Knitting gauge

Learn what knitting gauge is and why it's important, plus how to knit and measure a gauge swatch, and fix your gauge problems.

Knitting gauge is one of the most important knitting concepts to understand. It’s the difference between garments that fit and garments that are disastrously too small or too large. Someone who understands knitting gauge has a world of well-fitting sweaters, mittens, socks and more at their fingertips! In this post, we’ll go over what gauge […]

Why is stitch gauge variable between knitters? It's a mystery of knitting encompassing many factors. Widely understood to have an influence are needle size, needle composition (material), tension in yarn supplied; and this post considers all these. Yet, a factor equally important--if not more--so lies in the formation of the knit stitch itself. We'll start there. We can say there are two properties of a knit stitch: its width, and its height. In the simplest conception, width arises from the…

Why does knitting gauge matter? There are times when a stitch gauge should be perfect (think vests, cardis, pullovers, etc.), because when gauge if off you'll end up with a garment won't fit properly. So, it's very important to check gauge in knitting before you begin a project.

This yarn weight chart has everything a knitter needs. Includes all 8 yarn weights, yarn types, knitting needle sizes, and more. Save this for future reference.

Gauge notes that might be of interest.

Knitting needle sizes can be confusing. That’s because different countries have different ways of numbering their knitting needles. To help you decipher the world of knitting needle sizes, refer to the charts below! Knitting Needle Sizes Chart for US and UK This knitting needle size conversion chart compares knitting needles in the US and UK, […]

How to knit a gauge swatch (measure knitting). Learn to knit a gauge swatch or tension square to measure your rows and stitches.

I don't like swatching and I don't like to count gauge. This is especially clear in early patterns ... where I rarely even listed gauge or the size of the finished product. In fact, quite a few of my patterns are designed explicitely with the view of not knitting a swatch (e.g. these fingerless gloves, these slippers or this hat). They contain instructions like "repeat these rows until the piece is wide enough to fit around your wrists" or similar. That said, there are also times where…

How to make sure your knitting gauge is correct even though the number of stitches and rows is slightly off - detailed knitting tutorial for beginner knitters.