Gauge Problems for Intermediate Knitter

How-to Questions
1

I am knitting a pair of baby bootees in a yarn other than that specified in the pattern and am in the process of knitting my second tension square as I want the bootees to fit the baby!

The pattern requires a gauge of:

22sts and 30 rows = 4 inches/10 centimetre using 4.00mm needles.

When I knitted with needles specified in the pattern (4.00mm), the resulting gauge was 21.5 sts and 27 rows = 4 inches/10 centimetres. Very close on stitch gauge but a bit off on row gauge.

On the second tension square which is 3/4 of the way done (3.75mm), it looks as if the gauge will be around 23 sts and 28 rows = 4 inches/10 centimetres. Closer on row gauge but further off on stitch gauge.

Since they are bootees, the pattern does not instruct to knit until they reach a certain length and each row is important in shaping them so it really isn’t an option to just aim for stitch gauge and measure the garment as you go.

Should I use the needles that provide a stitch and row gauge closest to what is specified (ie. 3.75mm)? I can’t seem to get both stitch and row gauges to be exactly as specified in the pattern.

Thanks so much for any insight!!

Erica :slight_smile:

2

Well, I have always heard that stitch gauge is more important than row gauge, so personally I would go with that.

What pattern are you making?

The thing with making something for a baby is that it grows really quickly. I would be tempted to make something that was a little bigger rather than a little smaller, so that it would eventually fit the baby.

3

Hi Ann,

Thanks for that. I have heard the same thing about stitch gauge. My second tension square worked out to be much closer to the stated gauge than the first, so I’m going to use the 3.75mm needles, even though the row gauge is still not quite perfectly matched to that stated in the pattern (I wonder if you can ever get both stitch and row gauge spot on!).

The pattern is for textured-cuff baby bootees out of the book [I]50 Baby Bootees to Knit[/I] by Zoe Mellor.

Thanks again for your help!

Erica :slight_smile:

4

Not many people do manage to get both gauges. So we all just knit for the length by measurement.