Doing the Gauge

"Just as you have to take baby steps before you walk, you can't get going with your garment until you make a practise piece. So try out a few stitches and measure your handiwork against the pattern. Take the measure of yourself against the expectation. (Otherwise, what you make just won't fit!) And then you make adjustments. Too tight? Try bigger needles. You might have to adjust again or make another gauge before you're done - your stitching may change as you become more experienced. The mystery is that two people using the needles of the same size and type can make stitches of varying size and tension. The magic is that, even though they have differences, they can both create something equally wondrous."

/ The Friday Night Knitting Club by Kate Jacobs

Previous quotes and reasons;

I and II