My gauge swatch is long enough, but does not have enough stitches across. I went up one needle size and now it is a bit too long, but still not wide enough!! Am I knitting too tightly? Is there a limit to how many needle sizes I can increase? I do have the appropriate yarn. Thanks for any help.
My gauge has enough rows, but not enough stiches!
Hi Treia–I’d try using the next larger size needle and try to get your gauge across the stitches. That’s usually more important than row gauge because you can generally adjust the number of rows in a project if your gauge isn’t quite right.
You’re not doing anything wrong. 
(In fact, in my opinion, by making a swatch, you are doing it right!) I often have to go up two needle sizes because I knit fairly tightly.
Good luck!
Something else to think about–depending on the fiber you are using, blocking can also change the size. Some yarns, like alpaca, tend to bloom and get a little larger. If you are using a synthetic, like acrylic that won’t happen, but if you are using a natural fiber, you might want to block your current swatch before going up a needle size.
Yes, it’s more important to get the stitch gauge. Go up as many needle sizes as you need to match that; patterns are usually written as `knit X inches’ so you don’t need to worry about the row gauge.