ok so i did a basic swatch which im posting in the What ya knitting? forum. but before i start my first beginners project i want to make sure i understand gauge correctly.
so what is it? i read about it in my instructional book but i don’t quite understand how to measure it.
also what is finishing? i thought binding off completed the project, i’m a little confused.
Gauge is the number of stitches per inch that you get with a particular size of needles and a particular thickness of yarn.
To measure your gauge, lay out your swatch and measure it. Now, divide the number of stitches you have by the width of your swatch in inches. That will tell you how many stitches you get per inch.
If it doesn’t come out the same as the pattern’s gauge, you can either knit tighter or looser or change needles sizes. HTH 
It’s not only the number of stitches per inch but also quite often the number of rows per inch.
Just knit it out and measure it. If it’s not right the size won’t be right and you’ll have to adjust to get it right.
Finishing is all the steps you do to complete the project. Simply binding off pieces for a sweater, or similar, doesn’t ‘finish’ it. There’s potentially seaming, grafting, hemming, blocking, perhaps picking up sts to add bands, collars, weaving ends, etc. Even an afghan or scarf may be ‘finished’ by adding a border or decorative trim.
cam
ahhhh ok i see
thanks guys