Part of the fun of these Swatching posts (you can see previous ones here and here) are that they keep me honest in terms of my knitting and are a nice reminder of my WIP basket and what should get finished before something new begins.
That said, I couldn’t bear to wait a minute longer before casting on a Little Coastal Pullover for Charlie in The Fibre Co. Cumbria.
SPECIFICATIONS
Pattern: Little Coastal Pullover by Hannah Fettig
Recommended Needles:Â US 6 (4 mm) and US 8 (5 mm)
Gauges: 19 sts +Â 26 rows = 4 inches in Cable Stitch pattern on larger needles.
SWATCH
Yarn: The Fibre Co. Cumbria in Cowberry
Needles: US 7 (4.5 mm)
Gauge After Blocking: 20 sts + 24 rows = 4″ (10 cm) in St st on US 7 needles
NOTES
My swatch on US 7 needles was a little dense for the specified gauge, but I liked the fabric so I thought it would be fine for a garment of this size. It became clear this was most certainly not the case only after casting on using the US 7 and ending up with a too-small yoke. Happily, the pattern moves quickly, so re-starting using a US 8 was no trouble at all.
On both 7s and 8s, I have a looser row gauge than specified in the pattern, but this will just mean that the yoke will be a bit longer than the given measurements. This isn’t something that I worry about with a sweater for a child. For an adult, though, I would most definitely pay attention to the yoke depth on the schematic, the number of rows worked, and my row gauge to avoid ending up with crazy saggy underarms or a too-tight yoke depth.
I’m well into the body on V 2.0 – in Purple Moor Grass this time, as Charlie is going through a major purple phase –Â and am confident the sleeves will go quickly. One good thing about a garment for a growing child is the pressure to finish in time. This might just be my first Swatching related F.O. We’ll see!
{Little Coastal images by Carrie Bostick Hoge}