A few weeks ago, I cast on a new sweater project, the Rosie Sweater by Le Knit.
This one!
For this sweater, I'm using a gorgeous wool from Ancient Arts Fibres held with a strand of mohair from Knitting with Olive (my first time knitting a sweater with mohair, can you believe it?!).
And before I cast on, I swatched. I made two swatches, actually, one with the colourwork and one without, blocked them, and they both matched what was listed in the pattern perfectly. When does that ever happen?!
And then I cast on.
And I started knitting.
And I kept knitting until about halfway through the yoke when I noticed something seemed... off.
My sweater started to turn out way bigger than I was expecting! I wasn't nearly done with all the increases, and it was already almost as wide as it needed to be. Would you believe that my swatches lied to me?! Once I started knitting the actual garment, my tension changed, and if I continued on, my sweater would be about 3 sizes bigger than I wanted.
So, now what?
Well, here's what went through my head:
- I definitely didn't want a sweater that was that oversized
- I didn't really want to try swatching again (because look where that got us)
- I actually really liked the fabric that I was creating at the looser gauge
With that in mind, I blocked my yoke, decided that would be my new, true swatch, and by using a couple of key pieces of information, including my gauge, stitch counts from the pattern, and the measurements I wanted my final sweater to be, I was able to size down to the correct size for my gauge, and still get the fit I wanted. 💕💖
And it's coming along great!
But, I know that not everyone loves knitting math quite as much as I do, so doing those sorts of calculations can be a little bit daunting.
So, I created a resource just for you!
We just released the Gauge Changes Bundle - a complete package so you can get your sweaters to fit just right, even if you don't quite get the same gauge as the designer.
In it, you'll find everything you need, including an instructional guide and worksheet, and a handy spreadsheet calculator so you can just plug in your numbers and go.
I hope this little bundle is exactly what you've been looking for, to get your sweaters to fit just right, too.
Customize Any Sweater Pattern
My latest YouTube video also goes through the specifics of choosing a size when you have a different gauge, as well as a ton of other modifications you can make to any sweater pattern.
Xoxo Megan
PS — Do you want to learn more about modifying sweater patterns so you get the perfect fit, every time? Learn more about our online class, Altering Sweater Patterns. And to get you started on the right track, you can download our free Body Measurements Guide.
