Swatching for Featherweight

Sometime earlier this spring I decided I wanted to knit a Featherweight, which is a cardigan knit from laceweight.  I chose Alpaca Cloud, a very fine laceweight made of baby alpaca.  I have Dill and Stream, and I'm planning to knit the cardigan out of Stream (a dark denim color).

Last Saturday, I started a swatch, before I bought the pattern, just to see if I liked knitting laceweight on size 6 nickelplated needles. I put the needles and yarn in my purse, and started at a baby shower, after I took it to the zoo but didn’t take it out of my purse. The next day, partly to show off, I worked several rows in church.

Today I measured what I had so far.  The stockinette section came out an even 5 inches, so stitch gauge is right on the money, but row gauge is a bit long, 12 the only problem I can see is to make sure arms don't grow too long, I guess. The fabric is airy, but with a sort of net-like effect. I feel like this is maybe a lighter laceweight? I like this yarn. I can see myself burning through miles of it.

The swatch has a garter border and a stockinette section inside. I cast on 40, for a more accurate check, and always knit the first and last 5 stitches.  The pattern page called for a gauge of 24 st/in and 36 rows/in, and my central 30 stitches measure an even 5 inches, which is exactly right.  I haven't gotten more than 2 inches into the swatch, and my row gauge isn't right (yet!) but it's on the side of too long rather than too short.  I wonder if alpaca blocks well.