TO SAVE TIME, TAKE TIME TO CHECK GAUGE

Why do I not listen. Bought lessons are what my mom calls them (lesson you could have had for free)I never really understood gauge because I crocheted most of the time and mostly hats. I did make about two things that came out too big or too small. I thought a knitting machine would change that that I would not have to worry about gauge. WRONG! I never want to make something simple I always want to do the hand knit pattern. I read the pattern it seems easy enough for the machine just take out this or that. Yeah right. So far I have recently had two major blunders. All because I did not do a swatch! My romper that I thought I missed up because I created a homemade pattern, and now the Panobo it is a free pattern from Berroco. I thought since I had some red heart the gauge was going to be about the same as the rest of the yarn I swatched earlier. NEGATIVE. The thing came out big enough to fit Lela and it was supposed to fit me. I made the small one. That may not have fit me. I am going to go with that. But it really did not come out right the opening was small. The point of this post is I am tired of failed attemps. Future reference find the pattern translate into MK find the yarn swatch plug in gauge. I have found that making a calculator where all the math is done I just have to but in the gauge information makes it easier for me when I switch yarn. Because no matter what I use a different yarn each time.