I found a gauge converter website and I think I can make it work. In fact it looks like I'll just need to follow the stitch directions for a size smaller and the length measurements by the larger size. Row gauge will still be off a little but most of those measurements are in inches rather than # of rows so I think it'll be okay.
I didn't want to switch yarns because it took me a couple weeks to figure out the yarn I wanted to use and then another couple to get to the store to get it.
at that rate, it'd be July before I ever got it started.