This is just weird.

I knit half of a sock on my trip to RWA National, working on it in airports and on airplanes. I used my short Brittany birch needles, because airport security people don’t take those away. When I got home, I switched back to my longer metal DPN’s which are exactly the same size (2.5mm) and finished the sock. So far, so good.

When I cast on the other sock at home, I thought I’d just use the metal ones. They are my faves. I zipped through the ribbing, only to discover that it was half an inch shorter, even though it had the same number of rows. Evidently, I knit more loosely on wood needles. Who knew?

So, I frogged it back, cast on again on the wooden needles, and reknit the cuff. I figured I’d knit to the heel flap with the wooden needles, then switch to the metal, just as I had done for the first sock. That way, they’d match, right?

No. Evidently I also knit more loosely in airports. How bizarre is that?! See? The right – in process – sock is narrower, especially in the ribbing.

It makes no sense because I’m always somewhat disheveled about traveling – which I’d think would make me knit more tightly – plus it’s colder in airports than in my house in the summer. Again, I’d think that would tighten the work. But no. I had to knit three extra rows for the leg to be the same length as that of the finished sock. It’s not a huge difference, but I’m amazed that there’s any difference at all.

I am, in fact, mystified.

The yarn, for those of you who care about such things, is Patons Kroy FX in the colourway Clover Colors. I quite like this yarn. It has one more ply than regular Kroy which makes it thick. It feels wooly and warm. I’m even resigned to the fact that you can’t match the stripes at all – because all four plies have a gradual colour change, I don’t think there even are repeats in the colourway. What doesn’t thrill me is that the two balls look as if they are from different dye lots, even though they’re not – the right one has a lot more orange in it. And I’m not thrilled by the yardage – there are 152m in a ball, and yes, I had to join another ball to make the toe on the first sock. I think a 50g ball of yarn should make one woman’s sock – if not, make it a 55g ball – but that’s just me. Next time, I’ll knit the legs an inch shorter than my usual 8″ and it should work out okay.

But still, I’ve only ever had gauge issues over long periods of time – as in, picking up a UFO after years and not having my gauge match because my knitting has changed over that time. Over a week or two is something entirely new to me. Have you ever had this kind of gauge issue with your knitting?