Making an Accurate Gauge Swatch

[@annetscholten6465]

How clever you are again! I used to swatch and block, then start all over when it was not to my liking... What a great idea to just put a purl row in between, go for a few different needlesizes and just use purl bumps to rember the needlesize!

[@SuzanneBryan]

Yep, saves time. Happy knitting.

[@mollydillon8682]

Another great video that showed me “how” and told me “why.” Thank you!

[@SuzanneBryan]

You are so welcome, Molly!

[@donnamcgee5536]

Thanks for this lesson Suzanne. I have always dreaded swatching because I found myself making multiple swatches to figure out my tension. Thanks to you, I will never do it that way again.👏

[@SuzanneBryan]

You are so welcome, Donna! I've been knitting nearly my entire life and I still swatch before every project.😊

[@jennychappell8190]

Absolutely I believe in swatches! (Especially after a headband fell over the head and became a cowl. Yikes). I've become so avid about swatching what I'm going to knit that I even swatch in the round for projects knitted it the round. It really is different than flat knitting gauge. Thank you for the tip of the purl bumps for needle size.

[@SuzanneBryan]

You are so welcome! And I'm with you, Jenny, I swatch everything! 😊

[@chilipeprsandi]

Oh my gosh - I now understand how to calculate for my project size. Thank you very much! 🤗

[@SuzanneBryan]

You are so welcome, Sandi!

[@karenmathieson7170]

Every time I watch one of your videos I learn something new! Thanks Suzanne!

[@SuzanneBryan]

You are very welcome.

[@sumrakdievca]

I'm gearing up to make my first actual garment that needs careful gauging, so this is INCREDIBLY useful... Glad someone from my knitting group recommended this one!

[@SuzanneBryan]

Glad it was helpful!

[@AvsB25]

Thank you so much for this and your other swatching videos! As I’m relatively new to making garments, I was having such a hard time getting gauge, only to realize How much life would be easier with proper swatching. The videos you have on the subject explained it so well. Now I understand the importance of swatching properly. Going to start applying the techniques I’ve learned today!

[@SuzanneBryan]

You are so welcome! I've been knitting nearly my entire life and I still swatch for every new project. 😊

[@lenekjr6817]

My first participation in a knitting course... so excited 😊

[@SuzanneBryan]

Yay! So fun!

[@batya7]

I did it! Purchased pattern on sale, ordered book, thinking about yarn. Woo hoo! Looking forward to knitting with you, Suzanne!

[@SuzanneBryan]

Yay! So fun!

[@cynthiah1298]

My first KAL. I'm excited!

[@SuzanneBryan]

Me too! Hugs and Happy Knitting.

[@trinaczubaj9182]

Thanks, Suzanne. This was so helpful and now I know why my sweater aren’t fitting properly. Trina

[@SuzanneBryan]

Wonderful! Hugs and Happy Knitting.

[@tanyat5765]

I learnt the hard way that a swatch really should be washed and blocked (and I thought I was being so good to do a swatch at all!!). My cardigan is too big.....I was really surprised at how the wool/bamboo yarn "grew". I have a comfy, warm, over-jacket instead! Looking forward to joining in on this project and making a cardi that fits! I enjoy your informative, to-the-point videos.

[@SuzanneBryan]

Wonderful! Looking forward to working with you. Happy knitting.

[@oreganoh4094]

This method is way more useful. I'm going to restart a shirt that I'm working on and do this.

[@SuzanneBryan]

Glad it helped!

[@SuzanneBryan]

Excellent, I'm so glad to help!

[@LadyGecko]

I always do an extended swatch with three needle sizes. Four rows of garter top and bottom, four rows of garter between needle sizes and four stitches of garter on each end; black and dry. And I keep a notebook of all my swatches noting yarn, colorway, weight, fiber content, type and size of needles and stitch/row gauge.

[@SuzanneBryan]

An extended swatch is great. A border is not. The difference in row gauge between garter stitch and stockinette stitch is quite dramatic. Knit a little swatch of just garter and a different little swatch of stockinette with the same number of stitches and rows and you will see the obvious difference in row gauge. So if you butt up garter to stockinette in rows, the garter will constrict the stockinette and you will not get an accurate row gauge in the Stockinette. Try two extended swatches to test this. One with the borders and one without. Then let us know what you find out. Hugs and Happy Knitting.

