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Gauge Is NOT A Four Letter Word – New Article From Creative Knitting Magazine!

August 13, 2011 by Terrye

Creative Knitting is a wonderful magazine. Not only are the patterns varied, but the articles are good too.

This latest issue includes an article about how important gauge is.

“Like any creative endeavor, knitting is rife with the potential for individual choices. Colors, yarns and styles abound. We can follow a pattern exactly, alter bits and pieces according to our personal preference, or design our own garments. But there is one thing that none of us can challenge: Gauge determines size.”

Click HERE to read the rest of the article, and then sign up for their FREE newsletter!

Next Pattern:

  • Book Review- Knitting Word Search
  • Book Review - Creative Knitting Autumn
  • More Tips on Getting the Perfect Knitting Gauge
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Comments

  1. Nicole says

    August 13, 2011 at 9:34 pm

    Okay, I read the article and totally agree. Gauge is very important … BUT … I still struggle with it. For example, I counted the stitches in all 3 of there swatches and did not see how they came up wit the numbers they did. Two of the swatches had the required 5 stitches that they said did not have them … when I counted them they did.

    I just still don’t understand HOW to actually COUNT the stitches.

  2. Kristen says

    August 16, 2011 at 12:59 pm

    Hi Nicole,

    You’re right, gauge can be tricky. And, I agree with you that it’s difficult to count the stitches in the swatches they’ve shown in the article. I think part of the challenge is that it’s hard to accurately count the knit stitch (aka the Vs) and get a good count looking at a website photo. Plus, I don’t think that the pictures are very good in swatches #2 and #3. The gauge counter looks a little crooked in the photo, so I’m sure that in person the gauge would have been more obvious. That being said…

    If you’re having problems with your own gauge I have a couple of suggestions. First, I find it easier to count over 1″, rather than 2″ like they’ve outlined in the article. Second, if the gauge on the first swatch is “questionable”, then do 2 more swatches. Just like in the article, you would knit one swatch in the recommended needle size, one swatch with a larger needle and one swatch with a smaller needle. Once you have all 3 swatches to test and compare to each other it may be easier for you to determine which swatch has the correct gauge for you.

    Good luck and happy knitting!

Have you read?

Yarn Cozy Knitting Patterns

I’ve been toying with the idea of making a yarn cozy or yarn ball holder on the circular knitting machine, but I haven’t gotten to it yet. In the meantime, here are some yarn cozy knitting patterns you can make with knitting needles. Use yarn to hold you yarn!

In its simplest form, a yarn cozy is just a sleeve or a little basket that holds your yarn when you’re working with a center-pull ball so it doesn’t fall apart when you knit. The easiest ones I could find are from Love in Stitches KN, which has a regular size and a mini size. They’re worked with sock yarn and there are options for making them with ribbing, faux cables and with self-striping yarn.

For bigger cakes there’s a project called We call it the “bail holder” from Nicole LeBlanc. This pattern is available on Ravelry and you can use any yarn and make it any size you like. It features an I-cord edging that has a loop in it so you can thread they yarn through the loop to keep it extra contained as you knit.

Another large one that has a slightly fancier pattern is this one by Mareike Meye. You can use any yarn and any gauge, and slip stitch pattern worked in different colors on the sides makes it a little more fun and uses a bit more stash. A strap buttons across the top to hold the ball in place and you can add a buttonhole to the middle of the strap to thread the yarn through. Check this one out on Ravelry.

Adding lace to a yarn cozy makes it fit a wider variety of balls and expand or shrink a bit as needed. Jennifer Sugarman’s Ball Sack uses sock yarn and is made to hold sock yarn. It has the option of making I-cord or using ribbon or cord you already have to make a drawstring at the top. You can find this pattern on Ravelry.

Another lacy option is the yarn ball holder from Frugal Knitting Haus. This one uses worsted weight yarn and has an easy mesh lace pattern and an I-cord drawstring that’s sewn together at the ends so you could loop it over your wrist while you knit if you like. This pattern is also on Ravelry.

Speaking of wrist yarn holders, I also found this one form Knituition. This one uses sport weight yarn and has a spiral rib pattern on the body. The strap is attached to the bag with D-rings, or you could make it a little longer and just sew it into the bag.

 

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