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Needle Material Can Affect Gauge, Too

March 11, 2014 by Sarah White

knit darling needle gauge chartI’m really interested in this bit of knitting geekery from Knit Darling, which is about knitting needle materials and how different needles — even those labeled as being the same size — can give you different gauge results.

She knit up swatches of the same number of stitches and rows on four different kinds of needles, using the same kind of yarn. After blocking, she measured them and extrapolated what size sweater you would get if you knit to that gauge for 200 stitches.

She discovered a difference of as much as two inches between two different kinds of needles (with carbon needles coming out the smallest and resin the biggest in her test).

The takeaway here is that different needles perform differently, even when they’re labeled the same size. So if you don’t already do so, make sure you knit your swatch and your project with the exact same needles, not just the same size. Also knit circular swatches for projects that will be worked in the round; she found a sweater knit with the same number of stitches would be 1.5 inches narrower worked in the round rather than flat. Which just goes to show that knitting is a lot more precise than we usually give it credit for.

[Photo via Knit Darling.]

Next Pattern:

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Comments

  1. Peta says

    March 12, 2014 at 5:31 pm

    This is a very necessary thing to know. I have been designing & making a blanket for a charity & decided to use different techniques as in modular block (no sewing), a Motif & mitered corners (more no sew). After knitting the motif it was buckled & even with blocking wouldn’t sit flat. I have now discovered that my purl stitch row was larger than my knit rows. Upon some research I discovered this is not uncommon. I now know that I have to use a smaller needle for a purl row, especially when combining garter & stocking stitch in the one piece. I might add that the needle that eventually gave me the right tension was 2 needle sizes less than the knit row needle. I have also found out that I knit a lot more loosely when using a circular needle. Yes knitting really is a technical past time.

Have you read?

A Sweet Skater Dress to Knit

I know knitting a dress sounds like a major time commitment. And that’s before I even tell you that this particular dress, the Sixth Ave Skater Dress by Briana Luppino, is worked in light fingering weight yarn. 

But would you just take a moment to look at it and tell me if it doesn’t look like it would be worth all the time you would spend knitting it? And it’s miles of stockinette stitch so it’s actually beginner friendly and a great semi-mindless knit you can take with you on your travels this summer and wear when it is done. 

The dress is worked from the top down with tank straps, a scoop neck, waist shaping and a flowy skirt for a fun and comfortable fit. 

The pattern has 10 sizes, with finished bust measurements ranging from 28 to 64 inches, or 71.5 to 163 cm. The sample shown was worked with 4 inches/10 cm of negative ease at the bust, and the designer says most people like between 2 and 6 inches/5 to 15 cm of negative ease in the bust and around 10 inches/25.4 cm positive ease in the hips. 

(To refresh your memory, negative ease means the measurement of the garment is smaller than your actual body measurement, while positive ease is bigger than your body.)

To pick a size you’d work from the bust measurement because you can always add more or fewer decreases as you need to get your desired fit at the waist and hips. And because it’s worked from the top down you can try it on as often as you like to make sure it’s the perfect fit. 

The I-cord edgings give the dress a super casual feel, and I think this would be a great one to add to your summer rotation. (Yes, even with a wool blend yarn.)

You can see lots of cute finished versions and grab a copy of the pattern for yourself on Ravelry. 

[Photo: Briana Luppino]

Book Review – Knitted Tanks and Tunics

How to Knit a Simple Sweater Dress

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