After the Classic Elite Provence arrived in my mailbox, I didn't waste any time winding it up and casting on for a gauge swatch. The label says I can get anywhere from 5.25 to six stitches per inch using US5s to 6s.

And that's exactly what I got. I tend to knit on the loose side, so I knew that if I wanted to get Thea's gauge of 5 stitches per inch, I needed to swatch with a US5.

Upon measuring my (pre-washed) swatch, I got 5.25 stitches per inch. And I was happy. Why? Because I can easily achieve the pattern's five stitches per inch when I block the pieces. Or I can just leave it as is and know that gravity and wear will eventually give me the gauge that I want. As a beginning knitter, one who was still learning about how fiber works, I completely discounted a fiber's ability to stretch. And then I wondered why things never fit right after the first few wearings.

Now, if I had six or seven stitches per inch, I wouldn't be so nonchalant about it--I would reswatch with a bigger needle. You can't compensate for that much difference with blocking. [Conversely, if I had 4.75 stitches per inch, I would reknit a swatch with a smaller needle. You can't block something smaller.] But a quarter of a stitch? That's easily addressed, either by you or by gravity.