When you spend a long time knitting a project, you want to make sure that the sizing is going to be right. To ensure that the sizing is perfect, you should check your gauge, especially when you're knitting large projects. In a perfect world, everyone would knit with the same tension and get the same results. Everyone in the world knits with a slightly different tension, so it is necessary to check your gauge.
With a needle gauge, you can check the size of your needles as well as the gauge of your projects. If you have a lot of knitting needles that aren't marked with sizes on the needles. Take your gauge and insert your needle in each of the holes until you find the one that fits perfectly. Read the size marked next to the hole: this is the size of your knitting needle.
Once you've determined the sizes of your knitting needles, take a look at your pattern. In the section marked "Materials," it will tell you the recommended needle size for the project. See if you have these needles in your stash, as this will be a starting point for finding your gauge. Owning a set of interchangeable needles like the Addi Clicks makes this process a lot easier.
Then, check the gauge section of your pattern. It will usually be expressed in a way similar to this: "20 stitches across 4 inches on size 5 needles." This means that if you measure the width of your project, you should get twenty stitches over four inches. With some simple division, you know that you will need 5 stitches per inch of knitting.
Cast about 15-20 stitches onto the needles that are recommended for the project. Knit in stockinette stitch for about few inches. This means that you knit on the right side and purl on the left side. On your needle gauge, find the inch long piece of plastic with two triangles jutting out of the sides. This will help you see more clearly how many stitches you are getting per inch.
Put the gauge in the middle of your swatch, lining up one of the triangles with the beginning of a stitch. Then, count the stitches (the number of v's) in one inch. If there are five stitches, you have the correct gauge for your project.
If you get a different number of stitches, make another swatch with larger or smaller needles. This means that your knitting is a bit looser or tighter than the average knitter. There is no right or wrong tension to have: you just want to make sure you have the right size for your knitting.
You really want to make sure your gauge is perfect on larger projects. If your gauge is off just half a stitch, your sweater can have drastically different dimensions. Don't worry about gauge as much on smaller projects. Some small projects like hats and scarves don't have to have perfect gauge. Make sure you use an Addi Turbo Needle Gauge to make sure that your projects are a perfect fit!
With a needle gauge, you can check the size of your needles as well as the gauge of your projects. If you have a lot of knitting needles that aren't marked with sizes on the needles. Take your gauge and insert your needle in each of the holes until you find the one that fits perfectly. Read the size marked next to the hole: this is the size of your knitting needle.
Once you've determined the sizes of your knitting needles, take a look at your pattern. In the section marked "Materials," it will tell you the recommended needle size for the project. See if you have these needles in your stash, as this will be a starting point for finding your gauge. Owning a set of interchangeable needles like the Addi Clicks makes this process a lot easier.
Then, check the gauge section of your pattern. It will usually be expressed in a way similar to this: "20 stitches across 4 inches on size 5 needles." This means that if you measure the width of your project, you should get twenty stitches over four inches. With some simple division, you know that you will need 5 stitches per inch of knitting.
Cast about 15-20 stitches onto the needles that are recommended for the project. Knit in stockinette stitch for about few inches. This means that you knit on the right side and purl on the left side. On your needle gauge, find the inch long piece of plastic with two triangles jutting out of the sides. This will help you see more clearly how many stitches you are getting per inch.
Put the gauge in the middle of your swatch, lining up one of the triangles with the beginning of a stitch. Then, count the stitches (the number of v's) in one inch. If there are five stitches, you have the correct gauge for your project.
If you get a different number of stitches, make another swatch with larger or smaller needles. This means that your knitting is a bit looser or tighter than the average knitter. There is no right or wrong tension to have: you just want to make sure you have the right size for your knitting.
You really want to make sure your gauge is perfect on larger projects. If your gauge is off just half a stitch, your sweater can have drastically different dimensions. Don't worry about gauge as much on smaller projects. Some small projects like hats and scarves don't have to have perfect gauge. Make sure you use an Addi Turbo Needle Gauge to make sure that your projects are a perfect fit!
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