Gauge, and the sweater that is utterly failing

Just wait until you see the sweater....yikes. But first...

GAUGE.

Let's talk about gauge.  

I did not know what it was until a few days ago, when I excitedly started to crochet a sweater for my son. I had my yarn and my hook all ready to go, when the pattern says "Make a gauge". What? Gauge? Is that a part of a sweater? After a few moments of trying to figure out why I needed some random square for my sweater project, I found myself on YouTube trying to figure this thing out, which I think I did after multiple videos of "how to make a gauge" (uh, it's a square - those videos weren't helpful.) 

So here is a picture of the gauge for this sweater. 

It took about 30% of this project for me to figure out  why the gauge was important, and by some happy chance, I actually used mine correctly. However, I still measured the sweater (or at least what I have of it at this point) against my child and it still looks too big, but at least it's not too small! 

A gauge helps to measure how many stitches are actually in a set length. For example, the pattern might be made so that 4 stitches is an inch, but due to the individual nature of, well, individuals, this might vary for you. If you crochet more loosely or tightly, this number might be different. If your hands are tired, this could also affect your stitches. Using a different type of yarn than what the pattern calls for, (rebellious!) would also affect the project. This is helpful with clothing projects so that you don't end up making the wrong size. Or the arms are a different length, or something like that. I think you get it. 

If your gauge has more than the set amount of stitches that the pattern says, (like it says 4 inches is 12 stitches, but you have 15) than your item will turn out too small, so you need to use a bigger hook. This was my problem. If its the opposite, where you have 9 stitches where there should be 12, then your item will be too big, so use a smaller hook.

At least, I think so? 

Please let me know if that it totally wrong. And once I finish the sweater, I can probably tell. 

Speaking of the sweater, here is the progress so far! This is the biggest thing I've done so far in my crochet journey, and it's totally failing. HOWEVER! By the time I got to the second half of the back of the sweater, I did figure out what I should have done differently. So, now I'm leaning towards unraveling and redoing (while reminding myself that the goal is learning and I did.), because I know what I should have done differently. If you crochet, when it says "2ch counts as one hhdc", pay attention to that. Ugh. Here are the HORRID pictures of the sweater. It makes me laugh because it's so bad. 

Why is it curved?!? So that side was the side I started on. The other side is much more accurate.

Its just so bad! But again, the point of this project is to learn, and that I certainly have. You can tell because the right side is even! The sweater project might take me a little longer to complete, since I'm going to have to restart. But I'll keep updating you. 

It's all a journey on the yarn of life. Too much? 

Have a great day! 

 Kendra