Knitting How To

7 responses so far ↓

• 1 ta24dah // Mar 2, 2010 at 4:15 pm

  very
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• 2 who me? // Mar 2, 2010 at 4:44 pm

  pretty important

  if you don’t and you happen to knit at a different tension to whoever wrote the pattern, don’t blame us if whatever you make comes out a funny size.

  most patterns tell you this
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• 3 Amaunette // Mar 2, 2010 at 5:00 pm

  Gauge is generally the number of stitches per inch of width. Checking your gauge is important because everyone uses a different tension in their knitting, and all yarns are different. The pattern will also change the gauge. It’s important to note that the pattern itself won’t change, but the gauge affects the measurements. So, say you’re knitting a sweater, and you don’t check your gauge, you will very likely have the wrong number of stitches to make the size sweater you want. I’ve found it also affects simple things, like scarves. It’s important to make a swatch large enough, both in height and width, to test your gauge without the edges having an effect (most patterns tend to curl in at the edges).
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• 4 Shelly J // Mar 2, 2010 at 5:50 pm

  It depends on the project. If you are making something that needs to be a certain size (a sweater, a queen size blanket, etc) then it’s extremely important. If you knit tighter than the pattern expects, your project will be way too small. But if you do the swatch you will know that your gauge is tight and you can move up a needle size or you can watch your tension and check throughout the project.

  I don’t always do the whole swatch suggested. I often make it shorter in length but several rows tall. I tend to tight as I work up, so I know that’s the part I need to check.

  If you are making a dish cloth, a baby blanket, or something where the exact measurements are not important, you don’t have to do the swatch. But do check your work after the first couple rows and make sure it’s coming out the way you expected
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• 5 Linda B // Mar 2, 2010 at 6:15 pm

  very important I think

  whats a swatch?
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• 6 hot_hermione // Mar 2, 2010 at 6:21 pm

  tension is insanely important if you want your project to come out a certain size. this is the number one important step if your makind sweaters, scarves, hats, mittens, anything youll be wearing.
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• 7 mickiinpodunk // Mar 2, 2010 at 7:10 pm

  IMO, it depends on how well you know your own knitting and the yarn and needles you are using. If your knitting is consistent over a long period and you know you either knit tightly or loosely, then you can sometimes get away without a gauge swatch, especially if you are using a yarn you have used often in other projects and have swatched it before. However, with a new yarn, or needles from a manufacturer you haven’t used before, or if you don’t have a lot of knitting experience, you should definitely swatch. You should also swatch if you are doing a new to you type of knitting, such as lace or Aran, intarsia or Fair Isle. But since garments need to fit, swatching is adviseable, but to make it more palatable to you, try knitting up the beginning of a sleeve. Once you get above the cuff and start knitting the sleeve itself, measure your gauge there. It won’t be overly noticeable (and most differences will block out when you finish) if you change needle sizes there to get gauge, plus you get one of those sleeves done early on <G>.
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  I have been knitting for 53 years.

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