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Tension and Gauge Swatches

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Tension and Gauge Swatches

Graphic with text: understanding tension and gauge swatches. Image to right shows a knitted scarf up close

If you want to eventually knit and crochet more than scarves, it’s important to understand knitting tension and gauge swatches.

Tension refers to how tight or loose your specific knit or crochet stitches are.  It is 100% all about YOUR style.  This is dictated by how tight you pull the yarn tail while you’re knitting or crocheting.

Often Continental style knitters (or pickers) will have looser tension than English style (or throwers).  But again, it’s all about your style.

How to knit controlling tension

A Gauge Swatch is typically 4 in x 4 in piece a knitter uses to test their tension with a specific yarn and needle combination.

How to Choose the Right Yarn

Why do tension and gauge swatch even matter?

If you are following another knitter’s pattern your tension and gauge swatches can make or break a project.   Imagine spending a month knitting a sweater only to try in on and realize it’s too big or too small.  But you followed the pattern perfectly!  What’s up?

If your knitting tension is tighter than the pattern writer your piece will end up being too small. 

If your knitting tension is looser your pieces will end up being too big. 

I’ve already said that tension is 100% about YOUR knitting style.  Knitting patterns should have always have gauge information.

Here’s what you should be looking for in the pattern:

Yarn and needle sized used.
The size of the gauge swatch.  Often this is 4 inches x 4 inches but can vary.
The number of stitches to cast on and rows to knit to produce a gauge swatch of the specified size.
A stitch or pattern type.  This generally is the most common stitch type used in the pattern or simple stockinette  stitch.

So you knit your gauge swatch and it perfectly matches the pattern.  Great!  Rock on with your sweater!

But what if it doesn’t?

Step one, don’t panic, grab a towel.

Kidding about the towel.

If your gauge swatch is smaller than the pattern.

If you’re not off by very much, try knitting another swatch but make an effort to loosen up on the tension.  If that works, continue the project using that same loose tension.

If you’re way off, use larger needles. How many sizes larger depends on how far off your search is.  It may take some experimenting, but it is time well spent!

 If your gauge swatch is larger than the pattern.

Off by a little? Re-swatch trying to get a tighter tension.

Off by a lot? try smaller needles.

coffee knitting and metallica

Here’s my honest truth:

I hate making gauge swatches. When you are so gung-ho about a new project the last thing you want is to delay getting started.  But gauge swatching really matters for anything fitted! I’m serious. Do it!

So what if it’s not fitted? If I’m knitting a scarf I don’t really care if it’s 15 inches wide or 15.5 inches wide.  I don’t gauge swatch. Has it bitten me in the butt? Yeah. Big time.  But what can I say, it’s how I roll.

If you’ve been knitting a while: Your skill, comfort level, and bravery will determine how much and when you gauge swatch.

If you’re new: Do it for every project. EVERY PROJECT. {insert stern face here}

Do not be surprised if your tension changes over time! Styles change. In the beginning you don’t have the technique down.  You’re thinking about EVERY stitch.  As your comfort level grows, knitting becomes more automatic. Give yourself some time to establish a routine and style while knitting and your tension will become much more even.

Head over to the Skills Center for more tutorials!

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understanding tension and gauge swatches

How to Knit – Casting Off Stitches

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Casting off / Binding Off

(How to get stitches off the needles)

Casting Off Knitting

 You learned how to cast on, knit and purl stitches?  Once you’re done with your project, then what?  Well, you’ve gotta get stitches off the needle.

Each stitch on your needle is a “live” stitch.  Meaning if you drop one of those stitches off the needle it will unravel AAALLLL the way down to the bottom.  I know that sounded really scary, but don’t worry.  I’m going to teach you how to bind off each stitch so they don’t unravel.

There are literally dozens of ways to bind off your work when knitting.  There are super stretchy ones, tubular ones, decorative methods.  You name it.  I’m going to cover a very basic, perfect for beginners, bind off method.  It will get the job done for anything edge that doesn’t need to be super stretchy.

Once your work is the length you want or you’ve finished the pattern, move the needle with the stitches to your left hand.

Step 1:

Work one stitch in pattern.  Purl on a purl stitch or knit a knit stitch.

Step 1 Casting Off

Step 2:

Work another stitch in pattern for a total of two stitches on your right needle.

Step 2 - Casting Off

Step 3:

Insert left needle into the first stitch on the right needle.  Basically you are picking up the first stitch worked with your left needle.

Step 3 - Casting Off

Step 4:

Using the left needle, pull the first stitch over the second stitch.

Step 4 - Casting Off

Continue working steps 2-4 until only one stitch remains on the right needle.

Casting off - bind off final stitch

When you have one stitch remaining, cut the yarn tail.  Leave at least 3 inches attached to your piece.

