1. Gauge matters.
2. Needle size matters.
Pay attention to these two factors. Number 2 changes number 1.
Ask me how I know.
I have 2 projects going right now and both seem to have issues with both.
Carry on.
Flickr Photos
More PhotosCan’t Knit Enough
Blue Moon Fiber Arts
Knitter's Review
Ravelry
Rocking Sock Club 2010
Evidently, stress level also matters. I just knit the second mitt of a pair — same needles, same yarn, etc… and it’s a good half an inch shorter than the first one. I blame my stress levels of late.
So true! I’m knitting on 2 hats right now for the second time. One hat I grabbed the wrong needle and was surprised how much smaller the tam was than I was expecting, until I pulled out my dpn’s to finish the crown decreases and realized my mistake
The other hat must be a tension thing. It’s so much smaller than the first 8 I knit of this pattern. It’s stockinette primarily, so I ripped and added stitches. Imagine the time an actual gauge swatch would have saved me!