The time finally came to start my cashmere cardigan! I whittled my WIPs down to a manageable number (currently only 7!) I finished my Mother’s day knitting. I cleared the project off the needles I wanted to use. I made a swatch – complete with washing and blocking! Only thing left to do was cast on!
The pattern is Sabine, a light, airy, top down raglan by Julie Weisenberger, aka Coco Knits. The yarn is Superior Cashmere, heaven in a ball of yarn! I got start and expected to breeze through the raglan shaping…it’s all yarn over increases! A sweater, literally, does not get easier than this! Except…
…I knit two inches and then checked my gauge. It was way off. Logically, I know it doesn’t matter. It’s not blocked, of course my gauge is off. I have to trust the process. I double checked my swatch, still dead on. I double checked my progress, still way off. This yarn is not froggable. If I don’t get it right, it’s a waste of time and cashmere. Wasting cashmere is worse than spilling a full beer! A minor panic set in. I had no choice but take if off the needles and do a test block. It’s the only thing that would assuage my fear of doing it wrong. There’s no trusting the process here, I can’t have this nagging at me through an entire sweater’s worth of knitting. It would set me back a couple days but I have plenty of other things to knit. A day or two would be worth it.
So off the needles it came. And suddenly my gauge was off again…this time in the opposite direction. There was more double checking. Okay, so maybe it’s not so bad, maybe I didn’t need to jump to instant doom and gloom. After careful consideration, I decided I do, in fact, trust the process. This is why we have processes. Trust the process. It’s not as though I’m re-inventing the wheel on the this one. Disaster averted. I’m pushing forward. For now!
FogKnits 
It’s amazing how different the gauge can be before and after blocking! It’s the cause of a lot of my sweater knitting stress- and the thought of wasting cashmere would definitely add to it. But, trusting the process is smart. I can’t wait to see the finished project. It’ll be like wearing a cloud…
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Good luck with it! I sometimes check and write down gauge before and after blocking, so I know that as long as I’m getting the pre-gauge as I’m knitting, it’s all good!
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That’s the part of the process I’m missing! Sure would be helpful right about now :) I also didn’t knot the tail of the swatch or put purl bumps to note the size needle I used. I put it on Ravelry so I’m pretty confident I got it right but still…more info is always better! The pattern actually gives theoretical dimensions at the sleeve divide and says if you haven’t got the right length (ie row gauge is off), continue as if you’re making the next size larger.
Mostly, I trust my swatch so I’m going with it! I do have my fingers crossed for extra protection, just in case!
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Love Coco Knits! I second guess myself constantly with gauge and it seems to always be OK in the end, but trusting the process is so hard sometimes!
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