What is gauge in knitting?
In knitting, gauge refers to the number of stitches and rows per inch or centimeter in a knitted fabric. It helps to give you a sense of the size of the finished product. Gauge is influenced by several factors, including the size of the knitting needles, the type of yarn, and your tension or style of knitting.
How to Get Correct Gauge
To determine gauge, knitters typically work a gauge swatch, which is a small sample of knitting that allows them to measure their stitches and rows. If you are following a specific pattern it should have a recommended gauge which you can aim to match by adjusting needle size or yarn weight or tension. Your gauge swatch should also be knitted in pattern so it is an accurate representation of the final product.
While it is important to get the correct gauge you also want to make sure that the texture and weight of the swatch is what you want for the fabric of your final product.
Knitted Gauge Swatch Example
Lauren has been working on the Esther Jacket by Petite Knit. Before she started the project she knit several gauge swatches to get a sense of what needle size to use and which type of yarn she wanted the sweater to be made out of.
The pattern says 16 sts x 28 rows = 10 x 10 cm [4 x 4 inches] in texture pattern on a 5 mm [US8] needle with three strands of 3ply yarn.
She started by knitting a swatch with Prosper’s Epic 10ply yarn on 4 mm needles. The gauge was a bit bigger than what the pattern called for, there were about 18 stitches in 10cm and the texture of the swatch was a bit thinner than what Lauren wanted.
She then tried knitting several other swatches with different yarn bases.
- Two strands of Epic - far too chunky
- Epic and Prosper’s Beaut 4ply yarn - still too thick of a fabric
- Beaut with Prosper DK - too flimsy and not the right texture
- Epic and Prosper Sock - close to the desired texture, but was 18 stitches per 10cm
Tara then had an idea to try knitting Epic with Prosper’s Pip 2ply yarn. This created the perfect texture Lauren was looking for in that it made the Epic a bit thicker and gave a nice shine to the fabric. It also met the correct gauge perfectly!
