Different gauge for st/row

#1

Hi everyone!

I’m new here and could use some help. I’m quite new at knitting and I just decided to try cotton for the first time (since I never end up using the sweaters I knit because they’re too warm g). Anyway, I’m having troubles with the gauge. It should be 18 st/24 rows for 10cm (on a 5 mm needle). I made a test square and ended up with 22 stiches and 22 rows per 10 cm. In other words, the gauge is off, but it’s too tight in one direction and too loose in the other. What to do?

Thanks!

/Selene

Ps. Oh, the sweater is in regular stockinette stitch and I knit with what I just learned is called the Continental method, if that is of any help.

#2

The stitch gauge is the important one, because you can’t make a sweater wider. The row gauge is not as important, since you can knit fewer/more rows to get your sweater to the right length.

So try going up a needle size and try to get stitch gauge as close as you can. As you knit the sweater, knit according to how long it is rather than how many rows it is.

#3

Thanks Ingrid! I’ll try that. Most of the sweater is measured in inches (as opposed to rows), so I don’t think those parts will be a problem, at least.

/Selene