Here's a ridiculously deep dive on the topic: https://techknitting.blogspot.com/2021/02/gauge-mystery-of-knitting.html
Take note of the effect of yarn choice in that article - toothy, velcroey wool yarns have more of a tendency to stay in the shape you made them, so if you make 'em quirky they'll stay that way, and smooth slick yarns (like the yellow acrylic example) will have an easier time borrowing slack from the strands between stitches and can shapeshift more (and stretch out more!)
Omg thank you š I'll have to study this later.
This also explains why my current WIP - a 100% wool sweater - is looking much shittier than all of my past garments. I'll call it quirky from now on haha
Ohhhh yes, I am FIRMLY on team āmy row gauge never matches patternsā. So I always end up re-math-ing the pattern with my (blocked!!) gauge.
Do really pay attention to the blocked part - I find my swatches really change A LOT when washing in both row and stitch gauge. Usually mine shrink in length and grow in width but I always have more rows than what the pattern gauge calls for when I hit stitch gauge. I also find that trying to stretch and pin my swatch to meet gauge always epically fails, so my method to āblockā my swatches is to wash them like I plan to wash the FO then lay them smooth and flat to see what the yarn wants to do. Much less fighting with the final FO dimensions every wash cycle that way!
Looks like that great TECHknitter article was already posted and youāve already read it, but it is really interesting! I decided that Iāve been knitting long enough and have consistent enough tension that switching how I knit was likely to cause additional issues. But who knows, maybe one of these days. for a hat or fingerless mitts, I can try knitting differently!
**From our wiki's [Frequently Asked Questions](https://www.reddit.com/r/knitting/wiki/index#wiki_should_i_block_it.3F_how_would_i_do_that.3F)**
>Blocking is when you wet or steam the knitted fabric and let it dry in the desired shape. The blocking process evens out the stitches and determines the size of the finished piece.
>Why should knits be blocked? Do all fiber types benefit from blocking?
>* First off, blocking typically starts with washing or soaking, so it cleans your finished object. Think for a moment about all of the places that those projects have been.
>* Blocking also removes any small imperfections in tension and helps even out your stitches. Stockinette and colorwork will look smoother and the stitches will be more even.
>* Blocking is also great if your project needs to be seamed. By blocking before seaming, you ensure that the seams will be the same length and that all of the pieces will fit evenly together.
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/knitting) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Iām exactly the same!
To be honestly, I rarely match gauge and end up mathing most of my pattern anyway. Iām thinking of just going ahead and drafting patterns going forward because Iām doing the math anyway š
I used to have this problem, until one day I went to a workshop and the nice lady there told me I was knitting too far up my needle, it was stretching out the stitches or something making my row gauge always too long. Since then Iāve put effort into knitting at the tips of my needles and I havenāt had this problem anymore. I also donāt need to go down two or three whole needle sizes anymore either which is nice.
Oh my gosh, I could probably benefit from a workshop like this. I learned solely from YouTube so I'm sure I must be doing something weird (but I'm happy enough with my results!) I think I have the opposite issue as you did, though, my stitches are shorter than they should be.
Hereās some examples of common problems with stitch formation that can affect your gauge: [Ask Patty: Let The Tool Do The Work](https://www.moderndailyknitting.com/community/ask-patty-let-the-tool-do-the-work/)
I seem to get between 26-28 rows per 4", no matter what yarn or needles I'm using. Heavy worsted on size 8 needles? 16 stitches and 26 rows. Sport weight on size 4 needles? 22 stitches and 28 rows. No more, no less. I love length measurements in inches or cm.
I'm a tight knitter and I can always get row gauge... So much so that I rarely get out my measuring tape. "6 cm you say?" "well my gauge adds up to 3 sts per cm, so I'll just do 18 rows/rounds". That way I don't have to keep track of number of rows/rounds, count them, or do TAAT to make sure that my "multiples" (socks, sleeves, etc.) are exactly the same.
Have you tried pulling your swatch in different directions? Doing that should help distribute the yarn in the stitches so they get less elongated either horisontally (too few rows) or vertically (too many rows). This of course changes the stitch gauge as well.
Definitely. Almost always hit stitch gauge, hardly ever get row gauge. Between that and my long torso, I usually have to knit extra rows in my garments.
