on 2.75 mm needles is OUT. Re-knitting on 3.5 mm is an option. I could stop knitting this altogether, but I really don't want to. Or I could re-swatch on 3 mm and try to actually get on the right (row) gauge. Not looking forward to more swatching and extra length is not an issue for me, so 3.5 mm it is!
