Hello! New here, and beginner knitter. I’m working on the Korshavn Cardigan, and it’s my second project ever so not an experienced knitter. I’m having a few issues I hope you can help with.
The cardigan follows a repeated basketweave pattern, with SSK/YO and YO/K2K at the corner of each square of the basket to create a nice lace-y effect. It was all going well in the first few basket row repeats, but as the cardigan gains length, the fabric is getting looser and looser. The stitches above each YO are getting wider and wider and I’m worried it may get worst as I get to the end of the back panel. I haven’t changed my tension, but stitches are way looser now than they were at the beginning.
I tried to purl the YO from the back loop to tighten it, but when I do so it actually disappears, and leaves a simple increase rather than a hole so it modifies the look of the fabric.
Are there any techniques I could use to tighten up the fabric a bit? I think I tried also to knit and purl from the back loops between the squares of the basket (so when I move from K to P I purl from the back the first purl stitch, and when I move from P to K I knit the first stitch from the back), but it seemed to change the look of the basketwave so not sure I was doing it right. Any help appreciated!
Also, side note. I did my swatch at the start, and couldn’t get the right gauge with the recommended needle size (5mm), so I used 6mm as I had too many stitches. My gauge was still too tight even on 6mm, and I was surprised as I don’t think I am such a tight knitter… But after wetting the swatch, the stitches relaxed and I got gauge so I went for the 6mm. I’m now worried that gauge will be off, as the project progresses. The swatch was a small square, so there wasn’t any weight to pull the YO. But on the finished cardigan there’s weight pulling the fabric, which I think may change gauge a bit… Wondering, would the pattern designer take that into account when they recommend a gauge?
Thanks