Hi, I am brand new to this site and to talking on forums or threads or whatever I’m doing but I am glad to be here. I love knitting! I am hoping to find a formula or solution for changing the size yarn and needle to knit the same style sweater. I have a pattern that is 6sts and 10 rows = 4" on a size 19 needle. It calls for using 3 strands of yarn tog. I want to use one strand and size 10.5 needles which gives a gauge of 7 sts and 9rows =2".
Any help would be fantastic! there is no pattern involved just St st.l
thanks Kizzy
Converting a pattern to new yarn and needle size?
I want to use one strand and size 10.5 needles which gives a gauge of 7 sts and 9rows =2".
Is that what it says on the label? You need to knit a large sample of it to see what [U]you[/U] get with that yarn and needles. Then see if the sts/inch times the size you want is close to the number of stitches in another size of the sweater.
If I understand correctly what you want to do is modify the pattern to use it with a completely different gauge than the pattern originally calls for.
This is possible, but it takes some math, and preferably a diagram of the sweater schematics with all the measurements.
If you have the schematic, you can simply take your gauge that you have measured and re-calculate the number of stitches you need for each step to achieve those measurements.
As an example say the pattern for the back starts: cast on 36 stitches and work in rib for 2". You see that the back is supposed to be 24 inches wide. You know your gauge is 7st/2" so you calculate 24" would actually need 84 stitches. So you cast on 84 stitches and work for 2"
You get to the armholes and it says bind off 2 sts each edge. Using the pattern gauge of 6sts/4" you calculate that 2 stitches would equal 1.3". In your gauge, that would actually be 4.6 sts – round up to bind off 5sts each edge.
The pattern then will probably ask you to decrease one stitch at each edge every other row 6 times. That means you will decrease 6 stitches (4" from pattern gauge) over 12 rows (4.8" length from pattern gauge). Recalculate those two measurements to your gauge and you get 14sts decreased over 22 rows. Hmm – you’ll have to decrease every other row 8 times to decrease 8 sts over 16 rows then decrease every row 6 times to make the total of 14 stitches (8+6) over 22 rows (16 + 6).
Every time you come to a shaping instruction you either look at the diagram to get the measurement in inches or calculate the measurement from the pattern gauge – then use that measurement to recalculate the number of stitches an number of rows that you need in your gauge to make the shaping work.
Just take it step by step and you can do it.