Hi there! I hope it’s ok to ask this here. I’ve been wanting to crochet an almost floor length cardigan, so I would need a lot of yarn. The pattern said they used a Level 4/Worsted weight yarn and had a gauge of 8 stitches and 6 rows on 4"x4". Now, I can’t really find out what equals as worsted weight yarn here in Europe, and the ones I found all feel too thin to achieve that gauge. I’ve been to a local store where they recommended some cotton yarn and wool to me that should be equal to worsted weight. Now the thing is, they are quite expensive and I still can’t get close to that gauge, meaning I would need even more. However, what I found of WW yarn, they all seem to be acrylic and honestly not much cheaper.
So I’m currently a little stumped, am I looking for the wrong things or do I have to face the fact that this cardigan would cost me about 180€ of yarn?
Yes, front side of the stiches only will make a significant difference, and a looser fabric.
But it’s also true that as we become more seasoned at crochet our tension will change. If you’re too tight or too loose, definitely do another test swatch with a different hook-size.
Last, while the measurements are for a 4x4” swatch, you really have to have a bigger square to get a true measurement of the tension. The edges do affect things. That’s why, I always go for a 6x6” swatch and measure inside of that.