Knitting Math--How to Adjust a Pattern to a Different Knitting Gauge

Adjusting knitting gauge--use any method you best understand.

Can’t get gauge? If your gauge swatch gives you a pleasing fabric that will suit your pattern, you must adjust your pattern to a different knitting gauge. How do you figure out how many stitches you need? Whichever way feels most comfortable for you. Say what?

Perhaps you’re comfortable figuring the difference per inch.

What if your pattern expects a gauge of five stitches per inch but you get six? You might go through the pattern and change every five stitches to six.

Let’s say your pattern says you should cast on 210 stitches for your bottom-up sweater knit in the round. You could figure how many fives there are in 210. There are 42 sets of five stitches in 210. You need 42 more stitches, or 252 stitches.

Perhaps you better understand the percentage difference.

It’s just another way you can figure how many stitches you need. Those 252 stitches are 20% more stitches than the 210 stitches your pattern calls for. You’ll increase all the pattern’s numbers by 20% for the correct sweater size with your gauge.

Maybe another approach makes more sense to you.

Go with it. If you don’t trust your math and would rather draw a chart, do that. Choose whatever method you feel comfortable with.

I’ve made drawings and lined up match sticks when sussing out how a design repeat works with however many stitches I need for a top-down raglan. Got it figured out great that way.

What about row count?

Row count isn’t nearly as important as stitch per inch gauge. Knit however many rows you need for the length called for. If your gauge swatch gives you 9 rows per inch and you want a sleeve that’s 18 inches long from wrist to armhole, you might knit 162 rows.

If you want to count rows, count them. If you just want to knit until you reach 18 inches, do that. As long as both sleeves match–assuming your arms are the same length–they’ll turn out fine.

What if my gauge includes a half stitch? Do I ignore it?

No way! Your finished sweater won’t fit right. If you get 6 1/2 stitches per inch instead of 5, just grab a handy calculator for ease in figuring.

Let’s have a look.

Those 210 stitches at 5 stitches per inch still has 42 sets of 5 stitches. This time you want 6.5 stitches for every 5 stitches. When you multiply 42 by 6.5 you get 273 stitches. If you need an even number for your 2 by 2 ribbing or pattern stitch repeat, choose either 272 or 274.

Want the percentage? Those 273 stitches divided by the original 210 stitches yields the number 1.3. The 3 means the 273 stitches are 30% more stitches than the 210 stitches, so make your numbers 30 percent bigger throughout your pattern.

What a difference your gauge makes!

Your new numbers might LOOK like they’ll make a sweater 20 or 30 percent bigger than what you want, but it won’t. You adjusted your pattern to suit your new knitting gauge. Those new number of stitches will give you the same size sweater your pattern originally said. Not too small, not too large–just right.

Best,

Karen

P.S.

I MIGHT not have enough camel-colored yarn for my Elizabeth Zimmermann birthday celebration Aran sweater. I MIGHT have to make the body using the wild oak colored yarn on that cone. Please cross your fingers for me that I get gauge with the same size needle. Eee!