The Issue with Gauge

I know, as you know, that a good knitter always knits a gauge swatch.

I also know, as you know, that sometimes (or a lot of times), a knitter doesn't bother to knit a gauge swatch, and that often, it doesn't matter.

This is not the case in this story.

I cast on last month for a Tropical Lily for Baby Girl, using some Cascade Luna that I bought on the North Shore Yarn Crawl. I really loved the blues and purples of the yarn, and totally imagined how the colors would bring out Baby Girl's bright blue eyes.

I cast on the appropriate number of stitches using a size 7 needle as called for in the pattern, and I knit. I realized as I was knitting that the pinafore would be a little wide, but I decided that Baby Girl could always wear it next summer. Too big is always better than too small when it comes to clothes for children.

I followed the pattern, except to make a button tab instead of ties at the back. (I just didn't like the bulk of knitted ties). And, instead of putting buttons on the ends of the strap, I put the buttons on the inside of the waistband, and made 4 buttonholes on each strap, so the size could be adjusted as needed. Feeling very clever, I blocked the top, being careful not to add any extra width, but hoping to add a little length.

And as expected, the top is too big for Baby Girl.

Unexpectedly, it is also ever so slightly too large for Little Girl. Thankfully, only slightly.

She wore it to school today.


The moral of the story: Sometimes, when you don't check gauge, it still turns out alright.

Happy Knitting!