Knit & Chat: Does your gauge swatch lie? How to fix that!

[@Stitchers_Whimsy]

Swatches make great pockets for sweaters and cardigans!

[@NerdyKnitting]

Great idea!

[@Tkok_iswatching]

I really do hate swatching but I appreciate its purpose in the knitting process! Thanks for covering this topic!

[@rosemaryrose5212]

I always learn from you, I now feel more confident about swatching. My next project is a dog sweater so will be swatching for that. Thank you for all you do for the knitting community!

[@NerdyKnitting]

You are so welcome!

[@lillian7035]

Hey Tonia! I am so happy I found your videos. I started knitting in 2015 but just recently started to feel confident. In 2023 I learned short rows, brioche and I even started a sweater with different cable patterns! Since finding your videos, your phenomenal instruction will (I’m sure of this) will certainly bring to the next level! Thank you. You’re a true expert in your craft. Happy 2024! 🫶🏽

[@NerdyKnitting]

I'm so glad you found the channel! Here's to lots of new knitting experiences in 2024!

[@mmeharriet1538]

This was the most informative talk on gauge that I have ever seen or read. I felt like I was in a classroom. Your sweater is gorgeous and I love that Royal/cobalt blue on you. Also, you talk from real experience. Well Done and Thank You.

[@NerdyKnitting]

I'm really glad you enjoyed it and found it useful (sometimes I worry that just talking to the camera can get a little boring!). ❤️

[@peggytraeg]

Lots of good information. I will never do a garter stitch border again. :) Thank you for sharing your skills.

[@bgummeson]

Another thing we can explore in swatching is the best way to weave in ends. I just did something that could have been disastrous. I split the plies of a bulky yarn to weave in ends, as suggested by another knitting teacher on KZbin whom I respect greatly. But it turns out I didn’t know enough about my particular choice of yarn, and discovered almost too late that the individual plies were not tightly spun. So they were pulling apart as I tried to weave them in. And an extra dumb mistake was that I was doing this little experiment at the beginning of a large blanket that is nearly finished! Doh! I think - I hope - that I have saved the day and the blanket will be okay when washed. If not, it will be a chance to practice some mending skills down the road. And now I am weaving in ends without splitting the plies. 😊

[@NerdyKnitting]

That must have been a hard lesson to learn! But also a great tip - to practice different methods on the swatch to see what works best.

[@palakp310]

Making 3 swatches at once-- genius! Thank you for aharing thes amazing tips. It gives me confidence when embarking on my first adult sweater

[@NerdyKnitting]

I know! It's such a simple thing but it saves so much time!

[@Cedardale_craft]

Re-watching this as my swatches are still lying to me. Hoping to get some more tips about how to get my swatches to match up to my finished items.

[@justlease37]

Here's a tip -make your swatch while you're finishing up your previous project. That way you're not tempted to just skip doing it because you're excited to get going on your next project, and you'll have plenty of time to let it air dry, etc.

[@NerdyKnitting]

Great advice, Lisa!

[@SharonCodyCowgirlCreations]

I am a new knitter and have yet to make a fitted garment. This podcast really provides great information for swatching and things to consider when checking for size. Thanks for all you do to help the knitting community!

[@NerdyKnitting]

You are so welcome!

[@susanroggendorf]

This was so incredibly helpful+ Previous experience with swatches ended in swearing and tears when knitting the project. Appreciate your posting this info.

[@NerdyKnitting]

I'm glad you found it helpful!

[@sheridohner7087]

I just found your channel earlier this week. I was looking for why my daughters socks wear out so quickly in the ball of her foot. I’ve been using Knitpicks felici because she loves the colors. I reinforced the heels and toes with thread but the ball was wearing. I appreciated that you spoke about the better yarns to use because of wear and also the idea of using the slip stitch heel on the ball, never thought of that! I’ve watched many of ur videos since then. Thankyou for ur work! You r knowledgeable and easy to listen to😊

[@NerdyKnitting]

Welcome! I'm so glad you found the channel and that you're finding it helpful. ❤️

[@RosieKuhnPhD]

Thank you Tonia!! This is really helpful. Willingness to Experiment with the unknown is really helpful!