Pull the yarn tail through the single remaining stitch and pull tight to secure.

Congrats!!  Lets go over all the things you’ve learned so far.

Casting On
Knit Stitch
Purl Stitch
Casting Off/Binding Off

You’ve also probably learned a lot about needles and yarn.  What did you make this time?  Maybe just a little square.  Or something more substantial?  If you’re new to this, try making a little washcloth.  Grab some cotton yarn (from any craft store) and knit a square.  If you’ve been at this for a little longer try a hat or ear warmer!  Keep practicing!

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How To Knit – Purl Stitch Tutorial

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Purl Stitch Tutorial

Every fancy knit stitch or intricate pattern is created from only two types of stitches.  That’s right, just two!  Recap time:  If you read the tutorial on the knit stitch then you’re halfway there.  Purl stitch is basically a backward knit stitch.   If you look at a regular sweater, the purl stitch is the one that makes the bumpy side.  A knit stitch makes the smooth side with little “v” shaped stitches.

coffee and knitting

Here’s the fun part, the backside of a knit stitch looks like the front side of a purl stitch.  And visa-versa.  Using knit vs purl stitches depends on what you want you want the front of your work to look like.

Creating a stitch involves inserting the right needle into first stitch on the left needle.  Insert the needle from the front to the back with yarn held in the back to create a knit stitch.  Insert the needle from back to the front with yarn held in the front to create a purl stitch.

So let’s break down the purl stitch.  Make sure you’ve got your yarn and needles and you have stitches cast on.  Don’t freak out if that meant nothing to you.  Click back through the getting started guide and tutorial on how to cast on stitches and you’ll be all set!

How to Knit – Getting Started            How to Knit – Casting On

Step 1:  

Hold the needle with the stitches in your left hand.  Insert the right hand needle into the first stitch from back to front.  The pointy end of the right needle should point toward you.

Purl Stitch Tutorial Step 1

Step 2:

Hold the yarn tail in front of the work.  Loop the yarn around the right needle from right to left.  Make sure the yarn comes forward in between the two needles.

Purl Stitch Tutorial Step 2

Step 3:  

Bring the right needle from the front to the back.  Make sure to catch the looped yarn tail with the tip of the right needle.

Purl Stitch Tutorial Step 3

Step 4:

Slip the first stitch off the left needle.  You now have a new stitch on the right needle.

Purl Stitch Tutorial Step 4

Repeat steps 1-4 until all the stitches have been worked from the left needle to the right needle.  Each time you move all the stitches from the left needle to the right needle is called a Row.  Move the needles with the stitches to your left hand and purl another row.  Keep going until your piece is as long as you want it to be.

Helpful Tips:

Yarn is held along the front of the work for a purl stitch.

Hold the yarn with whichever hand feels right for you.

I wrap the yarn tail around my pinky finger to help create a little tension on the stitches.  Read up on what tension is and why it’s important here.

Holding the needles and yarn and coordinating both hands to work together can take some time to master.  The only way to get better at this is to PRACTICE!  Don’t worry, it’ll soon start to feel normal/comfortable/like an extension of your body.

So there you go!  Keep practicing!  If you are brand new, you’ll practice this stitch today and then tomorrow pick up the needles and feel like you are starting from scratch again.  Don’t Freak Out!  Don’t give up!  Bookmark this page and come back tomorrow and we’ll go through it again.  You’ll build up muscle memory and this will get easier!

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Purl Stitch Tutorial

How To Knit – Knit Stitch Tutorial

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Knit Stitch Tutorial

If you’ve been with me from the beginning (AKA: the getting started guide) you’ll know that any pattern (no matter how complex) is made up of combinations and adaptations of two basic stitches, knit and purl.  Knit stitches create a little “v” shaped stitch that is smooth on the front.  Purl stitches create nubby or bumpy stitches.  Creating a knit stitch vs a purl stitch is all about how you insert the right-hand needle into the stitch and wrap the yarn.

To create a stitch you insert the right needle into first stitch on the left needle.  Inserting the needle from front to back with yarn held in the back produced a knit stitch.  Inserting the needle from back to the front with yarn held in the front produced a purl stitch.

So let’s break down the knit stitch.  Make sure you’ve got your yarn and needles and you have stitches cast on.  Don’t freak out if that meant nothing to you.  Click back through the getting started guide and tutorial on how to cast on stitches and you’ll be all set!

How to Knit – Getting Started      How to Knit – Casting On

Step 1:

Hold the needle with the cast on stitches in your left hand.  Right hand holds the empty needle.  Check back for more information on holding the needles and yarn right here.

Knit Stitch Tutorial step 1

Step 2:

Insert the right needle into the first stitch from front to back.

Knit Stitch Tutorial step 2

Step 3:

Loop the yarn tail around the right needle.  Yarn should loop behind and come forward between the two needles.

