First Time Felting - WWYD?

[MeepyCat]

I have this pattern for a felted jacket that I want to make. I have the pattern - (Heroine, from Twist Collective. I am working in KnitPicks Wool of the Andes, held doubled as per pattern instructions.

I am swatching and I have not managed to achieve gauge. The pattern recommends 13s, which are lovely and comfy to work on, but I don't get anywhere near gauge on them. On 11s, I get close - 2.5 sts and 4 rows/inch instead of 3 sts and 4 rows. I could size down to 10.5s to try and get the 3 sts, but I begin to be worried about my hands. While knitting the swatch I have now, I noticed that the combination of thick/heavy yarn and this size needle can cause hand cramps if I'm not careful. I need to stay relaxed. On smaller needles, I worry that this will be harder, and my hands will hurt more.

Would you guys try to be precise on gauge, or can the difference be made up when felting?

[Kayaking Mama]

Wow, your first time felting and you're taking on a garment! Brave...

IME, felting is a very inexact science. Different yarns felt at different rates and even different colors felt differently. I have found that it's important to have a fairly open and drapy fabric pre-felting so that the fabric agitates enough against itself to felt (does that make sense?)--I once knit a pair of mittens that I intended to felt, and they didn't felt AT ALL because I had knit them at too tight of a gauge to begin with.

I haven't felted that much--a pair of slippers, a couple of bags, and the failed mittens--so I can't give too much advice, but good luck on your jacket!

[DeerMother]

If it ends up too small, I'll take it.

I'd go w/ the 11s. I have done a few toys and just finished a purse. Remember that it will be huuuugggge so if your hands are already starting to cramp w/ the smaller needles they will def. hurt the whole project. The purse took me about a month, the same time it takes me to knit a sweater. What is 3 sts anyway? Just knit it is an inch or so, but felted it will be less than that, so you probably won't notice it when it is finished.

[flapjack]

If you can't find a figure for gauge once felted, I would not knit it. As simple as that. I'd email the designer and ask her, but really, there is no definite correlation between unfelted gauge and size of finished garment: it's the FELTED size that is important. And once you have the magic number for how small you should be able to felt 12 stitches/14 rows to, you can see if you can felt your swatch on 13's to that, and once you have, if you like the fabric.