Swatches DO Lie!

So now I'm re-knitting the body of the Trillium sweater. My numerous swatches, washed and dried (first time ever I've done that), told me to use size 6 needles for the ribbing and size 7 needles for the body of the sweater. That is what I had intended to do, but when I frogged the body and double-checked the needle size, I discovered that I had forgotten to switch to size 7s when I started the stockinette section. I must have been working on it at knit night and gotten distracted. No wonder the density of the fabric was off.

However, I am now knitting the body with size 8s, which several other knitters are using for this yarn, and I AM GETTING GAUGE.  (Yes, I know. What does their gauge have to do with mine?)

But WTH? 

Of course I haven't washed and dried my current knitting, and I'm not going to. I'm relying on luck and blocking to make this sweater the right size.  

Because apparently, my previous swatches, multiple swatches with this yarn, made on three different sizes of needles, washed and dried, lied. No more swatches for me, no sir.   

Luck and blocking. That's the ticket.