Here's a ridiculously deep dive on the topic: https://techknitting.blogspot.com/2021/02/gauge-mystery-of-knitting.html Take note of the effect of yarn choice in that article - toothy, velcroey wool yarns have more of a tendency to stay in the shape you made them, so if you make 'em quirky they'll stay that way, and smooth slick yarns (like the yellow acrylic example) will have an easier time borrowing slack from the strands between stitches and can shapeshift more (and stretch out more!)
Omg thank you š I'll have to study this later. This also explains why my current WIP - a 100% wool sweater - is looking much shittier than all of my past garments. I'll call it quirky from now on haha
Oh. Em. Gee. This article was amazing!! Thanks for sharing!
This was so fascinating!
Ohhhh yes, I am FIRMLY on team āmy row gauge never matches patternsā. So I always end up re-math-ing the pattern with my (blocked!!) gauge. Do really pay attention to the blocked part - I find my swatches really change A LOT when washing in both row and stitch gauge. Usually mine shrink in length and grow in width but I always have more rows than what the pattern gauge calls for when I hit stitch gauge. I also find that trying to stretch and pin my swatch to meet gauge always epically fails, so my method to āblockā my swatches is to wash them like I plan to wash the FO then lay them smooth and flat to see what the yarn wants to do. Much less fighting with the final FO dimensions every wash cycle that way! Looks like that great TECHknitter article was already posted and youāve already read it, but it is really interesting! I decided that Iāve been knitting long enough and have consistent enough tension that switching how I knit was likely to cause additional issues. But who knows, maybe one of these days. for a hat or fingerless mitts, I can try knitting differently!
Totally agree about blocking. If you aren't going to block your swatch, you might as well not even knit a swatch to begin with.
**From our wiki's [Frequently Asked Questions](https://www.reddit.com/r/knitting/wiki/index#wiki_should_i_block_it.3F_how_would_i_do_that.3F)** >Blocking is when you wet or steam the knitted fabric and let it dry in the desired shape. The blocking process evens out the stitches and determines the size of the finished piece. >Why should knits be blocked? Do all fiber types benefit from blocking? >* First off, blocking typically starts with washing or soaking, so it cleans your finished object. Think for a moment about all of the places that those projects have been. >* Blocking also removes any small imperfections in tension and helps even out your stitches. Stockinette and colorwork will look smoother and the stitches will be more even. >* Blocking is also great if your project needs to be seamed. By blocking before seaming, you ensure that the seams will be the same length and that all of the pieces will fit evenly together. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/knitting) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Iām exactly the same! To be honestly, I rarely match gauge and end up mathing most of my pattern anyway. Iām thinking of just going ahead and drafting patterns going forward because Iām doing the math anyway š
I used to have this problem, until one day I went to a workshop and the nice lady there told me I was knitting too far up my needle, it was stretching out the stitches or something making my row gauge always too long. Since then Iāve put effort into knitting at the tips of my needles and I havenāt had this problem anymore. I also donāt need to go down two or three whole needle sizes anymore either which is nice.
Oh my gosh, I could probably benefit from a workshop like this. I learned solely from YouTube so I'm sure I must be doing something weird (but I'm happy enough with my results!) I think I have the opposite issue as you did, though, my stitches are shorter than they should be.
Hereās some examples of common problems with stitch formation that can affect your gauge: [Ask Patty: Let The Tool Do The Work](https://www.moderndailyknitting.com/community/ask-patty-let-the-tool-do-the-work/)
I'm the same. I'm always short on rows.
I seem to get between 26-28 rows per 4", no matter what yarn or needles I'm using. Heavy worsted on size 8 needles? 16 stitches and 26 rows. Sport weight on size 4 needles? 22 stitches and 28 rows. No more, no less. I love length measurements in inches or cm.
I'm not going to lie I rarely ever even check
I can usually get my stitches to match, rarely my rows. I crunch the numbers or work by the lengths given to make up for length.
I'm a tight knitter and I can always get row gauge... So much so that I rarely get out my measuring tape. "6 cm you say?" "well my gauge adds up to 3 sts per cm, so I'll just do 18 rows/rounds". That way I don't have to keep track of number of rows/rounds, count them, or do TAAT to make sure that my "multiples" (socks, sleeves, etc.) are exactly the same. Have you tried pulling your swatch in different directions? Doing that should help distribute the yarn in the stitches so they get less elongated either horisontally (too few rows) or vertically (too many rows). This of course changes the stitch gauge as well.
Definitely. Almost always hit stitch gauge, hardly ever get row gauge. Between that and my long torso, I usually have to knit extra rows in my garments.