Someday I'll Learn

Someday, I'll learn to make a darn swatch, especially when 450 stitches are involved! I'm a tight knitter, so I knew I should have moved up a needle size or two to begin with, but I decided to go with the called-for size 1. It's a purse, if it's a little off, it won't matter much. If it's significantly off, however...

Well, last night, after I'd shown everyone what I was working on at my guild meeting, I decided to take a closer look at the gauge. Yep, it was significantly off. Whereas the recommended gauge is 32 stitches per 4 inches, I was getting 40 inches per 4 inches. Now, two stitches per inch difference doesn't seem like much on paper, but over the course of 450 stitches, let's do the math. Eight stitches per inch over 450 is 56 and a quarter inches; ten stitches per inch is 45 inches. I'd say a difference of eleven inches qualifies as significantly off.

So, I frogged and started casting on again (after doing a small gauge swatch). Ugh. Well, it was going to be too small, so I'm casting on again. I'll be happier with the finished product.