[@tonyao2235]

Just bought it, and looking forward to the tutorials as it’s not likely I’ll be joining the KAL. Thanks for all your excellent tutorials.

[@SuzanneBryan]

Wonderful! Happy knitting.

[@antoinettemccollum729]

That's the way I do it also.... I swatch with the recommended needle and then 1 below and 1 above. I separate them with a YO and the garter stitch also. :)

[@SuzanneBryan]

Perfect! Hugs and Happy Knitting.

[@saraalicea3363]

Thanks for your sharing ❤

[@kayldee1215]

Pattern - check, Ann Budd book - check, ready to knit - check....... yarn - as usual, cannot decide on which beautiful yarn to use :-)

[@SuzanneBryan]

That is always the hardest part. You will find you that calls out to you. or two or three.

[@easternsecrecy9777]

I like those pins!

[@SuzanneBryan]

I like them too. They are called Knit Blockers and are by Knitter's Pride. They are wonderful. I have 3 boxes of them and use them all the time. Happy knitting.

[@acceptall8952]

Hi Suzanne, great video! Do you measure the swatch before soaking it. Do you block it to the same size before soaking, or just blocking to the shape?

[@SuzanneBryan]

If I will need to know the pre blocking size, I usually set the swatch on my copier and copy it. But generally, I do not measure the gauge, because the end result is what is most important. When I block, I allow the fabric to be the size it wants to be. I do not set it into a predetermined size. I have found from years of swatching, that in the end, after a bit of time, the swatch will return to the size that it wants to be, no matter how you set it out. I have a whole series of technical videos on swatching and comparing Superwash with non-Superwash wool and swatches. You may find them interesting to watch - here is the first one - kzbin.info/www/bejne/aaOkq4uffJWafq8.

[@daniellepiette6563]

Hello Susan, I will probably use hand dyed yarn for the cardigan and will likely need to knit with 2 skeins at the same time alternating at every 2 rows to avoid obvious color change when adding a new skein. Should I also knit my swatch with 2 skeins or will it be ok to use only 1 skein ? Thank you

[@SuzanneBryan]

One is fine for the swatch

[@denisetappen3925]

Hi, thank you for this tutorial. Can you share how many rows or inches should be done, when swatching, before changing needle sizes?

[@SuzanneBryan]

I would work about 2.5" before changing needle sizes. Great question. Thank you and Happy knitting.

[@krankywitch]

Brilliantly explained. Thank you. I have a favourite fingering weight yarn that I use for most of my projects. Do I need to knit a new swatch for every new start, or can I assume that as it’s the same product from the same company and only the colour is different, that my earlier swatches are still good?

[@SuzanneBryan]

Yes you do. I have found two things that affect the gauge. Time effects my gauge and also the same yarn in a different color will give you a different gauge.

[@krankywitch]

Thank you

[@SuzanneBryan]

🧶

[@khowardarnp]

Thank You, Suzanne. Do you save your swatches for next time you use that same yarn and or catalog the information for later use? Also if you are doing color work do you do a swatch in color work as well?

[@SuzanneBryan]

Hi Kristen, yes I save all of my swatches. But! I do not use them again. I make a new swatch for every project. Over time, your tension will change and it is not reliable to use an older swatch. Great question. You should see the mountains of swatches that I have. Happy Holidays.

[@lisakramerhunt3]

Can I create a swatch for ribbing in several needle sizes, the same as you have done in the stockinette swathes?

[@SuzanneBryan]

Absolutely. Great idea. 🧶

[@joanmiller7519]

Suzanne, I like your idea of knitting in purl bumps to correspond to needle size. Brilliant! I understand that your recommendation is to knit the swatch approximately 6” wide, but how about how long for each needle size?

[@SuzanneBryan]

Oh a few inches is fine. Maybe 2.5 to 3 is good if you are doing several needle sizes. Happy knitting.

[@susanwingblade1799]

If you're knitting from a pattern that calls for a size 6 needle and a gauge of 22 stitches and 30 rows/4 inches. I knitted my swatch with size 5, 6 and 7 needles. I also blocked the swatch. I don't have the pattern gauge on any of it. What do you do if you don't get the gauge that the pattern calls for. The 5 and 7 were several stitches off. With the 6, I get 21 stitches/4 inches instead of 22???? Thanks!!!

