Let's talk about gauge....

or more precisely, why is it so hard for me to get it right?

When I knit my Juliet, my gauge on 10.5 needles was too many stitches to the inch, on 11's it was too few.  I went with the 11's because it was closer overall.  I kind of wish I would have used the 10.5's, mostly because the yarn I used is really elastic and I think I could have gotten away with it a bit smaller.  I still love it, but if I were to do it again, I'd do it differently.

I started a new project this weekend.  According to the yarn label, I should get 4.5 stitches to the inch on 8's.  I know I knit big so, 9 times out of 10, I need to go down at least one, if not two needle sizes.  So I knit my gauge swatch on 7's and get 5 stitches to the inch.  I try it again on 8's....still 5 stitches to the inch.  On 9's....5 stitches to the inch.  What the heck?  Can someone please explain this to me?  How is this at all possible?

I went with the 8's.  I think I probably knit bigger in the round.  That sounds possible, doesn't it?  I hope so.  I really do.  Fingers crossed that it was the right choice.