Kniting Gauge Tutrial by Brenda Bel

htp://www.ravelry.com/designers/brenda-bel htp://www.brendaabel.com Te Kniting Gauge Tutrial

The Basics Recommended Tools & Supplies ☑ Knit a swatch that's at least 5 inches wide and 7 inches long. The larger your Metal ruler swatch, the more accurate your gauge Calculator (or pencil & paper) calculation will be. Main yarn Contrasting waste yarn ☑ Block and finish the swatch exactly as Blocking pins or wires (optional) you will block and finish the knitted article. If you are going to wash and dry the garment, you must also wash and dry the swatch before taking your gauge I believe gauge is the most important measurement. knitting concept because it is the sole principal that determines whether a knitted ☑ Measure the swatch to determine gauge item will be the right size when it is after blocking and finishing. finished. For an afghan, you have a bit of leeway in that a slightly smaller or slightly larger afghan is still acceptable. For a sweater however, a mere 1/8" inch difference between the pattern gauge and your knitting gauge is enough to cause an improper fit.

If you've always believed that knitting a swatch is a waste of yarn, think again... you'll waste a lot more yarn knitting an entire sweater that ends up being 3" too small.

All Original Content © 2004 Brenda A. Bell

You may republish this content in any free publication or collection provided that is it accompanied by this copyright notice.

This document was originally published at http:// knitfits.theotherbell.com/gauge-how-to.htm on July 22, 2004.

http://www.ravelry.com/designers/brenda-bell July 2017 Page 1 http://brendaabell.com Te Kniting Gauge Tutrial

Hints & Tips ☑ If you're using a yarn or pattern that may stretch in length due to gravity, you may ☑ If you're working with a particular yarn want to knit a longer swatch and let it hang for the first time and can't approximate the from a clothes hanger for 24-48 hours number of stitches and rows required for before measuring. Try attaching a 50gm your 5 x 7 swatch, try 30 stitches by 90 ball of the same yarn to the bottom of the rows for fine yarns, 40 stitches by 60 rows swatch to simulate the weight of a hung for medium yarns and 50 stitches by 40 garment. rows for bulky yarns. ☑ Always take measurements to the ☑ Measure the swatch to determine gauge nearest 1/16". after blocking and finishing. Notes ☑ Different types of stitches -- stockinette, ______rib, lace, cables and others -- will have ______different gauges. If the pattern specifies ______the gauge for stockinette, your swatch ______should also be stockinette. Otherwise, your ______swatchshould incorporate the stitches used ______in the pattern. ______☑ Do not include the selvages or cast-on/ ______bind-off edges when you measure your ______swatch because they may distort your ______measurements. ______☑ Always use a knitting ruler or high- ______quality metal ruler to measure your swatch. ______Inexpensive wooden and plastic rulers are ______often inaccurate and tape measures have ______been known to stretch and shrink with the ______seasons. I use a metal drafting ruler that ______provides accurate measurements to the ______nearest 1/16” or 1mm. ______

http://www.ravelry.com/designers/brenda-bell July 2017 Page 2 http://brendaabell.com Te Kniting Gauge Tutrial

The Never-Fail Method Calculating Gauge

These instructions will work on any gauge The number of stitches ÷ the width of the machine. Use the first number for the swatch = stitches per inch. bulky, the second for the midgauge and the third for the standard. Example: The distance between the marker stitches on my swatch is 5" and Cast on 30-40-50 stitches with the main there are 20 stitches between the markers. yarn and knit 5-10-15 rows. 20 ÷ 5 = 4 Knit one or two rows of a constrasting yarn Gauge: 4 st = 1” that is the same size and fiber content as the main yarn. The number of rows ÷ the length of the swatch = rows per inch. Knit 15-20-30 rows in the main yarn. Example: The distance between the Mark the fifth stitch from each edge with a contrasting rows on my swatch is 5" and small length of contrasting yarn. there are 30 rows between the markers.

Knit 15-20-30 rows in the main yarn. 30 ÷ 5 = 6 Gauge: 6 r = 1" Knit one or two rows of constrasting yarn. When calculating stitch or row gauge, you Knit 5-10-15 rows in the main yarn. may want to round to the nearest 1/4.

After blocking and finishing, measure Example: 20 stitches ÷ 6” = 3.33 stitches between the contrasting rows to obtain per inch. You can use 3.25 or 3.50 rows per inch and between the markers to depending on whether you want a bit of obtain stitches per inch. This avoids use of negative or positive ease. the edge stitches and usually results in a more accurate measurement.

Notes ______

http://www.ravelry.com/designers/brenda-bell July 2017 Page 3 http://brendaabell.com Te Kniting Gauge Tutrial

