Difference In Worsted And Sport Weight

How-to Questions
1

[b][color=red]New knitter here … I’ve been piddling around doing really nothing except casting on and trying some stitches, losing my place and tearing it out … I’m about to embark on a shawl for our daughter who is expecting her first baby in March … something she can use to cover up while nursing … DH gave me a wonderful knitting book for Christmas and it has so many projects that I would love to do, many very easy (sweaters … I am a sweater nut) … but I found this one.

Cast on 92 st and work 8 rows in garter st
R9: k
R10: k6, p80, k6
Rep R9-10
Then you have three different but easy patterns in one. Looks like it would be really pretty.

It calls for sport weight tweed 10 x 2 oz balls
Size 6/4 mm needles.
Gauge 20 sts/30 rows = 4 in.
Measurements: Width 70 in., length 19 in.

So it means you cast on 20 stitches, work 30 rows (in just knit??) and bind off and that should measure 4"? Is that right?

I have some worsted weight yarn and lots of it also some chunky which I gather is heavier … I don’t really care about the size though I don’t want a blanket!! … scarves/shawls etc. seem quite forgiving … could I get a similar gauge using worsted and maybe an alternate needle size? I gather the bigger the needle, the larger the project? Is sport thinner than worsted?

Thanks
Toby[/color][/b]

2

as far as my limited knowledge goes, worsted is heavier than sport… i am however, not at all used to these terms, still, as we call them different things over here, so its something that i still struggle with - what does the band on your yarn say that the recommended needle size and guage is? This would give you a rough idea of the difference between the yarn you have chosen and the one used in the pattern - but this will be dependent on your knitting style, ie. too tight v’s too loose. You could use the number of stitches they recommend per 4" - it (in my opinion) would be close enough though, seeing as how you are only knitting a shawl.

3

I’m a bit surprised that sport weight lists that as the gauge for your shawl. It’s thinner than worsted and usually knits up with more stitches per inch.

When you knit a gauge swatch, make it larger than 4 inches, so you can measure the stitches between the edges without including the edges in your count. You’re right, though, that gauge isn’t critical on this type of knitting.

To be honest, I’d probably start knitting and see how wide it’s going to be in the yarn I want after a few inches. :shrug: