Vintage Pattern Weird Guage?

[KnitKnot]

Hello friends!
Another sticky question for this novice....
I just bought a super vintage pattern for a bedjacket/shrug.
Yes, it's vintage alright, the model's beehive hairdo and fire engine red lipstick complulsory- an absolute must for bedwear for the invalid this season!
Sticky business is the guage. All the yarns recommended are Double Knit weight - usually around 22 stitches per 10cm (4 inches) and the pattern calls for courtrelle which I think would be needed to give this pattern a bit of stretch.
Trouble is the pattern wants a guage of 3 stitches per inch on 9mm needles! Yikes! This is a bulky guage 'innit? There's no instruction to double up the yarn so I'm assuming this must be right but it'll make the knitting very very loose and i'd think hard to control neatly.
Does anyone have any experience or advice for this kind of weirdness?
I've got the DK yarn and the pins, just need some advice on how to go about this......

[misstialouise]

Have you got a pic of it? Maybe they want it knit loose??

[suzeeq]

You can absolutely knit thin yarn with large needles. It does create a loose airy stitch. Courtelle yarn is a `medium' weight acrylic, which translates to a sport or DK. Try the pattern and see how it comes out; the yarn shouldn't be too hard to `control'... whatever that means. You would wash or block it when done so that will even out the sts.

[KnitKnot]

Hi again - firstly I must apologise for not getting back very quickly, I'm not getting the instant notifications that I should be when answers are posted. I do tick the box, but for whatever reason, I'm not getting them! so sorry if this is a late reply.
Yes, I have a pic and it doesn't look like the end result is that loose to me, but I've tried a swatch and the stitches are looking big. What I meant by control is the ability to make all the stitches uniform. I tried doing a pattern once that used thin yarn and big needles and I found that consistency in tension was more difficult. I pulled it out because there was so many areas that ended up looking like holes instead of stitches. Maybe this is beyond me for now. The yarn I have is Sirdar wash 'n wear - not sure if that's available over the pond, but it equates to dk. Pehaps I could try a different thickness of yarn and see what kind of results I get.
I do appreciate the suggestions and I'll have an "experiment" session and see what works. Good to know that it is within acceptable perameters to use thin yarn and fat pins though, even if I am no good at it!
Cheers for now! Jan

[suzeeq]

Even though the stitches may be uneven while knitting, washing the finished piece will event them out. Try it on a swatch.

[KnitKnot]

Even though the stitches may be uneven while knitting, washing the finished piece will event them out. Try it on a swatch.

Thanks Sue, I'll give it a go! Maybe washing can even make my work look good......