at happens when you don’t swatch? I have the same yarn and it’s my pattern - using the same machine...what can go wrong? Why did I get a ginormous sleeve? So, okay, let’s analyze this. The original yarn was 2.2 Softball cotton and the pattern ‘Opposite Attraction’ was in No 39 KNITWORDS Winter 2006 - the garment is a favourite of mine and I’ve worn the original continuously over the past several years, washing and drying it often. I had a cone of poppy red on my shelf that I’ve been meaning to use and pulled it out yesterday - looked over the pattern, checked my original notes and figured I was ready to go. 
Took my own advice and made a sleeve to start - got it finished and think, wow, it looks huge, but the pattern does say that this yarn will shrink a lot and it recommends machine wash and dry, but whoa, this is a really BIG sleeve...since I have no deadlines anymore, I say what the hey? and toss the huge sleeve in the washer/dryer - gosh, it’s still humongous!!! The original called for 29 sts and 50 rows to the 10 cm square and from my ‘cheating at swatches’ yarn marks, this one measures 27 sts and 38 rows after the machine-wash and dry. 
I look a little more - the only other time I used this yarn was in the same issue - a tunic top called ‘Hip’ - same tension on this one says the gauge for stockinette is 31 sts and 45 rows - that was a big difference, but this is more... I check the two yarns again, side by side - it was described as 100% cotton with nylon binder - in the photo, you can see the nylon thread coming off the end of the beige yarn and notice how crinkly the beige one is compared to the red yarn - I think this is the answer...
3 comments:
Same yarn, different color = different gauge.
I can never figure that one out
Wow! What a difference. You are right - picture shows it!
Your post gives us a great lesson on swatching. Thank you MAO.
When I viewed the photo of the yarns up close, I couldn't believe it. It's not just the binder, which is decidedly different. It's also that the crimp of the white yarn is much tighter than that of the red, which looks more relaxed. That could change both the gauge and the hand.
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