[@SuzanneBryan]

It depends on what you are knitting. If this is a cowl, scarf, shawl, or small diameter project like a mitt or hat, the 6 will be fine. If you are knitting a sweater, it is a different story. You may need to try a 6 made of a different material.

[@susanwingblade1799]

Thanks Suzanne--always appreciate your help!!!

[@marlenekern7679]

HUGE question, well two actually! Once you get an accurate stitch count and measurement on your blocked swatch, do you round the measurement of inches if the fraction is extremely small or large, and if you need to change your needle size to accommodate the proper stitch count in a pattern, what if you don't like the fabric density?

[@SuzanneBryan]

For one inch I keep the measurement to the nearest 100th. That is 2 decimal places. Once I multiply the measurement for my inch by my bust or whatever part I am measuring for, then I round to whole numbers. Otherwise a small difference will get multiplied many times and make a big mistake in the end. I will talk more about this in future videos.

[@Sheila-cm4jy]

Oh dear. I am working with a pattern with gauge directions that state: 19 stitches to 4 inches in stockinette, unblocked. Why unblocked, do you suppose?

[@SuzanneBryan]

Hi Sheila! The measurement before blocking is the gauge you maintain while knitting your garment. After your garment is finished you'll wet block to maintain the garment shape. I hope this helps!

[@Sheila-cm4jy]

@@SuzanneBryan Thank you Suzanne for commenting! I was just puzzled by the author's directions for an unblocked gauge when you stress the importance of blocking to get an accurate gauge. This is an open, loose-fitting baby cardigan with 4" of ease so maybe the stitch gauge only needs to be approximate.

[@rholbrook8009]

I never knew one should make a swatch using 3 different needles. So my question...the label on your yarn usually gives a range in stitches like 22-25 sts using 5-7 needles. Are these the needle sizes you should use for the swatch or in a written pattern should you use suggested needle size? going up one and down one needle size to make your gauge?

[@SuzanneBryan]

That is a perfect starting point. Some people know they either knit tighter or looser, and in that case, they would want to use needles outside the suggested range. It is really about the FABRIC that you prefer. Focus on how the fabric feels to you. If you like it, that is the needle size to use. Be sure to block you swatch first though, as the fabric will change with blocking.

[@NinaKeilin]

So you recommend doing the swatch without garter on the side? I usually do some garter, but I make the swatch pretty large so it is not really distorted. What do you think?

[@SuzanneBryan]

Exactly. Think about this - why do you need to frame a gauge swatch? What does the frame do? I find that it distorts the fabric within the frame, even ever so slightly, but enough to cause problems on a larger project. Happy knitting.

[@NinaKeilin]

Thanks, Suzanne. I will do that from now on. I started doing garter so the whole thing would lie flat. @@SuzanneBryan

[@johnahartnell6708]

So I was just reviewing is the swatch instructions again and I understand about the stitch count but how do number of rows figure? for example many swatches tell you how many stitches per 4 inches and how many rows per 4 inches. Now in some garments rows might not matter I assume? (I’m doing a cowl). So what do we do if our row count is off. To be specific I just completed a swatch where my stitch count was one stitch more than was called for, but my row count was three rows off. So how does this translate? Thanks for your help.

[@SuzanneBryan]

It depends on the design you are working. In this cardigan, the row count is never really important. But in some garments, yes it is very important. In our upcoming ITAG Yoke tutorial, we will be studying stitch and row gauge because we will be plugging designs into the yoke and will need to know the row gauge of the design. Thank you and happy knitting.

[@emilybeaton2947]

Maryna at 10rowsaday recommended stretching all the stitches vertically and horizontally before patting it into place when blocking. I blocked another swatch that way and found it really evened out the stitches. How do you know when to stretch and when not to?

[@SuzanneBryan]

Do not stretch the wool when it is wet. Period.

[@safiva47]

Great idea to use purl bumps for needle sizes but not to useful when you knit with metric size needles and have no idea about American equivalent sizes. Other than that a very helpful video.

