I swatched. I swatched a needle below, like I normally do because I knit loosely. I had too many stitches/inch. I went up to the needle the pattern calls for. This NEVER happens to me. I still had too many stitches/inch. The pattern called for 3.5 sts/1″ and I was getting 4.5 ish sts/1″.
The pattern you ask? It’s a lovely shawl published by Artyarns called “Shawl with Sequins and Bead Trim” by Sharon Sorken. It’s very pretty and I had the yarn in my stash. Perfect I thought.
I never knit tighter than the given gauge. It made me very nervous. I couldn’t believe that I would be on the same needle size as a pattern dictated or even more unbelievably, on a larger needle.
So, I thought to myself, this can’t be right. The pattern itself cautions you not to knit tightly that the silk will open up when it is off the needle. I measured my gauge off the needle, still 4.5 ish sts/1″. I showed Danni, who looked on in disbelief as well.
I decided to forge ahead using the same needle as the pattern and kind of convinced myself it would all be alright in the end.
Wrong! When I got 2/3 of the way done (you see you knit the back and then divide the fronts and work them separately) my shawl looked way smaller than the picture. I’d show you except I ripped it all out (gently because it’s silk).
I’m going to have to redo the swatch on a 10.5 or even crazier, an 11. If lace addi’s don’t come this big, I may be shelving this project. I’m spoiled by lace addi’s and Signature needles and can’t imagine working this up in regular addi’s. I’ve become a knitting needle snob.
So much for that relatively mindless projects. Back to the drawing board.
That just sounds weird.Maybe it's supposed to be real open because of an extra big gauge?