**NOTE: Notice the needles are turned in this picture to show how the yarn comes in between.

Knit Stitch Tutorial - step 3

Step 4:

Next, bring the right needle forward through the first stitch on the left needle.  Catch the wrapped yarn as you go, bring it forward with the right needle.

Knit Stitch Tutorial step 4

Knit Stitch Tutorial step 4

Step 5:

Slip the first stitch off the left needle.

Knit Stitch Tutorial step 5

The good news:  You have now created a new stitch on the right needle!!  Whoop!
The not as great new:  You have to do this many more times.  Ha!  But it’s worth it.  Keep going!

Repeat steps 2-5 until all the stitches on the left needle have been worked onto the right needle.

Each time you work all the stitches from the left needle to the right needle this is called a Row.

Knit Stitch Tutorial step 6

Move the needles with the stitches into your left hand and knit another row.  Keep knitting rows until your piece is a long as you like.

Helpful Tips:

Yarn is held along the back of the work for a knit stitch.

Hold the yarn with whichever hand feels right for you.

I wrap the yarn tail around my pinky finger to help create a little tension on the stitches.  More on what tension is and why it’s important can be found here.

Holding the needles and yarn and coordinating both hand to work together can take some time to master.  The only way to get better at this is to PRACTICE!  Don’t worry, it’ll soon start to feel normal/comfortable/like an extension of your body.

So there you go!  Keep practicing!  If you are brand new, you’ll practice this stitch today and then tomorrow pick up the needles and feel like you are starting from scratch again.  Don’t Freak Out!  Don’t give up!  Bookmark this page and come back tomorrow and we’ll go through it again.  You’ll build up muscle memory and this will get easier!

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How to Knit - Knit Stitch

Yarn Weights and Knitting Needle Size Conversion Chart

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Yarn Weight and Needle Size Conversion Chart

I’m providing this Yarn Weight and Needle Size Conversion Chart to help you choose the right needle for your yarn or visa versa.  Yarn weights in this chart give an approximation of appropriate needles size.

The exact needle size you choose is based off a variety of factors including:

Your own tension as you knit.
How dense or loose you want your piece to be.
Needle size and yarn weight specified in your pattern.

When in doubt, gauge swatch first!  More on gauge swatches and knitting tension can be found here.

yarn weight and needle size conversion chart

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How to Choose Knitting Needles        How to Choose Yarn

 

How to Knit – Casting On Stitches

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Casting On
(AKA how to get stitches on the needles)

You’ve got your supplies.  Now what?

Choosing Needles        Choosing Yarn

Learn to Knit Casting on tutorial

Time to get stitches on the needles!  This is called casting on.  There are multiple ways to cast on stitches.  I’ll cover a quick and easy one.  I use this method 99% of the time when I’m casting on.  I also like this method b/c it’s essentially a knit stitch so if you can cast on you’re halfway to knitting your first scarf or ear warmer or washcloth!!

Tie A Slipnot

First, tie a slip knot.  Your tail should be at least 3 inches.

Knitting Learn to cast on stitches

Knitting Casting on stitches

Place the loop over the left needle.

Knitting learning to cast on stitches

Now you are Ready. To. Rumble!!…or Cast. On. Stitches!!!

For a primer on how to hold the needles check back here.

Step 1:

Insert the right needle into the front of the yarn loop.  The needle should go in from front to back.

Knitting Learn to cast on stitches

Step 2:

Holding the yarn in your right hand, make a loop around the inserted needle.  To do this, bring the yarn around the back and then in between the two needles.

**Remember, some people prefer to knit Continental style and hold the yarn in their left hand
…lefties I’m looking at you!

 Knitting learn to cast on stitches

Step 3:

Draw the right needle from the back to the front.  Catch that yarn you just brought through the needles as you bring the right needle forward.

Knitting Learn to cast on stitches

Step 4:

Now you have another loop on the right needle.  Yay! You just created a new stitch!  Pat yourself on the back…wait you’re holding needles.  Let’s wait a second…

 Knitting Learn to cast on stitches

Step 5:

Insert the left needle into the loop on the right needle.  Slip the new stitch on to the left needle.

 Knitting Learn to cast on stitches

Now you have two stitches on the left needle.  The original slip knot and one cast on stitch.

Knitting Learn to cast on stitches

Now pat yourself on the back, take a sip of coffee, reward yourself with an M&M.  Whatever floats your boat!  You did it!  You rock!

Wait, wait.  Don’t stop yet.

Keep casting on stitches.

Repeat steps 1 through 5 until you have the required number of stitches on your left needle.  If you’re just learning, cast on 15-20 stitches for practice.

Once you’ve cast on your stitches click through to knit the stitches you just created.

How to Knit – Knit Stitch

You’re doing great!!  Keep going!

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