[@bgummeson]

This was a workshop-level video! So informative. ❤

[@NerdyKnitting]

Glad you found it helpful!

[@angelaholsapple8830]

She is so good

[@judygrayson7896]

You are so right! I just knit my first sweater and did the Flax because I could have guidance with 2 women that did a step by step youtube videos. Helped but made one size too big. I am a 441/2 bust but picked a 6 inch positive ease which I think is not so great when you are busty. I didn’t try it on of course. I think I was just focused on just going thru the motions and doing the basic pattern which I did well. I picked a yarn that was not expensive so I was not out of too much money if I didn’t like it. It is warm comfy for wearing at home but would not ever wear it out. I have knit socks and many other things but something that needs this kind of fitting is a real learning curve. Thanks for all your expertise. Judy

[@NerdyKnitting]

We'll be talking about fit and choosing the right size in the pattern in September - it definitely goes hand in hand with swatching and gauge! And I think in October we'll focus on how to fit for larger busts - that certainly has its own challenges too!

[@valeriebellecats8939]

Thanks this is interesting, I've been making larger swatches with various needle sizes as well, it helps 😊

[@NerdyKnitting]

Glad you enjoyed it! (and glad to know there are knitters who swatch like me!) 😁

[@ljtnc6012]

Thank you for all the great information about swatching! I had heard some of it before but you definitely gave me new tip & tricks. Your blue top looks so good on you and I love the nails, too.💙

[@NerdyKnitting]

Glad it was helpful (and thank you for the sweet compliment ❤️)!

[@rachelchudley1527]

Wow complete revelation ! Thank you so much x

[@Cstarsmoon]

great information ! I've had many swatches lie. I have a mystery....swatched with a # 6 (pattern size), swatched with # 7 , wet blocked both swatches and had the exact stitch count on both swatches which was not the correct pattern gauge. Nothing on you tube addressed this problem. 🙄

[@NerdyKnitting]

Wow! I'd be curious to see how you knit - that might be why you didn't see a difference in size. If you tighten up between stitches (even just a little bit) instead of letting the needle 'size' the stitches that could cause that. But hard to know without seeing you knit.

[@anngreen9918]

Fabulous video. Very helpful. Thank you

[@NerdyKnitting]

Glad it was helpful!

[@ellennelsen5576]

Excellent information!!! Thank you for sharing.

[@NerdyKnitting]

You're welcome!

[@Fran-yh8vy]

This was very good information and a good reminder to knit a large swatch. Wondering if you could do a video on swatching for a project in a rib pattern. I have knit hats and tops in a rib pattern, 1x1 or 3 x 3 but can never seem to get an accurate gauge.

[@NerdyKnitting]

Rib is such a difficult fabric to swatch and measure! When I have to I write down a few different measurements - a 'resting' gauge without stretching, a 'stretched' gauge where I stretch and pin to what I think the garment/finished project should be, and a 'stretched to the max' to see how far it will stretch. The first two are the most useful for the project but I like to know the various stages of the fabric before I start working.

[@Fran-yh8vy]

@@NerdyKnitting thank you

[@Emily.knits2]

Thank you so much for this video! I found it very informative and helpful!

[@NerdyKnitting]

I'm glad it was helpful!

[@masz10676]

Very interesting. A keeper. R u on Ravelry? If not, why? Thanks for sharing.

[@mariehansen2534]

Ok Tonia, here goes. I have a beautiful pattern for a Raglan Crew neck sweater and I have knit 3 in DK but would like to use up the Sport weight yarn to make the same Sweater. The gauge is 20 sts and 27 rows to 10cm on 4mm needles. The Sport weight is 24 sts and 36 rows on 3.75 or size 5 US needles. Please can you tell what I need to do next.