I Can’t Get Gauge! Now What? the number of stitches to cast on, I can calculate the width: You already know from the explanation above that gauge is merely a means of # stitches ÷ stitches per inch = width making sure a knitted article ends up being a particular size. So when you're having In my case, my pattern only says I need to trouble getting gauge or contemplating cast on 88 stitches for the front of the using a substitute yarn, it helps to think of sweater... so I need to figure out how wide things in terms of inches instead of stitches the piece is supposed to be: and rows. 20 ÷ 4 = 5 st per inch Let's assume that my favorite v-neck crop- 88 st ÷ 5 st per inch = 17.6" top calls for a medium weight yarn that yields 20 stitches and 24 rows over 4" (or Now that I know the width, I can figure out 10 cm). I can't obtain the recommended how many stitches I need to cast on to yarn, but I have another yummy yarn in my make the front of my sweater the same size stash that I think would be just fabulous. as the pattern using my gauge: After knitting, blocking and finishing my swatch, I learn that I get 18 stitches and 21 18 ÷ 4 = 4.5 st per inch rows over 4". I might be able to match the 4.5 st per inch x 17.6” = 79.2 stitches gauge more closely by changing my needle size, but I've decided I really like Since the number of stitches must be a the way the swatch feels as it is and I don't whole number, I need to cast on either 79 want to give up a softer fabric by switching or 80 stitches. If my sweater has a special to smaller needles. So I grab the calculator stitch pattern that must be centered across and start writing my own version of the the front of the sweater, I need to round up pattern to work with my yarn and my to 80 stitches because the original pattern gauge. calls for casting on an even number of stitches. Since we should probably have Determining The Number of Stitches to the V centered on the two center stitches, Cast On I'm going to cast on 80 stitches.

First, I need to know how wide the item is The very next thing I'm going to do is take supposed to be on the needles. another look at my pattern. Did you know you can sometimes use the wrong size • If the pattern contains a schematic pattern to make the right size garment? that gives me the width, I'm all set. • If the pattern gives me gauge and

http://www.ravelry.com/designers/brenda-bell July 2017 Page 4 http://brendaabell.com Te Kniting Gauge Tutrial

If my pattern provides instructions for Again, I'll round to the nearest whole different sizes and has instructions that call number and knit 79 rows. for casting on 80 stitches, those instructions will knit the width I want using At this point, we've taken care of all the my gauge. I'll simply follow those simple calculations. But, how are we instructions for everything having to do supposed to handle arm and neckline with the number of stitches: cast on, bind shaping or those gradual decreases off, number of stitches to decrease or required for a tapered sleeve? We'll increase, etc. continue to apply what we've learned above to shape the garment. To illustrate Since this is a basic pullover with a this, I'm going to use a schematic because standard amount of ease, I could use any that will make explaining things a little size on the pattern that's close -- casting easier. on 78 or 82 stitches, for example. After we get through an exercise with the Next, I need to know how long the item is schematic, we'll talk about what you do supposed to be. when you don't have one.

• Again, if the pattern contains a Notes schematic that gives me the length, I'm all ______set. ______• Otherwise, I need to calculate the ______length in exactly the same way I calculated ______with width: ______# rows ÷ rows per inch = length ______In my case, the pattern doesn't give me ______row gauge nor does it have schematics, ______but it does tell me to "knit until the piece ______measures 14 1/4 inches" and that's all I ______need to figure out how many rows I need ______to knit: ______length ÷ rows per inch = # rows ______21 r ÷ 4” = 5.25 r per inch ______5.25 r per inch x 15” = 78.75 r ______

http://www.ravelry.com/designers/brenda-bell July 2017 Page 5 http://brendaabell.com Te Kniting Gauge Tutrial

Here's the schematic for the front of my I now know we need to increase from 80 to sweater. To keep things as simple as 86 stitches over 16 rows. Since I need to possible, we're just going to concentrate increase on both sides, we'll increase 3 on the body of the sweater and not worry stitches on each side. about the ribbing that goes around the waist, armholes and neckline: There's nothing of interest for the next 5" (the distance between the top of the waist and the bottom of the v-neck) so we'll simply knit straight for 26 rows (5.25 x 5 = 26.25 rounded to nearest whole number).

Notes ______I'm going to knit this sweater from the ______bottom up, starting at the waist line and ______working our way to the shoulders. ______Shaping The Waist ______The pattern tells me that my width needs ______to increase from 17 1/2" at the bottom ______edge to 19 1/4" over 3” of length. ______I know that length ÷ rows per inch = # ______rows, so 3" of length is 16 rows (15.75 ______rounded up). ______I also know that width ÷ stitches per inch = ______# stitches, so 19 1/4" of width is 86 stitches ______(86.625 rounded down). ______If I had cast on an odd number of stitches, I ______would have rounded up to 87. ______

http://www.ravelry.com/designers/brenda-bell July 2017 Page 6 http://brendaabell.com Te Kniting Gauge Tutrial

Shaping The V-Neck Notes ______If you're already thinking you know how to ______do this, you're probably right -- I’m going ______to use the exact same method to shape ______one side of the neck, putting the other side ______on hold until we're ready for it. We're not ______going to go into all the details, but I'll give ______you a few measurements to start you off: ______The distance between the bottom of the v- ______neck and just below the shoulder is 5 1/4”. ______The pullover is 14 1/4" long (11 1/4" + 3”). ______The v-neck shaping starts 8" from the ______bottom of the waist and stops 1" below ______the shoulder. ______The distance between the side of the ______pullover and the center of the pullover is 9 ______5/8": 19 1/4" ÷ 2. ______You now know you need to decrease from ______9 5/8" to 6 1/4" on one side over 5 1/4". ______Try doing the calculations yourself using ______the waistline shaping instructions as a ______guide… A+ if you came up with "decrease ______16 stitches evenly over 28 rows”! ______

http://www.ravelry.com/designers/brenda-bell July 2017 Page 7 http://brendaabell.com