When your gauge swatch is a liar....

When it comes to gauge switching, I'm the most vocal proponent you'll ever meet. Seriously, I gauge every.single.time. When I first learned to knit, I snickered at the idea of gauge swacthing. It seemed like a total waste of time, especially when I was so eager to jump right into my new found knitting skills. That was, until I knit 3 different sweaters that didn't fit. And I don't mean like an "oh, they're kind of off" didn't fit. I'm talking a sweater that was supposed to be a 36" bust, but ended up being as large as a tent kind of fit. I'd show you pictures, but I'm still desperately handing onto the dignity I have left. Aftter enough ill-fitting sweaters, I finally began swatching, and I haven't looked back. And all of my knit pieces have been the correct size and fit.

That is, until today.  Today, my gauge swatch lied to me. I feel so deceived. So betrayed. My son asked me to make a Spider-Man blanket for his bed. And let me tell you, that kid never asks me to make him anything. He refused all mama-made hats, scarfs, and mittens this year, opting for branded store bought stuff. So when he asked for a blanket, I dropped everything and his spidey blanket became my top priority.

 I diligently made my gauge swatch, and came up with 20 sts per 4" on US 7. He wanted a twin size blanket for his bed, which is 35" wide. So with extra room to tuck it in, I was aiming for about 40-42" wide. Soooo...math time. 5 sts per inch x 42 inches wide meant I needed to cast on 210 stitches. This was perfect, since my pattern repeat was 25 stitches, with a 5 stitch garter edge. Boom! Perfect math! I cast on and worked my little fingers off for a whole week. But something didn't look right. I just didn't seem big enough. It was time to stop and measure. I laid it down across his bed and .......

WHAT?!?! It was a solid 8 inches too narrow. I gauged! How the hell had that happened?!? The betrayal! I pulled out my needles and threw that bad boy across the room in a fit of rage and went to find my stashed bottle of wine. After a glass (or 3) of moscato, it was time to investigate the problem. Apparently, I neglected to take into account the chevron pattern of the blanket. All of the increases and decreases used to make a chevron also shorten the width of the blanket. Had this been a straight stockinette blanket, the size would have been spot on. But it wasn't, and I lost an entire weeks worth of work.

 So, it's back to the drawing board on this one. This time around, I'm casting on 260, and after some careful measuring, this should get me to the 42" mark. Wish me luck, because there isn't enough wine in the world if I have to start over a third time. 

Free Pattern - Ribtastic Cardi

I am so so so excited ya'll! I have finally completed, test knit, and am publishing my very first knitting pattern! Whooooo!
First of all, I have to say hats off to all of the fabulous knitwear designers out there. Seriously, this ish is hard. There is so much math involved, and numbers are not my strong suit. But after some serious calculator skills and some math checking my by science-minded hubby, this pattern is ready to go!

So, I present to you...... (drumroll please)..... The Ribtastic Cardi!

The entire pattern is presented below, but the pattern is also available HERE in PDF form.

Ribtastic is a top-down raglan cardigan made out of worsted weight yarn. It features a decreasing rib pattern along the bottom, and pockets made using short-rows, to appear continuous with the decreasing ribbing of the body.

As a smaller disclaimer, I have done my very best to ensure this pattern is free of errors. However, it is my first design. So if you encounter an error or pattern instructions are unclear, just let me know and I'll attempt to fix it. Thanks so much!

Gauge: 20 sts and 24 rows per 4”
Yarn: Lion Brand Heartland in Yosemite

Yardage: 1410 (1530, 1600, 1700, 1800)

Needles: US 7 DPN’s or 40” circular, US 8 32” circular, or size that achieves gauge

Sizing: 32 (34, 38, 40, 44)

  

Cast On 54 (56, 62, 67, 69) stitches

Row 1 - Set up Row (RS): K2 (2, 2, 3, 3), PM, K8 (8, 10, 10, 10) PM, K34 (36, 38, 41, 43), PM, K8 (8, 10, 10, 10), PM, K2 (2, 2, 3, 3)

Row 2 (WS): Purl

Increases:

Row 1:(RS) *Knit to 1 stitch before marker, KFB, SM, K1, KFB* (4 times) Knit to end (8 sts inc.)

