My swatch for the Tiny Tea Leaves Cardigan isn’t just too big; it’s WAY too big.
And this, in a nutshell, is why I always have to swatch. Not the “three rows and I’ll eyeball it” kind of swatch I often convince myself is sufficient. No, I need to be doing full on, blocked swatches if I really expect my garments to fit.
Tiny Tea Leaves calls for a gauge of 20 stitches and 28 rows = four inches. My gauge, on the size 7 needles the pattern calls for, is 5 1/2 x 51/4.
Disaster averted. You can be certain I’m going to carefully swatch until I get this one just right, and, all of my projects from now on!