[@NerdyKnitting]

You can work to your own gauge. Decide what you want the sweater circumference to be at the bust and multiply that by your one inch stitch gauge to get a stitch count. Then read through the pattern to see if there is a size that uses that stitch count (or the closest one to it) when the body is joined in the round.

[@laurabauman9449]

I do enjoy my morning knit with you! Socks today. I really like the sweater you are wearing. Can you tell about it or was it part of a knit along? I think it would be a good sweater for me. ❤

[@NerdyKnitting]

I'm so glad to be a part of your morning knitting routine! ❤️ The pattern is the Westbound by Elizabeth Doherty.

[@diannbruce9542]

Have you done a tutorial on sweater fitting? I find the two go hand in hand ,but my best friend is the tape measure.

[@NerdyKnitting]

We're definitely in agreement there! I'm planning to discuss that in September's Knit & Chat.

[@brunellacarlberg6222]

When you block your swatch, does it tend to grow or shrink, or does it depend on the yarn. This video was very helpful.

[@NerdyKnitting]

It really depends on the yarn.

[@nicoleyahc]

Thanks for sharing all this incredibly valuable information! I feel like in my previous quests about swatching info I have only gotten little bits of the story but your rendition of the topic feels complete and satisfying. Now, quick question on garter stitch borders for swatches: if your swatch is large enough (say 8"x8") does it still affect your final gauge measurements (if thoroughly measured as you described in the video)? My gut is saying yes, but also that it becomes maybe less impactful to some degree.

[@NerdyKnitting]

My guess is that for a larger swatch, it isn't going to have much of an impact (it shouldn't impact the stitch gauge at all - just the row gauge). So as long as you are measuring away from those edges it should be fine.

[@nicoleyahc]

@@NerdyKnitting thanks for taking the time to give me this additional input! You're such a wealth of knitting knowledge!

[@oldsnowbunny]

I appreciate your advice!

[@NerdyKnitting]

My pleasure!

[@SmithQuilts]

Do you ever find that your gauge changes because a sweater is substantially heavier than a swatch? I’ve done everything you recommend (with the exception of that a few times I’ve swatched on DPNs instead of circular, albeit both same style and size from the same company, so I’ll change that to consistently use the circulars), but find that when I work the body of the sweater, my gauge tightens up and the result is smaller than intended. I’m wondering if I’m tensioning tighter because of the pull of the garment on the needles, which requires me to hold them tighter, and that somehow results in my stitches being made tighter? I’ve taught myself, as a tight knitter, not *not* wrap the yarn over my ring finger, just thread it loosely over /under. That has helped me be not-as-tight, but still frustrated with sweaters being more fitted/less ease than I prefer. THANKS-herding out with you is wonderful!

[@NerdyKnitting]

Hmmm, I'm not sure - but it is definitely plausible! I sometimes have the opposite problem - I tend to get looser as I relax with the project!

[@cindymswyo]

Great video, thanks.

[@NerdyKnitting]

You are welcome!

[@chris112233ish]

I have a yarn in the same family which I’m getting 15 st /4 inches instead of 18st/4 inch using the recommended worsted (no longer available. I went down a needle size but don’t like the fabric. Should I knit one size larger or smaller?

[@NerdyKnitting]

You could try one size smaller but a better option would be to multiply the stitch count at the full bust by your 1" gauge to see if that will give you the circumference you want.

[@sassysuzy4u]

If a pattern doesn't state what kind of gauge flat/round and just says stockinette stitch should we assume flat? or assume what kind of project you are doing? Like many of the sweaters I have looked at just say stockinette but I know the project is done in the round... Thank you !

[@NerdyKnitting]

Swatch the same way the project is worked - so if the project is worked in the round then the swatch should be done in the round (and also, the gauge statement should say ROWS or ROUNDS - that's a clue about whether you should swatch flat or in the round too).

