Need advice--gauge on Leisl sweater--help!

[sonuptosondown]

I've knit two swatches on 10.5 and 11 needles. The gauge for the pattern in stockinette is 13st/4in and 17rows/4in.

Swatch #1: pre-wash 14st/4", 19row/4" post-wash about the same

Swatch #2: pre-wash 13st/4", 17rows/4in post-wash about the same

So swatch 2 seems to be the winner. The only thing is, swatch 1 on smaller needles looks and feels like a nicer fabric to me. And I'm also wondering if I should take into account how the yarn might stretch when it's hanging on me? I'm using cotton ease (thanks for all the yarn advice on another thread!!).

My bust measurement is 41" and I'll be nursing again soon, so maybe 43" then. The sizes in the pattern are 42" and then 46". Hmmm....

So should I make size 46" using the smaller needles?
Or make size 41" using the larger needles?

I'm so confused!

This is my first adult sweater and I want to get this right--or at least take my best shot Any advice would be appreciated!!!

[notjustmamie]

I'm not an expert, and I don't knit, but here's my take on it.

Gauge swatches are just knit/crocheted and measured. You should not have to take into account any draping of the item while you wear it because the original swatch should have been measured flat, just as you measured your swatches.

I would guess the 46" bust size would be entirely too large. Unless you normally wear very loose clothing, the 42" should fit well with your nursing bust. The fabric will stretch some in the bust, but I would expect one inch (from 42" to 43") to simply look fitted rather than tight.

As far as liking the look of the tighter knit better, well, if you're up for it, you could always "transpose" the pattern to your gauge from that swatch, but that may be more hassle than it's worth for you. Not knowing what the pattern looks like, I'm not sure how complicated it would be.

[laf512]

So the guage swatch is entirely in stockinette? Looking at the pattern photos, it appears that there is very little straight stockinette portions so the actual knitted sweater would look different than the guage swatch. If it was me, I would do a small swatch of the pattern with the larger needles to see how you like the fabric knitted up then. You may decide you like the way it looks with the larger needles and then you can continue on with the 42" size.

Although doing quick math without seeing the pattern...if you knit the 46" size at the tighter guage your sweater will be approximately 43". I guess it depends on how much ease you want in the sweater. But it sounds like the 43" might fit just right once you start nursing.

[flapjack]

Given that it's lace, I'd go with the larger needles and frog if you decide you need to.

[sonuptosondown]

Thank you SO much, ladies. I'll go with the larger needles and see how that goes. I wasn't thinking about the fact that the sweater was lace, not stockinette, and how that would make a difference