How to adjust for my guage and yarn

[LilCurlyBear]

I'm currently working on my first attempt at a jumper for myself. I didn't purchase the recommended yarn as it would have cost around £40-45, so instead I purchased another yarn that seemed to have the same specs. However! My guage swatch doesn't match up.

With a 4mm hook I should get a 10cm square swatch from 8 rows & 16.5 stitches. I've increased my hook size to 5mm, and can get the 10cm width from 16.5 stitches, but I'm 1.5cm short on my 8 rows. In order to get to 10cm with my rows I need 10.5 rows. I tried a 6mm hook and my width was way out, so decided to stick to 5mm and make some adjustments to my rows.

Now, the main sections are measured, so not a problem, I just go till I get 30cm. And the sleeves I can just measure as I go, however the jumper has raglan sleeves, and starts with the back. so for the decreases, it goes by stitch count rather than a measurement, and I can't measure it against myself as it's the back.

So, my final stitch count for the back before I start to decrease for the raglan sleeves is 62, I'm then decreasing 1 stitch at each end (so 2 per row), until I get to 24 stitches. I've worked out that this will be 20 rows. 

For every 8 rows I'm 1.5cm short, which is 1 row plus a smidge... so would I add an extra row per 8 rows? and not do a decrease for the added row so that I still finish with 24 stitches? I can measure against my side as I go (avoiding my bust!), but I'm thinking if I had 2-3 rows into the 20 rows, then I should come out about right...

I hope this all makes sense, I've attached an image of the jumper, and am working it from the waistband up.

Many thanks in advance for any help you can offer 

ETA: I've worked out from the guage that 20 rows would measure 25cm, and from the 30cm I've worked so far, 25cm = 27 rows!! So if my calculations are correct, I'm thinking I need to add 7 rows ?

ETA again: well, having worked it all out with the 7 extra rows, making 2 thirds, and getting my OH to measure my back.... I'm back to only needing to add 3 extra rows. So I'm just in the process of frogging what I'd done. Just telling myself that once the back is worked out the front should be easy...

Edited June 28, 2020 by LilCurlyBear

[Granny Square]

Suggestion for next time, since it sounds like you have this sorted out between your question and your edit - try swatching with an extended version of the stitch instead; it looks like your pattern is UK treble, right?  So if you aren't familiar with it, an extended 'any stitch' is : insert hook in stitch, yo, pull thru ONE loop (not 2), then finish the stitch as usual - it makes the stitch just a little taller.  

Edited June 30, 2020 by Granny Square

[USpolishgirl]

Very nice work! 

I like your sweater

Krys

[LilCurlyBear]

Thanks both! And thank you for the extended stitch tip, I've not come across that before, and it will definitely be useful!  I have made the back and think it looks ok proportion wise, I started the front but have ended up with a trapped nerve/arm & shoulder pain  So going to have to chill it on the crochet a little bit.