Honest, I don't. I hate them. I think they are a waste of time and yarn, and if you're not WEARING the item (like a sweater or pants... who wears knit pants?...), gauge isn't so important to me.
Which is why I'm telling you this tale. A cautionary tale, if you will.
My friend is finally having a daughter this August. Once the sex of the baby was confirmed, I ran out and bought 5 skeins of Victorian Rose yarn with which to make a blanket for my friend and her soon-to-arrive daughter. I cast on 200 st and started knitting. I knit every day, every night. On the train, on the couch, in the car (carsickness, anyone?). I worked like mad. the blanket grew.
Pattern, for the record, is 20 rows seed, then 10 seed, *10 k, 10p, rep from *18x, 10 seed.
It's a 10 X 10 basketweave with a seed stitch border. 'kay? Kay.
A week or so ago, I took it upon myself to measure the free edge of the blanket. 50", according to my purple tape measure. Fine. Height? 22". If I wanted to make this a square, it would be 4 feet square and I'd be knitting thru the summer. So, my illogical, math-challenged mind said 'never fear, just TURN IT so that it's a rectangle. It'll be fine'.
I finished it last night.
It's big enough to cover my large couch. At least the back of it. And it's wide, but not as wide as I'd hoped. Definitely not blanket-shaped.
I fretted. I stomped my foot. I shook my fist and cursed the knitting goddess, but realized it was really my fault for not swatching.
Resigned, I wove in the ends and said to my husband, 'it's a shawl and I'm not redoing it'. He just smiled at me and continued reading. Wise man.
So, my children, that is my story. You would do well to heed me and SWATCH.
Not that I will. Just saying.
