Hello! I just joined the Audrey A-long and boy am I excited to knit this sweater! I've followed this knit a-long for a while now, and I just couldn't stand not making this sweater. I'm using the discontinued color "Zeal," which is indeed very purple, but I think it'll look great with just the right scarf and white pants or a skirt...
Okay, on to a more serious questions. I've started swatching, and last night I swatched with Addi Natura's US#8s, and got 21 sts=9.5 cm and 30 rows=9 cm. I did my first swatch with US#7s, since I tend to be a loose knitter already, and got 21 sts=9 cm and 30 rows=8.5 cm. Hmmm... This leads me to believe that when I swatch with US#9s, I'm going to be right on the money with my stitch gauge, but still half a centimeter off on the row gauge. Any suggestions??
Posted by Ara at September 2, 2004 12:18 PMI don't have much input on your gauge question, but I did want to say welcome! I would think that since the pattern primarily tells you to do something different when the piece measures a certain measurement then your row gauge being a bit off would be okay. But, I'm a lazy gauge person, so I don't want to knock you off track. :-) If I get close, I usually go for it. Not always the best approach.
Posted by: sarah b. at September 2, 2004 02:17 PMThe calculation seems right for your stitch count, but are you sure that as a loose knitter you're really getting that guage? (Are your swatches big enough?) I'm a loose knitter and I hit guage on addi turbos in US7 (4.5 mm). My audrey is actually a little big on me (not problematically big, but it could be tighter). It just seems that on US9's you'd be swimming. You did the guage in Stst, not rib, right? I'd ask a couple others about their experiences and see if you can figure it out. It's kind of strange that your row guage is off, because those numbers are tied to one another and should keep the same proportions. When you change needles, your row guage should change, too.
Posted by: Julia at September 2, 2004 02:30 PMI'm not a good gauge judge either. I didn't really check the row gauge on my swatch, just the stitches. (sheepish look) Even so, I'm not sure I understand how the stockinette stitch gauge can be so important when the sweater is made in 2x2 rib. Good luck!
Posted by: Andrea at September 2, 2004 03:59 PMHmmm...interesting comments, thanks! Maybe I'm not the loose knitter I thought I was! I think I may try another swatch with the 8's, and give myself some more room on either side of the 21 sts and 30 rows, to see if making a larger swatch helps. In my previous swatches, I knit it up with one extra stitch on the right and left, and one extra row on the top and bottom.
I agree, using #9's seems like it would make my Audrey too big...we'll see how swatch #3 does!
Posted by: Ara at September 2, 2004 04:40 PMI find that ribbed swatches are always hard to measure, since it depends on how much you strech the swatch, so I was very happy to see that Audrey had the gauge given in stockinett.
If you don't get the gauge with the bamboos, try to switch to metal or plastic. I didn't get gauge on bamboo, but with metallic in the same size.
I used the Denise needles. I got gauge with US 5&6. I'm a loose knitter. I really liked using the Denise with this yarn. I would have tried with the bamboo but I didn't have the size I needed. I'd say just go with the closest one. It is a very stretchy sweater.
Posted by: Eilene at September 8, 2004 08:38 PM