Making Gauge On Your Hand Knit Sweater

How important is it to match the gauge of the designer when knitting a sweater? Very. A woman in one of the knitting groups I attend asked the ladies why the hat she had crocheted didn't fit. She had made two of them, designing as she went, and was disappointed in the result. "It's too small," she explained.

One of the women asked me what I thought. I answered that I always use a pattern, and make a gauge swatch before  starting to  knit the item. Each yarn will knit up differently. For Carbeth, for example, I made gauge on my first swatch. I used some dk weight yarn that I had in my stash, held double. The pattern is designed that way. The needles worked, the yarn worked, and I could get started immediately.

I loved the sweater so much that I decided to make another one with some bulky weight yarn from Iceland. I needed fourteen stitches in four inches. The first swatch I did on size 10.5 needles, which the pattern suggests. I got 12 stitches. I was two stitches short, so I tried a second swatch on size 10 needles. I ended up with 13 stitches. I switched to size 9 needles, and hit 14 stitches exactly. Phew! It took three tries, but was worth it.

When you are within the parameters of the pattern and its measurements, you will be much happier with the end result. Your sweater will look like the photo, it will fit you, and you will have enough yarn. (It helps to buy a skein of extra yarn, just in case.)

Although some knitters don't like to swatch, it really is worth the time and energy. You are not going to feel stressed and worried about the size of your sweater. You can just relax and knit. Following rules and guidelines in the beginning gives you freedom and confidence in the end.

I have known knitters who refuse to swatch. Some have exploded  into rage if I mention that I do it. I have never seen any of them wearing a hand knit item. It just makes all the difference. It's like laying your clothing on a piece of graph paper.  It insures that your garment will match the pattern. 

This morning I received a message from a gorgeous dancer who I worked with thirty years ago. She had seen a photo on Facebook and  wants to order one of my turtleneck sweaters. Fantastic! This is where swatching is super important- when you don't have the person in front of you to try on what you are making.  She is built like a Ford model, and will look fabulous in it. Still, I am getting her measurements. The length of the sleeves, body, and neck are so important. Everyone has a different shape.  It's more than just being a small, medium, or large. The details make it art. With careful planning, you will end up with a sweater with sleeves that come right to the ends of the wrists, your desired length, and a comfortable fit in the neck.

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