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Meyas

Hi, I'm Fabi. I write knitting patterns among other things

Gauge swatching

Small differences add up

No one likes to knit gauge swatches. Let’s face it, you are essentially knitting a square that in the future will serve no purpose. Unfortunately sometimes you just need to knit a stupid square. Hopefully this post will illustrate what might happen if you skip it.

A few swatches I’ve knit throughout the years:

swatch

Gauge in 10cm/4in

If you are intending on knitting a pattern that provides a gauge, knit a swatch in pattern by casting on the gauge’s stitches and knit the gauge’s rows. Usually the pattern will tell you which stitch to use for the swatch.

99% of the time* the swatch will be a square of 10x10cm or 4x4in (*source missing). We usually also add 3 sts at the beginning and end of the row, to be knit in garter stitch; the same is done at the beginning and ending of the swatch where you knit 6 rows in garter stitch. This prevents the fabric from rolling on itself if you are knitting in stockinette stitch, thus making it easier to measure.

If your swatch matches the designer’s, perfect! 😌 You can start your project and it’s the most magical feeling.

If it doesn’t, you will want to check how different the final piece will be. That’s what the rest of this post is about.

Input the pattern’s gauge and your swatch dimensions:

Units

Pattern gauge (10x10cm)

Your swatch (width x length)

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About

Here you can read about my designs, as well as tips and modifications to my patterns. If you speak Portuguese you can also find me on Youtube as Meyas Podcast. And of course I am on Ravelry! Click on the Ravelry icon above or search for apionese.

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