[@elizabethschofield5837]

Hi if I got a swatch of 24 stitches instead of 22 stitches required how any stitches do I need to cast if originally it required 132 stitches

[@NerdyKnitting]

I would start with the measurement first. What is the original measurement needed? Multiply that by your 1" stitch gauge to give you the starting stitch count and then round up or down depending on the stitch pattern.

[@danielepoirier7237]

So useful

[@yethan]

How does one swatch for a ribbing on a sweater bottom up?

[@NerdyKnitting]

Is the whole sweater in ribbing or just the hem? If it's just the hem I wouldn't bother swatching. If the whole sweater is in ribbing do a swatch in the same rib pattern, wash and dry like you'll do with the finished sweater and, when it's dry, take a few measurements - measure without stretching and then measure again while lightly stretching. Does the pattern instruct you on how to swatch and take gauge measurements?

[@yethan]

I generally design my own sweaters and am sometimes flummoxed by the number of stitches needed for the ribbing at the bottom.

[@asmileisspecial]

I can’t believe how revolutionary it feels to know i can swatch with multiple needles at the same time. Thank you! This info is so helpful used alongside Patty Lyons’ guide. How do you decide when to do a fake in the round swatch or a tube? Is it just preference? My biggest issue with swatching is feeling like I’m wasting yarn and thinking it’s a waste of knitting time even though I know it’s essential. I know enough to feel slightly anxious if I haven’t swatched because I won’t know which size to knit or if it will grow during blocking so I end up unable to start the project out of inertia. I definitely rush my swatches because unless it’s a fun pattern or fun yarn, I find the process so onerous. I’ve tried recontextualising it in my head “I’m getting valuable information! I need my item to fit!” but I still would almost rather start the project and rip it out if needed (which is *definitely* a waste or knitting time) because I loosen up a lot as I get going.

[@NerdyKnitting]

I would do an in the round swatch if the project was knit in the round. And you can re-use your swatch yarn (most of the time) so it's not really wasting it! Just unravel, tie into a hank, soak to remove the kinks, and then when it's dry, put it in a ball again.

[@maryholbrook4919]

Very interesting xxx

[@metropolitankreyole]

I think my knitting gauge is pretty accurate, but my crochet gauge is always wrong, it's a nightmare....

[@MichiaMakes]

Used the yarn and the needles and did the things. It’s still too small. I have made all the pieces of the sweater. The gauge matches on all the pieces. The sweater is still too small. I CAN NO LONGER TRUST PATTERN INFO

[@NerdyKnitting]

If your gauge is spot on are you sure you're choosing the right size in the pattern? That's the next step in the process after swatching and checking your gauge measurements - measuring your body and choosing a size in the pattern that suits those measurements.

[@valeriebellecats8939]

Some patterns are giving you the final circumference of the item without any ease so a 34 would only be 34 inches around. If you are 34 inches you may need to find the circumference that gives you the fit you want. I have misread the info at the beginning of the pattern and someone have to reread it a few times. I also find it helpful to look at the total number of stitches when the garment is put together (if not knit in the round minus your selvedge stitches and add up the stitches for the front and back of the body, etc). I then work out the inches I would get with the guage I have. I once did the guage and worked everything out, later when I knit the cardigan I accidentally took the wrong size tips out and used a 4.5mm instead of a 5mm and my cardigan is noticeably smaller 😮. Hopefully you find a way to figure out a way the m that it works for you. I found that it is worth it in the end, but can be a challenging journey along the way.

[@zoethouin-rochester6188]

Good info, but you repeat yourself WAY too much. Be more succinct. For example, in your intro, alone, you repeat multiple times the reason for swatching. This habit continues thru the video.

[@Tkok_iswatching]

I can’t help but think this is one of those comment you keep to yourself.