Row 2: (WS) Purl

Repeat Rows 1 and 2 23 (25, 28, 30, 34) times.

Separate Sleeves and Body

(RS) Knit to marker 1, Remover marker and place stitches on waste yarn, cast on 2 (2, 3, 4, 4), remove marker. Knit to marker 3, place sleeve stitches on waist yar, cast on 2 (2, 3, 4, 4) knit to end. 134 (144, 164, 179, 197 ) sts left on needle

(WS) Purl

(RS) Increase 0 (2, 2, 3, 1) evenly on this row.

(WS) Purl

Continue in stockinette stitch until body measures 10 (11, 12, 12, 13) inches from underarm, or 8 inches from desired pattern length.

Bottom Ribbing:

Row 1: K2, P2, Knit to 4 sts from end, P2, K2

Row 2: P2, K2, Purl to 4 sts from end, K2, P2

Row 3: (K2, P2) 2 times, Knit to 8 sts from end, (P2, K2) 2 times

Row 4: (P2, K2) 2 times, Purl to 8 sts from end, (K2, P2) 2 times

Row 5: (K2, P2) 3 times, Knit to 12 sts from end, (P2, K2) 3 times

Row 6: (P2, K2) 3 times, Purl to 12 sts from end, (K2, P2) 3 times

Repeat Rows 5 & 6 seven more times (8 times total)

Row 7: (K2, P2) 3 times, K30, P2, Knit to 44 sts from end, P2, K30, (P2, K2) 3 times

Row 8: (P2, K2) 3 times, P30, K2, Purl to 44 sts from end, K2, P30, (K2, P2) 3 times

Row 9: : (K2, P2) 3 times, K30, P2, K2, P2, Knit to 48 sts from end, P2, K2, P2, K30, (P2, K2) 3

   times

Row 10: (P2, K2) 3 times, P30, K2, P2, K2, Purl to 48 sts from end, K2, P2,K2, P30, (K2, P2) 3

   times

Row 11: (K2, P2) 3 times, K30, (P2, K2) 2 times, P2, Knit to 52 sts from end, (P2, K2) 2 times,

   P2, K30, (P2, K2) 3 times

Row 12: (P2, K2) 3 times, P30, (K2, P2) 2 times, K2, Purl to 52 sts from end, (K2, P2) 2 times,

   K2, P30, (K2, P2) 3 times

Row 13: (K2, P2) 3 times, K30, (P2, K2) 2 times, P2, Knit to 56 sts from end, (P2, K2) 2 times,

   P2, K30, (P2, K2) 3 times

Row 14: (P2, K2) 3 times, P30, (K2, P2) 2 times, K2, Purl to 56 sts from end, (K2, P2) 2 times,

   K2, P30, (K2, P2) 3 times

Row 15: (K2, P2) 3 times, K30, (P2, K2) 2 times, P2, Knit to 60 sts from end, (P2, K2) 2 times,

   P2, K30, (P2, K2) 3 times

Row 16: (P2, K2) 3 times, P30, (K2, P2) 2 times, K2, Purl to 60 sts from end, (K2, P2) 2 times,

   K2, P30, (K2, P2) 3 times

Row 17: (K2, P2) 3 times, K30, (P2, K2) 2 times, P2, Knit to 64 sts from end, (P2, K2) 2 times,

   P2, K30, (P2, K2) 3 times

Row 18: (P2, K2) 3 times, P30, (K2, P2) 2 times, K2, Purl to 64 sts from end, (K2, P2) 2 times,

   K2, P30, (K2, P2) 3 times

For size 32, move to rows 49 and 50

Row 19: (K2, P2) 3 times, K30, (P2, K2) 2 times, P2, Knit to 68 sts from end, (P2, K2) 2 times,

   P2, K30, (P2, K2) 3 times

Row 20: (P2, K2) 3 times, P30, (K2, P2) 2 times, K2, Purl to 68 sts from end, (K2, P2) 2 times,

