Gauge! and How To Fix Yours

Question: "What do you do if you are getting the correct stitches but the wrong rows per inch? Changing needle sizes may correct the number of stitches, but what if the row gauge is wrong?

Answer: If you are knitting in a different yarn than what is suggested in the pattern, it may produce a different stitch size. Depending on the yarn you choose, it could create a very different stitch length and width, even if the yarn is of similar weight and fiber content. (I’ve learned that you come closest when both the weight and the yardage of the skein match – so 50g and 100meters will knit very similarly to 50g and 109meters but not so much when it is 50g and 125 meters.)

Continental-style knitting is said to produce a shorter stitch than knitting the English method. If you knit Continental, try knitting to the indicated total length rather than row count if length is provided in the pattern. (Continental knitting is where you use your needle to pick the yarn from your left hand and English method is where you use your right hand to “throw” the yarn around your needle).

If your project is made seamlessly in the round, your gauge swatch should also be made in the round. Making a back-and-forth gauge swatch could be inaccurate because tension tends to be different when working flat, knit and purl rows, as opposed to knitting every round when knitting seamlessly.

And lastly, you may want to consider your "hung" gauge. A final garment measurement is different when it is lying flat or on a table rather than when it is hanging on a person. Try placing your swatch on a pant hanger and applying a lightweight object to the bottom to get a more accurate measurement. Especially true if your knitting with large needles or soft, floppy yarn.

Yarn Laundry Guide

Armhole Shaping, SSK, K2Tog

When working armhole shaping of a sweater, start the RS (right side) rows with a ssk (slip, slip, knit) and end with a k2tog (knit 2 together) to following the line of the armhole. You can remember this by knowing the "s" in ssk means to start the row (but work the slant in a stitch or two).

Yarn That Tends To Bias Or Twist

Chenille yarn tends to bias – slant or twist your work because of the way that it’s made. One way to overcome this is to knit a strand of sewing thread or another very thin, well spun yarn along with the chenille. If it is in a matching color, it won't show at all. If it contrasts, think of it as a design element. This also helps prevent another frequent problem with chenille--worming (when loose loops of yarn pull out of the fabric and twist back on themselves, making little tails).

You can use this same technique for reinforcing 100% wool sock yarn. Choose a good strong nylon thread in a complimentary or matching color and include it with your yarn in the wear areas of your sock. Even if the yarn wears through, the nylon thread will maintain the structure for a possible overstitch repair.