Hedera

Allright, let's get straight to the meat.

After toiling over Cookie A's German Stockings (mine are at left)for 8 months, after cursing the designer's name numerous times, after finding that they don't even fit the recipient correctly...I started a new sock by her the next week. Behold Hedera.
I've made three gauge swatches. Not that I actually knit all 48 rows of them all, but enough to get an idea...hopefully. The pattern calls for US 1's, so I tried that. I'll try to follow directions once, sure. But this yarn I'm using, I just don't know. It's says it's a sport weight, but it's really fine, and 2 ply - I got 19 WPI. The yarn called for in the pattern is like, 14 WPI. So, I made a second gauge swatch with US2's, shrugged at it being short, but went ahead & cast on anyways.
After about 3 rows it was clear that this thing would never fit over my ankle. I ripped it out, and cast on again last night with 3's.
But now that I'm onto the lace part...what if they're too big? I curse the gods that make me second guess myself. I will plow forward, at least until it's obvious that it's not gonna work. Which may be when I get to the toe, sure, but hey, it's all a learning experience, right?