   K2, P30, (K2, P2) 3 times

Row 21: (K2, P2) 3 times, K30, (P2, K2) 2 times, P2, Knit to 70 sts from end, (P2, K2) 2 times,

   P2, K30, (P2, K2) 3 times

Row 22: (P2, K2) 3 times, P30, (K2, P2) 2 times, K2, Purl to 70 sts from end, (K2, P2) 2 times,

   K2, P30, (K2, P2) 3 times

For size 34, move to rows 49 and 50

                                     

Row 23: (K2, P2) 3 times, K30, (P2, K2) 2 times, P2, Knit to 72 sts from end, (P2, K2) 2 times,

   P2, K30, (P2, K2) 3 times

Row 24: (P2, K2) 3 times, P30, (K2, P2) 2 times, K2, Purl to 72 sts from end, (K2, P2) 2 times,

   K2, P30, (K2, P2) 3 times

Row 25: (K2, P2) 3 times, K30, (P2, K2) 2 times, P2, Knit to 74 sts from end, (P2, K2) 2 times,

   P2, K30, (P2, K2) 3 times

Row 26: (P2, K2) 3 times, P30, (K2, P2) 2 times, K2, Purl to 74 sts from end, (K2, P2) 2 times,

   K2, P30, (K2, P2) 3 times

Row 27: (K2, P2) 3 times, K30, (P2, K2) 2 times, P2, Knit to 76 sts from end, (P2, K2) 2 times,

   P2, K30, (P2, K2) 3 times

Row 28: (P2, K2) 3 times, P30, (K2, P2) 2 times, K2, Purl to 76 sts from end, (K2, P2) 2 times,

   K2, P30, (K2, P2) 3 times

Row 29: (K2, P2) 3 times, K30, (P2, K2) 2 times, P2, Knit to 78 sts from end, (P2, K2) 2 times,

   P2, K30, (P2, K2) 3 times

Row 30: (P2, K2) 3 times, P30, (K2, P2) 2 times, K2, Purl to 78 sts from end, (K2, P2) 2 times,

   K2, P30, (K2, P2) 3 times

Row 31: (K2, P2) 3 times, K30, (P2, K2) 2 times, P2, Knit to 80 sts from end, (P2, K2) 2 times,

   P2, K30, (P2, K2) 3 times

Row 32: (P2, K2) 3 times, P30, (K2, P2) 2 times, K2, Purl to 80 sts from end, (K2, P2) 2 times,

   K2, P30, (K2, P2) 3 times

For size 38, move to rows 49 and 50

Row 33: (K2, P2) 3 times, K30, (P2, K2) 2 times, P2, Knit to 82 sts from end, (P2, K2) 2 times,

   P2, K30, (P2, K2) 3 times

Row 34: (P2, K2) 3 times, P30, (K2, P2) 2 times, K2, Purl to 82 sts from end, (K2, P2) 2 times,

   K2, P30, (K2, P2) 3 times

Row 35: (K2, P2) 3 times, K30, (P2, K2) 2 times, P2, Knit to 84 sts from end, (P2, K2) 2 times,

   P2, K30, (P2, K2) 3 times

Row 36: (P2, K2) 3 times, P30, (K2, P2) 2 times, K2, Purl to 84 sts from end, (K2, P2) 2 times,

   K2, P30, (K2, P2) 3 times

Row 37: (K2, P2) 3 times, K30, (P2, K2) 2 times, P2, Knit to 86 sts from end, (P2, K2) 2 times,

   P2, K30, (P2, K2) 3 times

Row 38: (P2, K2) 3 times, P30, (K2, P2) 2 times, K2, Purl to 86 sts from end, (K2, P2) 2 times,

   K2, P30, (K2, P2) 3 times

Row 39: (K2, P2) 3 times, K30, (P2, K2) 2 times, P2, Knit to 88 sts from end, (P2, K2) 2 times,

   P2, K30, (P2, K2) 3 times

Row 40: (P2, K2) 3 times, P30, (K2, P2) 2 times, K2, Purl to 88 sts from end, (K2, P2) 2 times,

