How can it be smaller AND longer at the same time?

How-to Questions
1

I’ve been knitting for a while now, but this still bugs me. Ok, I am knitting knitty.com’s Dashing for my boyfriend. His hands are huge, so I am trying to make sure this thing will fit. Well, the fit test went well yesterday (when I started it), but now that I am almost done, his hand got stuck and - he’s not here right now so I can’t test how it fits -

I measured the circumference and it comes out to be just about what it should be for the SMALLER size, but I am knitting the larger size. I checked my gauge before I started with 4 different pairs of needles and used the ones I got gauge with - which were my US 4s.

I checked the length, and it’s supposed to measure to 9.75 inches, but mine is about 11 inches! UGH. This annoys me to no end! How can it be smaller AND longer at the same time??? I’m using worsted weight yarn! and I got gauge. WTH.:whoosh:

2

Row gauge and stitch gauge could be different. If you knit for a certain number of rows, your rows may more per inch than in the pattern. Most patterns ignore row gauge and instruct you to knit for X inches instead. Going up or down a needle size affects the rows more than the stitches, most of the time. Sound like you’ll have to take out about an inch.

3

The funny thing about this whole thing is that when I got gauge, I got a few rows under gauge, and now I am over. My tension is pretty darn even so i dont know how this happened. I am also annoyed because this pattern is a very tight fit on my boyfriend, yet I got gauge before I did it.:zombie:

Thanks for the insight. I figured there must be two different things to look for, but I don’t know how to get the exact gauge they mark down. It said

20 sts / 32 rows = 4 inches in stockinette stitch

I had exactly 20 sts to the inch and about 28 sts for row gauge. I guess my row gauge got longer and my sts got shorter? Haha. I am so :think:

4

This happens to me all the time, and I hate it!!! :tap:

I can’t offer any suggestions, but I can tell you you’re not alone :eyes:

5

I usually knit by tape measure, not by the pattern. I didn’t think a tension change would affect the size of something so much but apparently it does.

6

I’ve more and more started relying on the tape measure rather than the pattern, BUT I’m reluctant to knit charted colorwork patterns, for fear of the image looking squatty. Any comments or suggestions?