Meris - Swatching

I seem to have caught the swatching bug.  I used to hate swatching, but I seem to have become a process knitter and I credit (or blame, depending on your perspective) lace knitting, and maybe age.  I seem to be moving into a mind set of happiness and contentment and peace.  It is nice.  But back to swatching.  Sometime in the past year or so I picked up the yarn for a cardigan with lace inserts called Meris by Elizabeth Doherty.  The yarn is Finch by Quince & Co in the color Crocus.  The yarn tag states 9 stitches/inch on size US 1 and 7 stitches/inch on size US 3.  The pattern calls for a gauge of 26 stitches and 42 rows in 4 inches, presumably on the largest needles called out for in the pattern - US 3.  This works out to 6.5 stitches/inch.

I did the first swatch on size 3 needles.  I like the look of the fabric, the stitch density looks pretty good.  But the gauge is off.  Not enough stitches per inch.  And the hand feels to loose.  I think the cardigan needs a crisper hand.  So, tonight I did another swatch on size 2 needles.  The stitch gauge looks pretty good, but the row gauge is off.  The pattern calls for 10.5 rows/inch, and I'm getting about 9.3 rows/inch.  Frankly, the gauge of the pattern has me a bit flummoxed.  The ratio of stitches to rows just doesn't seem right to me.  I just don't see how you can get that gauge.  At this point all I am going to go for is stitch gauge.  I've never used this yarn before and I wasn't sure I was going to like  working with it, but I find it is growing on me.  It is definitely a fingering weight yarn.