23-03-2020

Pre-blocked gauge on US 5: 20st and 29R in 4”
Post-blocked gauge on US 5: 18 and 28 in 4”

This fabric is too open, will show pillow underneath, so try another swatch one size down…

Swatch on US 4:

Pre-blocked gauge on US 4: Pre-blocked gauge: 22st and 30R per 4”
Post-blocked gauge on US 4: 20 st and 36R (now I’m saying 31R, see below) per 4”

11-04-2020

I think, given the (small) size of my swatch, I think I may actually be incorrect about the row gauge of the US4, post-blocking. Now that I’ve remeasured the swatch, I think it’s not 36R per 4” but 30-31R per 4”…

06-05-2020

At the end of second chart repeat on Front (second repeat up to R26, RS), you’re at 17”. Pattern says to continue knitting rows 1-4 of the chart till you get to 18.5” and to end on R3 of the 4 row repeat. At my gauge, that’s 11.4R. Let’s call this 11R. We also need to finish at the end of a WS row and at the end of R3 of the 4 row repeat.

As luck would have it, 11 rows - WRWRWRWRWRW - takes us to the next section (Upper Back) starting on a RS row and also ending on R3 of the 4 row repeat…

21-12-2020

So it’s been months since I’ve looked at this…

Lord - I hate home dec crafting and this yarn is brutal to work with. To clarify - my post-blocked measurements for this pillow are as follows:

10.25” - Lower Back (aka the back part with buttons to be attached)

16.75” - Front (aka the part with the cables)

7.25” - Upper Back (aka the part with the buttonholes) NOTE: at 6.25” begin the Decrease Row section

Remainder - 22g, 49g, 48g, 50g = 169g I used 178g to make the first one (which could be shortened by a couple of rows. Also, DON’T do half a 3rd cable to save a couple of grams of yarn. Hopefully that will make up for the 9g I’m technically short on the second pillow sham.

26-12-2020

I think it’s important to measure this against the pillow as you go - particularly if your pillow is not a standard 10”. To fit snugly I had to make the height 16.5-16.75” tall. Given that I didn’t come up with that till after knitting the lower back section to the instructed length (which then grew more than anticipated although I did a swatch) I was knitting this over too long a time frame to maintain any reasonable consistency with gauge - not that it’s noticeable in the stitches. It did, however, impact sizing.

In the end, I really like the finished object - and the fabric that the yarn has created. It’s adequately dense so that the pillow doesn’t show through. I still won’t knit with that yarn ever again. I just hope I’ll maintain the impulse to complete the second quickly.