I've been wondering about that tight gauge too. The yarn is a very heavy weight, apparently the maunufacturer's label says 14-15 stitches and 18-19 rows for 10 cm. That's like a Lopi yarn. Most of the samples I've seen have been knitting worsted, and some are trying DK. But the pattern definitely is based on a stitch gauge of 28 sts/4cm. I haven't figured out the row gauge from the drawings in the book, not sure if it's possible.

Nor can I determine what size needle is recommended in the pattern. Does anyone know, and has anyone tried a sample in a bulky yarn? It would be tough on the fingers to use something like Lopi at that tension, but I'm wondering if the very tight knitting is part of the appeal that has made so many of us go gaga over this pattern.

With Cottage Craft yarn, a light knitting worsted, I got 25 stitches to 10 cm.

Ann in Ottawa

I knit my swatch using Briggs and Little Regal--similar to Cottage Craft, I think--on size 6 (US) and got an unblocked measurement over Chart A of right at 7 spi. I am currently soaking the swatches, so I will update that if it changes. Chart A seemed to pull in like crazy, and I suspect the others will as well.

If you can get the gauge on a swatch using a yarn of your choice and are happy with the way the cables look in that yarn--use it and you should get a sweater the same measurements as the prototype. At 7 spi you're going to get a sweater at just under 40 inches based on the number of stitches in the pattern. I'm going to try for slightly fewer spi (I'm shooting for 6.25-6.5 spi) in order to give a little more ease.

If you go to one of the sites linked over on the right of the home page you will find a conversion of Japanese to US and UK needles.

The pattern calls for a size 6 and 7 US.

I did the math for the row gauge, and it does indeed calculate to 24r=4in. I too find this very suspicious. I've never seen a gauge with more sts than rows. It can't be a feature of Bavarian twisted stitches, because there are the same numbers of rows in the cable panels as there are in the twisted stitch panels. I think I'm going to try to recalculate the yarn requirements. I have to upsize mightily anyway.

I too translated the 28 sts, 24 rows to 4 in gauge. Based on the photo on pg 50 of the yarn, the yarn does not (to me) appear to be Lopi thickness.

It is very common to have gauges like this in Aran sweaters (pulling in to 7spi -- you just don't always recognize that is the gauge because the tension is given over stockinette or moss stitch, not in pattern. 24 stitches/4 in for rows is a pretty standard Aran-weight yarn gauge.

Amy

The book does definitely say 28 stitches and 24 rows over 4 inches. That's over the pattern, with all those cables, not over stockinette.

I bought the actual yarn called for. It's what looks like a basic knitting worsted to me.

The author comments that he is knitting much more tightly that the yarns he uses ordinarily call for. Hence 24 rows over 4 inches, when the yarn manufacturer suggets 18-19 rows. Plus, of course, all those cables!

Ruth, what is the actual yarn called for?

Yes, what is the yarn called for, and where did you get it?

After reading your post, Jen, I remeasured my swatch. My 25 stitches to 4 inches is over a combination of charts D, B and A. On chart A alone, it is actually 7.1 st/inch. I notice that the charts actually give the width in cm of each chart -- Chart A should be 6 cm, 18 stitches, or 30 stitiches to 4 inches. So the 28 is an average across all the charts.

With my cottage craft, I am getting close to 30 rows to 10 cm. That's a huge difference from the 24 rows prescribed, and will really affect the raglan shaping. The chart, as I read it at least, gives 50 rows for the raglan -- a shade over 8 inches. At my tension, I'd get about 6.5 inches. What row tension are the rest of you getting?

This row tension may be a result of the bulky yarn recommended -- Someone, I think Ruth, posted on the knitting beyond the hebrides list that the manufacturer's recommendation is 14-15st and 18-19 rows. I purchased a ball of something called Joker today, 16 st and 19 rows (? - it's downstairs, and I'm going nowhere further than my bed tonight :-)). I'm going to try a swatch with that tomorrow, if I have a chance, what with fridge shopping. My fridge packed it in on New Year's Eve.