• We update our hours in Google. Sometimes they don't approve the update as fast as we'd like, but we do make every effort to post any changes there.
• We make social media posts on Facebook and Instagram, and share those posts to our stories. If you happen to see a post, please like or share it--it really helps to get the word out when there is more interaction.
• If we have access to the shop phone, we update the outgoing message. 
• Please remember that we travel from Upper County, and sometimes conditions there are very different.

…to inspire

Row gauge: when does it matter? When we're considering gauge, we often focus on the number of stitches per inch (or four inches, if we're measuring a full swatch), and playing fast and loose with the row gauge. There are times when the row gauge needs some additional attention, though.

When you're instructed to knit to a certain height or length, the number of rows you need to get to that measurement generally isn't an issue--unless you're short on yarn. If you have a truly finite amount of yarn, take note--you might need to add a contrasting stripe to reach the desired measurement. Occasionally it's possible to change your row gauge by changing needle size or needle material without affecting the stitch gauge. 

The height of colorwork motifs could also be an issue--consider hat patterns where you're instructed to work a colorwork chart, and then begin crown shaping after that. If your row gauge is condensed, you may need to add plain rows before beginning the decreases, or if the colorwork continues into the decreases, you might add additional ribbing so that the overall height of the hat is as specified by the pattern. If your rows are taller than expected, you may need to remove rows from the colorwork chart or any single color knitting--or embrace a slouchier style of hat.

The most significant issue you might encounter if your row gauge varies from the pattern is yoke depth on sweaters (whether they employ raglan shaping, set-in sleeves, or circular yokes). To adjust, you can strategically alter the rate of increases or decreases. For example, if you are getting fewer rows per inch than expected, the yoke may threaten to become too deep, so for raglan shaping, you could accelerate your rate of decreases or increases (depending on whether you are knitting bottom up or top down. Changing the rate of shaping for the entire yoke is usually too much, so you'll usually see these adjustments as you approach the neck on bottom up sweaters, or hear the armpit on top down sweaters. With circular shaping, you can add or remove rounds as needed. And for set in sleeves, you can add or remove the plain rows between shaping rows. 

One of the reasons top-down sweater construction has become so prevalent is that you can try the yoke on as you go, making it easier to determine if adjustments are needed. This is one of many reasons I love Purl Strings: they make trying on a yoke so much less precarious!