On the Joys of Adjusting for Gauge

Gauge.

Did you shudder at the sight of the word? Shrink back in fear? I've been knitting for over ten years, and working on a gauge swatch can still fill me with, if not outright terror, at least dread.

Lately, I've been working with a number of contract knitters to produce pieces for my business, and the issue of gauge has arisen. Namely, they weren't able to get the same gauge as I did for a piece, and they didn't know how to adjust for it. Two knitters with whom I'm no longer working didn't even bother to check their gauge, which led to them mailing me pants with a 12-18 mos inseam and a 3-6 mos waist. Oops! A perfect example of why gauge is important.

So - simply put - what is it? Gauge is the number of stitches per inch and rows per inch that your knitting produces. It's affected by how tightly you hold your yarn, how large of needles you're using, or in machine knitting your tension on your carriage and the tension knob. It's a tricky little beast. Typically, a pattern will give you recommended gauge for a 4X4 inch square. Somewhere in the instructions it will say, Gauge = 23 stitches, 34 rows.

All of the instructions in your pattern are based off the math that your gauge gives you. If the size is for a 34" chest knit in the round, the designer will have you cast on 196 stitches* Wait, how did I get that math?

23 stitches/4 inches = 5.75 stitches/inch

5.75 stitches an inch X 34" = 195.5 stitches (rounded it to 196).

Et, voila! So IF you're able to get gauge on your needles for that size, you can cheerfully knit away, following the pattern as you go (though I would recommend measuring occasionally, putting the piece on waste yarn and trying it on at crucial points, etc).

But, um, what if you're me and you knit three different gauge swatches last night and didn't get the correct gauge once? Sigh. Then you have more work to do.

If you're lucky, your pattern will have a chart that indicates what the measurements are supposed to be at key points (the waist, the bust, sleeve length, etc) like this one from KnitScene Summer 2013;

The drawing indicates what measurements should be at the waist, bust, etc. So all you have to do is multiply the measurements by your gauge. For example, if I'm making the smallest size the hips should be 32". In my gauge I got 5.11 stitches/inch instead of what the pattern called for - 5.75 stitches. If I take 32" and multiply it by 5.11 I know that I need cast on 163.52 stitches at the hips.

It's a pain to go through a pattern and re-do all the math, no doubt. Some knitters just chose to wing it, but if you're making a large sweater there's nothing worse than ripping it out and starting all over again. Hopefully this post will help you when you need to make adjustments.

Questions? Ask away in the comments!

-Dena *simple example here, I'm assuming no waist shaping/hip width the same

Something else I've been up to lately...

Not knitting related, sorry, though that is the primary purpose of this blog I do other things, too.

Namely, write. Which some of you know, having met me in a previous life *g*

Throwing up some old stories on wattpad, check them out if you're so inclined.

http://www.wattpad.com/user/DLandon - D

What I've been up to lately : My Company, My Patterns, Designing

It occurred to me that some of you may be aware of the company I've started, and some not. I see that people are reading my blog, but not necessarily who (comment! introduce yourself! I'm nice!). So, while I have been knitting, I haven't been doing a ton of hand-knitting. Instead, I've taken up machine knitting. Because, clearly, I needed another hobby. You can see one of my machines in the background of the pictures on the last post. The tank top I knit for my son was made on the machine - a Brother KH-260 Bulky. The main reason I took up machine knitting is that I needed to find a way to knit faster. I started my own knitwear company, Enfants Tricotes, a while back. Website is here www.enfantstricotes.com, and facebook page is here https://www.facebook.com/enfantstricotes. It's definitely been a learning experience! I'm quite proud of some of my fall designs, however, and thought I'd share some pictures here on the blog. First up is a gold pinafore, complete with acorn tucked into the pocket;

Then we have flared pants, a golden short sleeve shirt, and headband;

The yarn I'm using is Halcyon Perle Cotton, and it's just gorgeous. You can see a lot more pictures on facebook. I'm very much enjoying designing, though it has it's frustrating moments. I was just curious if anyone reading would like me to publish the patterns for these items on ravelry? I don't know if there would be any interest, and before I go to the trouble of typing them all up I thought I'd ask. They'd be for sale, sorry, no freebies this time, girl's gotta pay the mortgage! If you're interested, please let me know. And now back to knitting. Goal is to make five pairs of mittens this weekend. Think I can do it? -D

Tank top I made

When I asked him to try on the tank top I'd made him, I perhaps should have specified, "and hold still!"

Or, "Don't try to take it off before I've taken a picture!"

Or, "Try not to look like I'm torturing you!" 

I think my days of using my kid as a child model are over...

D

The Top that I made Twice (Ryann Tunic, Knitscene)

One of the frustrating things about knitting and creating your own garments can be adjusting for sizes. Specifically, if an Interweave pattern is for a 33 bust, a 36 bust, and a 38 bust, and I fall within those ranges (No, I'm not telling you where!), which size do I knit? Typically, in the past, I've picked the larger size. This hasn't always worked well, unfortunately, and I have a few sweaters that are too large for me to wear. So this time I tried the smaller size. Yes, I know all the tricks of putting it on waste yarn so you can try it on as you knit, etc., and I did all that. But. The problem I had with this top was that it fit through the waist and bust in the smaller size but the armhole depth wasn't enough. So I finished knitting it, tried it on...and the straps didn't meet at the shoulders. It was also tighter than I wanted. So I frogged all the way down to the waist increases and started over.

Thank God it was a quick knit. I quite like how the shaping on the sides creates a V along the sweater and adds interest.

