Hello again -
Dunno if you remember, I intro'd myself some 2 months back with my initial ventures into socks. I've been so into the socks (and umm, the job, and umm, the holidays, and my sick cat... oh well) that I've not been posting.
I fell into a sock rut with sock #7 (or pair #4a, I'm not sure how to keep track) after the first 3 pairs were happily on the feet they were made for . #7 just kept going so wonky, with lost stitches I could NOT find to pick up, or a short-row heel that turned into a toe, or being too small despite being the exact same yarn, needles, and knitter as the second pair...that I gave up and tried a hat from a kit I got.
The HAT was almost as much grief. I made swatches. I got one right. I used the same needles for that swatch. I got a had that wouldn't fit one of my cats. I measured the gauge of the hat, I was off by 2 st. per inch despite my swatch. I took it all out. I re-did the swatch. Started the hat again - nope. MIGHT have fit a baby. I measured the hat guage again, it was closer to the swatch, but I tried an alternate approach - re-calculated the pattern based on the gauge I seemed to be ending up with. Try had again. STILL only kid-sized (I have a large head, but not THAT bad).
Finally went and bought a circular need a full 1 mm larger than the pattern called for. Made a swatch. The gauge of the swatch was WAAAAY too big. To heck! says me. If it's too big I'll weave a drawstring through the hatband edge and have a purse. Off I went at my way too large gauge.
NOW I have a perfectly fitting alpaca/merino/silk toque, and had enough extra yarn left from the kit to make tassels for the top.
Go figure.
I am back to sock number 7, but decided to try toe-up after coming up with a hybrid cast-on based on a couple different ones from knitty.com. So far despite the fact that I'm using the same needles and my last attempt was too SMALL, this sock is now larger than pair #2 (same yarn, same needles, same size 13 hubby's foot), by the look and feel of it. But, since pair #2 is very snug on the size 13 foot, this one is probably still fine. I'm borrowing the foot to try it on every few rows. I'm guessing I'll know better once I turn the heel.
Am I normal? Is it common to have THIS much trouble getting the right gauge? Or to apparently flip-flop between too tight and too loose on different projects?
I really want to try playing with some more luxurious yarns and possibly, maybe, dreamily... make a cardigan out of sari silk, but I've totally scared myself off putting in so much expense and work if I end up with, say, a doll sweater instead.
Befuddledly,
Johanna