Getting Your Best Gauge - How to swatch like a pro!

Have you ever knit a gauge swatch, then proceeded to your project and ended up with a totally different gauge than your swatch? It defeats the purpose of swatching if the swatch lies!

Tina and Haley have collected some tips and tricks for making sure your gauge swatch accurately reflects the project you are going to make.

Tip 1 - Your cast-on will change your gauge.

If you do a long-tail cast-on or German twisted cast-on, the edge will be slightly tighter than your knitting. There are tons of tricks out there for getting a nice, even, (stretchy) edge that doesn't pull your work inward, but our favorite is one Patty Lyons pointed out. Use your thumb or finger to space your stitches out while you cast on, and your first few rows will be more accurate.

One thing we don't recommend is casting on over a larger needle, or over two needles. This doesn't work because it stretches out the first row of stitches, not the actual cast-on edge.

Tip 2 - If you're working in the round, you need to swatch in the round.

Knit stitches take less yarn than purl stitches. So if you're purling back a flat swatch, your stitch will naturally be a tiny bit larger than your knit stitches. Unless you've intentionally practiced making your stitches the same size, you need to swatch in the round for an accurate gauge swatch.

Tip 3 - It needs to be larger than 4"

Knit garter stitches, and the few stitches on the edge of your swatch, will always be a little wonky. if you are measuring your 4" increment and running up along the first few stitches, your gauge is probably not accurate. Make sure you cast on enough stitches and knit enough rows that your fabric is about 5-6" square, and measure the 4" in the middle.

Tip 4 - Take an average of your measurements

Take several measurements in a few different places, then use the average. I've been off simply because of the row I chose to measure, but the average gives me the gauge I need!

Tip 5 - If you're making a garment, you should weight your swatch.

Your work is going to hang on your body, and it will stretch slightly under its own weight. We recommend weighting your swatch if it's something you're going to wear, especially if it's superwash wool (which has lost some of its natural memory in the superwash process).

Knit your swatch, wet it, hang it up on a hanger, and clip a skein of the same yarn to the bottom of it. Let it dry, then lay it flat and take your gauge. It looks ridiculous, but it's a pretty accurate representation of how it will fit once you put it on!

Tip 6 - You need to warm up your muscles.

Your gauge will change after the first ten minutes of knitting. I tend to knit tighter when I start, and loser after ten or fifteen minutes. We recommend knitting with cotton or plant fiber for a few minutes, or at least doing some hand stretches, before you jump into your daily knitting. If you swatched first thing in the morning, but you are working on your sweater in the evenings, you may find it a little baggy at the end.

Tip 7 - Should you block your swatch?

If you're going to wash or block your finished project, you should wash or block your swatch. Promise.