(and, yes, those are bathroom selfies). I'd intended to add the i-cords at the back but, for whatever reason, it didn't dip nearly as low as it does in the pictures in the magazine. To the point where I wonder if they followed a different pattern when they knitted...? The pattern was the Ryann Tunic from Knitscene Summer 2013. http://www.knittingdaily.com/media/p/108422.aspx Easy to follow, and I didn't find any mistakes. Probably the fastest I've knit a sweater, even when I had to knit it twice. I've worn the piece a couple of times and continue to like it. The DK weight yarn works nicely for summer, too, and I didn't use nearly as much as the pattern called for (Dear Interweave, why, why, are your yarn requirements never right?!?!). - D

Hallgrim Hat - Interweave Knits 2012 - my latest project

I've posted a few reviews in a row, so I figured it was time to talk about what I've been knitting recently. A hat! Hey, I live in Minnesota, it'll be winter for at least three more months. And I lost my old hat (the Koolhaus hat pattern) somewhere in our house. Losing knitted winter items is a common hazard in this state. So I decided to knit the Hallgrim hat from Interweave Knit's 2012 issue. What can I say, I'm a sucker for cables. And I loved the arched cathedral look to the design.

Like all hats, it was a quick knit, and I found the cable pattern for each row to be easy to memorize. By the second repeat I'd have it down and wouldn't have to consult the pattern again for the rest of the row. Believe it or not, I actually bought the yarn - Filatura de Crosa Sportwool - recommended with the pattern. Usually I stash bust with smaller patterns, but I love the color green. And I'm so happy that I did - the yarn has gorgeous tonal variations in the green and was lovely to knit with. The pictures in the magazine don't do it justice. Here's a link to those photos, where the color looks flat: http://www.knittingdaily.com/media/p/103630.aspx But it's definitely not, in fact when a friend saw me knitting it she commented on the beautiful variations in the yarn. It's difficult to capture that in a photograph, but I'll try.

It took me less than a week to knit up (I was working on other projects, too). I wasn't initially a fan of the shaping at the top - rather than a more graduated decreasing like most hats I've made, all of the decreases were within 8 rows or so. So the top sat on my head kind of 'poofy,' for lack of a better word. But it has settled down a bit after wearing it a few weeks.

I'm torn about attempting the mittens, though I bought enough yarn for both by the time I finish them winter may be over (or close to it). We'll see... - D

Review: Interweave Knits: Winter 2014 issue

My first thought when the Interweave Knits Winter issue arrived in my mailbox was, “Wait, what? Did they do another fall issue?” No joke, the cover says ‘fall’ to me. It looks like they had pictures left over from the last issue, and not very interesting ones at that. With sinking heart, I flipped it open…

Winter is a gimme for knitting magazines, in my opinion. Chunky yarns, great textures, the willingness to hibernate inside with large piles of yarn in your lap…who wouldn’t want to be a knitter during the cold days of winter? Some of the past winter issues of Interweave have been my favorites.

The first collection, Out by The Wood Pile, featured mitts, four pullover sweaters, a hat, and a cardigan. Did you see that ‘four’ pullover sweaters? Yeah…the collection of patterns could have used more balance. Plus, three of the four had a round neckline. They were far too similar designs, all in utterly boring colors that, again, looked the same. A puke yellow, a gray, an oatmeal and then – in case the monotony of neutrals was putting you to sleep – an orange-coral. The theme of the three sweaters was supposed to be waffle stitch but, uh, the patterns just didn’t provide enough variety.

The hat was ‘eh’ and the cardigan would have looked great on an eighty-year-old man. Oops, wait, just checked out that pattern again and it’s actually a sweater with a really long button band.

Next collection was Below the Mesa – and thank God we have color! Of course, it’s a shawl…but it is quite pretty. And then we have four cardigans in a row. My God, new editor, are you unable to mix it up?!?! The dreamcatcher cardigan is not to my taste, though I might like it in different colors. Flip the page, and oh, look, grays/browns and oatmeal. Again. The Cerito Cardigan looks like it has promise but I’ll wait until someone else makes it in a different color and posts pics on ravelry. Cynthia’s Cardigan is fine but looks like something I could buy in a store, ie, it’s not very unusual. The final two pieces in the collection are the shawl featured on the first page (which does look like it has an interesting construction), and a hat.

Crossing Country is our next group of patterns. It’s worth noting that all the photos in the issue have had similar backgrounds (blurry grass/hills) and little to distinguish them. The first sweater – the Bread Basket Pullover – is made in a gorgeous maroon, which is one of my favorite colors, so of course I’m going to like it. The cables look really intricate and time-consuming, so not likely to be a quick project. I like the Swivel Pullover, the cables around the neckline and waist have an Irish knot feel which appeals to me. The back detail is super cool, too. State Fair Cardigan is nice, if not noteworthy. The two patterns on the next page were my favorites, I think, the NoBo Jacket and the Telluride Aran. The cables in the center section of the Telluride Aran look really neat and unusual and the teal color is gorgeous.

The next two pages feature some open front cardigan that I don’t really notice because I want that bird dress! No really, I want that dress. Then we have another hat which is boring on the bottom but has cool cables on the top. Which people will see if you’re petite like me, not so much if you’re tall. And then a cowl.

Thank GOD they added back the project index at the back. I bet they got a lot of feedback about taking it out, and none of it positive.

My verdict? You’d be better off buying the one or two patterns out of this issue that I liked as individual downloads than purchasing the whole magazine. I’m really upset that this is two issues in a row that I haven’t loved, two issues curated by the new editor. (And the latest just arrived yesterday and the situation has not improved). This used to be my favorite knitting magazine and is, in fact, the only one that I subscribe to. I started reviewing the magazine on my blog because I loved it, but this is two negative reviews in a row. And I don't like being negative all the time. I may have to stop reviewing it if this keeps up. Oh, and not renew my subscription. - D