Need help with Gauge

[jnemo]

I have been knitting dog sweaters with 100% acrylic yarn. I am now going to make one with wool ease yarn and wanted to check my gauge. When I knit 17 st 20 rows equals 4 inch on #7 circular needles. When I do this with the wool ease I only get about 3 inches, so I went up to #8 needles but still only get about 3 1/2 inches. Do I try to use #9's? I don't have them so will need to buy them.


Thanks for any help

[RochesterKnitter]

What is the gauge/weight on the package of the acrylic yarn you were using?

What is the gauge/weight on the package of the wool ease yarn? Sounds thinner.

What is the gauge given in the pattern you are reading?

Based on what you have written, in order to get gauge you would have to keep going up a needle size, but eventually the knitting will be very loose/lacy. I'm not sure you will want this in a dog sweater, as it won't be very warm.

[suzeeq]

You need to get the gauge on the pattern, not match the gauge for the yarn. You also need to cast on at least 20 sts and count the number of sts over 4"; that's the purpose of a gauge swatch, not to make a 4" square.

[jnemo]

The acrylic is 4 x4 16 sts and 22 rows with #9 needles . I guess the weight is Medium. The wool ease is 18sts and 24 rows on #8 needles. The only thing I see for weight is Worsted weight. The pattern I am using is on Ravery (I do not have enough posts to post a link to the pattern. It is a Greyhound side button sweater. The gauge for it is the 17sts and 20 rows for a 4 x 4. The recommended yarn is Bernat Natural Blends 80% acrylic, 20% wool, which is the same as the Wool Ease.

[suzeeq]

Use whichever needles will get you the 17 sts, don't worry too much about the rows. You can use an 8 or 9.