   K2, P30, (K2, P2) 3 times

For size 40, move to rows 49 and 50

Row 41: (K2, P2) 3 times, K30, (P2, K2) 2 times, P2, Knit to 90 sts from end, (P2, K2) 2 times,

   P2, K30, (P2, K2) 3 times

Row 42: (P2, K2) 3 times, P30, (K2, P2) 2 times, K2, Purl to 90 sts from end, (K2, P2) 2 times,

   K2, P30, (K2, P2) 3 times

Row 43: (K2, P2) 3 times, K30, (P2, K2) 2 times, P2, Knit to 92 sts from end, (P2, K2) 2 times,

   P2, K30, (P2, K2) 3 times

Row 44: (P2, K2) 3 times, P30, (K2, P2) 2 times, K2, Purl to 92 sts from end, (K2, P2) 2 times,

   K2, P30, (K2, P2) 3 times

Row 45: (K2, P2) 3 times, K30, (P2, K2) 2 times, P2, Knit to 94 sts from end, (P2, K2) 2 times,

   P2, K30, (P2, K2) 3 times

Row 46: (P2, K2) 3 times, P30, (K2, P2) 2 times, K2, Purl to 94 sts from end, (K2, P2) 2 times,

   K2, P30, (K2, P2) 3 times

Row 47: (K2, P2) 3 times, K30, (P2, K2) 2 times, P2, Knit to 96 sts from end, (P2, K2) 2 times,

   P2, K30, (P2, K2) 3 times

Row 48: (P2, K2) 3 times, P30, (K2, P2) 2 times, K2, Purl to 96 sts from end, (K2, P2) 2 times,

   K2, P30, (K2, P2) 3 times

Row 49: (K2, P2) 3 times, K30, *P2, K2* to 40 sts from end, P2, K30, (P2, K2) 3 times

Row 50: (P2, K2) 3 times, P30, *K2, P2* to 40 sts from end, K2, P30, (K2, P2) 3 times

Repeat Rows 21 & 22 13 (11, 9, 7, 5) more times.

Row 15: *K2, P2* to end

Row 16: *P2, K2* to end

Switch to smaller needles.

Repeat Rows 15 & 16 7 more times (8 times total)

Bind off loosely in pattern.

Front Edging:

Switching to smaller needles and with RS facing, pick up and knit 3 of every 4 sts all the way around, ending with a multiple of 4+2. Work *k2,p2* for 2.5’’. Bind off.

Sleeves:

Place held stitches on circular or double pointed needles. PM for beginning of round.

Pick up 2 stitches from underarm, knit around held stitches, pick up 2 more stitches from underarm. 58 (62, 70, 74, 82) sts.

Knit 1 round.  

Decrease round: K1, SSK, knit to last 3 stitches, K2tog, K1

Repeat decrease round every 6 rounds 11 (13, 15, 17, 20) times, until there are 36 (36, 40, 40, 44) sts remaining.

Knit in stockinette until sleeve measures 14 (14, 15, 16, 16) inches from underarm, or 4 inches from desired length.

Switching to smaller needles: K2, P2 for 4 inches.

Bind of sleeve stiches loosely.

Repeat for second sleeve.

Pockets:

With front RS facing, pick up 26 stitches, beginning 12 stitches from edging and at the bottom of the stockinette section of ribbing.

Row 1 (WS): *K2, P2* to end

Row 2 (RS): *P2, K2* to end.

Repeat rows 1 & 2 until pocket is even with front cardigan ribbing.

Row 1 (and all RS rows): *P2, K2* to end.

Row 2 (WS): *K2, P2* K2 to 4 from end. Turn.

Row 4 (WS): *K2, P2* K2 to 8 from end. Turn.

Row 6 (WS): *K2, P2* K2 to 12 from end. Turn.

Row 8 (WS): *K2, P2* K2 to 16 from end. Turn.

Row 10 (WS): K2, P2, K2 to 20 from end. Turn.

Row12: (WS): *K2, P2* to end.

Bind off in pattern. Seam pocket sides to cardigan.