[@SuzanneBryan]

Maybe you could do something like - for example - 4.25mm - 4 purl bumps, 1knit, 1 purl for ¼ of a mm. or for 4.5mm - 4 purl bumps, 1 k, 2 purls for ½ of a mm, etc.

[@safiva47]

That is a great idea Suzanne, much better that having little bits of paper tacked on, the way I do it at the moment. Many thanks Suzanne..

[@SuzanneBryan]

Hugs.

[@suem6004]

So, your purl number of on knit side is indication of which needle size used in swatch? Six purls for size six needle?

[@SuzanneBryan]

Exactly. And I keep all of my swatches. I will show them in my next live stream.

[@suefujii9839]

I’ve just finished my swatch but because I’m using an old Dolly yarn from years ago, I want to make sure I have enough to finish my sweater...I won’t be able to purchase more. If I block my swatch and need that yarn to complete my sweater, won’t that change the yarn in some way that would make it different from the rest of the sweater? Is it better to measure the swatch without blocking?

[@SuzanneBryan]

Block the swatch and measure the gauge. I have a video on reconditioning blocked yarn - kzbin.info/www/bejne/aYXMaZ-pZdBmmrs. Happy New Year and Happy Knitting!

[@stevemastandrea6666]

Two questions : how do you find out about these tutorial kals and why didn’t you discuss row count? Thank you!

[@SuzanneBryan]

This knitting tutorial is on Ravelry. - www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/it-takes-a-guild-cardigan-tutorial. Any one can join at any time. I did not discuss row count, because in this KAL it is not so important. Thanks and happy knitting

[@verahall4357]

How do you do a guage swatch with intarsia cable

[@SuzanneBryan]

You knit a sample that is several inches wide and several inches tall. Then block and measure your stitch gauge. Hugs and Happy knitting.

[@selvaakinci4482]

Hi Suzanne. Thank you very much for the tutorials. I want to join your KAL but I won't be able to start for a long time because even though I have Ann Budd's book at home I will be away and won't have access to my book until next summer. I don't want to miss the chance for the price promo, either. My question is if I purchase the pattern now, will I be able to start knitting later on. Thanks.

[@SuzanneBryan]

Yes, it will be good forever.

[@sungpak8331]

Hi Suzanne On ravelry, it says “this tutorial will be half price until midnight pacific time 9/18/19” On your youtube, it is 9/18/18 I thought you should know the discrepancy. Also, do I need to purchase the book and KAL? Thank you

[@SuzanneBryan]

Thank you. It is 2018

[@SuzanneBryan]

Yes, you need both.

[@TerriStegmiller]

How do you choose what needle sizes to swatch with?

[@SuzanneBryan]

I start with the recommended size on the ball band and then go up and down from there. Hugs and Happy knitting.

[@TerriStegmiller]

Thanks, I was thinking that was probably what you do, but just wanted confirmation.

[@tonyao2235]

Hi Suzanne, I noticed the price on Ravelry is $30 not $25.

[@SuzanneBryan]

Can you send me a link?

[@SuzanneBryan]

Here is the link to the pattern. It is $25.00 USD. www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/it-takes-a-guild-cardigan-tutorial

[@tonyao2235]

Here it is www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/it-takes-a-guild-cardigan-tutorial

[@tonyao2235]

I get it. It’s because I’m in the UK, so I’ve got to pay VAT. Thanks.

[@lydiajoy1823]

So if you choose the fabric where you like the gauge the best, rather than trying to match the recommended gauge given in the pattern… Does that mean you just do the math and figure out what size to knit based on the fabric that you like the best?

[@SuzanneBryan]

Exactly, you got it.

[@lydiajoy1823]

Knitting with Suzanne Bryan Thank you!!

[@SuzanneBryan]

😀

[@graceolszewska3638]

Where did you buy this things for block the gauge swatch ^

[@SuzanneBryan]

They are called "Blocking Pins" and are sold in many places, just Google Blocking Pins. They will seem expensive (around $25) but worth every penny. I have 3 sets and use them all the time. Hugs and Happy Knitting.

[@sungpak8331]

Hi Suzanne

[@SuzanneBryan]

Hello!

[@verahall4357]

Hi Suzanne my name is different to the knitting with suzanne Bryant facebook. I look forward to this tutorial

[@SuzanneBryan]

Wonderful! Happy knitting.