The boss of your knitting…

This is just your friendly occasional reminder that you (not the yarn tag) are in charge of your gauge (and needle size)!  This is Malabrigo’s Twist, which is a lovely aran weight yarn.  They suggest knitting it at around 4-5 stitches per inch, and suggest a needle size around 8 1/2 – 11.

All of which is cool, and totally works for something like a hat (though for me to get 4 spi with this yarn, I use something like a size 4 needle).  But I’m making slippers, and I want them to be as dense as I can get them.  With this yarn, that means something like 5.5 or even 5.75 spi…which I get using a size 2 needle.

And that’s all awesome…there are no problems there.  I am totally not saying there is anything wrong with the yarn or the tag.  But I am saying that the yarn tag (and needle sizes in general) is really nothing more than a vague guess that may work for some people and some projects.  What you actually get with your hands and your needles is the only reliable guide (which is why swatching is so so so important)!