My battle with knitting gauge has been long and hard fought. My gauge freqently changes between swatching (which I love) and the actual project. Knowing this, I still go way past the moment where my inner crafting voice is shouting 'your gauge is off, your gauge is off!'
Here's my latest adventure with gauge. I am so excited about knitting a Carbeth cardigan. I bought Weekend Wool from Green Mountain Spinnery and swatched, several times until I got gauge with the yarn doubled. I finished each swatch like I would finish the sweater, hot soak, dry flat. Fast forward to my having knit 8" of the sweater (yes, I kind of knew after 3" that the gauge was off - I was hoping for the best, I'm an optomist that way), and my gauge is off by 1/2 a stitch per inch (UGH). I'll be visitng the frog pond this weekend.
The stitcky bit? I like this fabric better. The guage fabric was a little stiff. So do I rejigger the numbers and use this yarn at this gauge, or hunt another yarn?
To soothe myself and to ignore my gauge issue, I've decided to do a reading challenge this year.
My friends Carla and Sarah are doing the Modern Mrs. Darcy challenge, and I decided to hop on. It's an easy one.
I read a load of books last year just following reccomendations and reviews, and this challenge just gives a little direction. I'll even have to step out of my usual generes. I'm not making my whole reading list now becasue I know I'll change my mind. I like to pick my next book one at a time.
I actually audition books to be the next book on my nightstand. I take a pile of would-be books to the couch and read a few paragraphs of each to decide. A book has to suit my current mood or I just won't enjoy it.