I see your knitting gauge is all wrong. It's for the birds? No!
Photo courtesy of Agência de Notícias do Acre
There are two ways your knitting gauge can be all wrong–the number of stitches per inch and/or the number of rows per inch. Wrong gauge spells disaster for your sweater, no matter how well you knit each stitch. What do you do to fix your gauge so your project isn’t ruined from the get go?
How to adjust stitches per inch.
If your pattern wants a gauge of 5 stitches per inch but your swatch gives you 6 per inch, what size needle should you try next? You need bigger stitches, so go up a needle size or two. Knit a swatch with the new size needle and see what happens.
Close, but no cigar? Try another size–or maybe try a needle made out of another material. A switch between metal, wood or plastic sometimes makes a difference.
How to adjust rows per inch.
This measurement is far less crucial most times. If your pattern wants 8 rows per inch and you get 10, but your stitches per inch are just right, you’ll knit more rows than the pattern expects. So if your pattern says to knit 30 rows after the last increase for a sleeve, you will knit 36.
Why? If your pattern expects 8 rows per inch, it thinks 30 rows will measure 3.75 inches. You can knit that far no matter how many rows it takes.
The fatal exception for row gauge.
Let’s say you have cables. Let’s say there’s a big diamond repeat running up the front of your sweater with four diamonds from hem to neckline.
If you have more rows than the pattern expects, you may knit four and a half diamonds instead. Is that all right with you? Would you like the half-diamond at the hem? Would you prefer a shorter sweater? Or longer so you get five diamonds?
Nothing I tried gave me gauge!
That sometimes happens. Don’t try knitting the whole sweater tighter or looser than normal. It won’t work. You can’t maintain a consistent tension throughout the project. Besides, that’s no fun.
It’s decision time. Which do you love better, your pattern or your yarn? If you can’t get gauge no matter what, your project will not work. Either swap for another pattern that works with your yarn and gets gauge, or swap for another yarn that gets gauge with this pattern.
Third choice if you can’t get gauge.
What do you do if your gauge is within spitting distance of what your pattern wants, and you like how the fabric knitted up in your gauge? If your fabric will suit the pattern, rework the pattern.
Yes, this can take a lot of work. You must go through your pattern line by line inputting the number of stitches and rows your own gauge demands. Now your gauge is no longer all wrong. You’ll knit the correct number of stitches and rows so your sweater or whatever you’re knitting will fit just right.
Best,
Karen
P.S.
Does this information help cut the sass your wrong gauge tries to give you? You’re the master of your knitting—as long as you get gauge. Here’s a more complete explanation of changing your pattern to work with your gauge.
