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Another Way to Perfect Your Gauge

by 3 Comments

an easy way to get gaugeI know, I know, knitting gauge swatches and getting gauge is a drag, but it’s totally worth it for projects that you really want to fit.

There are lots of tips and tricks you can try to get the right gauge, but a simple thing you can try if you aren’t quite getting the gauge you need with the needles the pattern calls for is to try using a needle of a different material.

The Noble Knits blog has a post all about why this can be helpful, which you should definitely check out if you’re having trouble getting gauge.

Incidentally, changing your needle type — switching from wood to metal or vice-versa — can also be helpful if you’re trying to get the right row gauge.

Do you have any tricks for getting gauge that have helped you? I’d love to hear them.

[Photo: Noble Knits.]

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Comments

  1. I don’t have a tip, but like the tip about using a different needle if your swatch is really close, but not a whole size different. It makes sense the metal might have a smaller gauge.

  3. Don’t think of the swatch as a chore – think of it as a play-date with the yarn (potentially a new friend). Use different sizes and see what makes the best “feeling” fabric.

Have you read?

Use Your Sock Yarn Scraps to Knit a Colorful Scarf

Using your yarn stash is important to me throughout the year, but as I start to feel the end of the year coming on I get more excited about using things I already have in the house. Maybe that’s because I don’t want to go to a store in the thick of holiday shopping times, or I like the idea of having a little space in my stash when the new year rolls around.

It’s super satisfying to use up all the little odd balls you’ve made over the year (or years), and I have several stash busting blankets I work on when it’s cold and will maybe finish someday.

If you’d like to start a stash busting project that’s perfect for using up odd balls, check out the Soukish pattern from Neisha Abdulla. This pattern is made for fingering weight/sock yarn, and it’s worked in a tube with allover color work.

This is great for a couple of reasons. You don’t really have to weave in your ends when you can hide them in a tube (this is one time you might even get by just tying a knot when you change colors!) and you can change colors whenever you run out of yarn and it will look good.

Of course the pattern is made with blocks where the designer changed colors, but you can change yours more or less often as you need to make it work for your stash. You can use blank charts to design your own color combinations, or even your own stitch patterns if you like. You can also adjust the length of the scarf as needed or turn it into a cowl based on the amount of yarn you have.

This project looks like a lot of fun and would be a great thing to have on hand to stitch up and then to wear during the cold, gloomy months.

You can get a copy of the pattern on Ravelry.

[Photo: Neisha Abdulla]

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