What does one do when the gauge is horribly off? Tear out the sweater for one. I checked the gauge and downsized one needle. However the finished product was 35" instead of 28"!!! I am now use the # 6, but making a size 4 instead of size 8. The gauge is correct for the size 8!!! I do not look forward to making this pattern on a #3 needle. Any ideas? Take up scrabble instead?
Cecilia
I also don’t recommend using a much smaller needle than recommended. One or sometimes two might be okay, but when you use a smaller needle than the yarn recommends you start getting a denser fabric which can be stiff and won’t drape nicely besides feeling uncomfortable.
Knitting a swatch is the best way to determine how it’ll feel and if you can live with it once you get gauge. Does the pattern have finished measurements on it? A schematic?
Are you using a different weight yarn than the pattern calls for? Even if you do, knitting up a sample with the needles suited for that yarn will give you the sts/inch which you can use to determine which size to make. Some sweaters are fitted, others are much looser, so you need to figure that into it too, how you want it to fit on you.
Another related question, I want to knit a pattern called mr Greenjeans from Knitty.com, the blurb says the yarn she used was a 2 ply merino, but the tension is at 18 stiitches to 4 inches, this seems to be very few stitches for such a fine yarn, or am i missing something?
http://knitty.com/ISSUEfall07/PATTgreenjeans.html
help as i haven’t bought the yarn yet and don’t want another accidental addition to my stash!!
It’s not the 2 ply you’re used to thinking of. 2 ply in how it’s made. It’s a worsted weight or 12 ply I think you’d call it.
Hiya campo,
Welcome to the party!!:clink:
K, to answer your question, we might need a little more information there. Are you using the yarn called for in the pattern? If not, what IS the yarn you are using?
What size needle does the yarn call for on the ball band (the paper wrapped around the yarn when you buy it) it’ll show some info on the band there, how to take care of it, how many stitches per inch with the suggested (and that’s all that is is a suggestion) needles. Or it’ll sometimes even have a little picture of a skein with a number 1-6 on it. If there is one on there can you tell us which one it is?
Let us know, so we can help you with our bestest knowhow!
Hiya task,
Suz is absolutely correct there. It’s not the ply that determines a yarns size or weight. A good indicator of a yarn’s weight is the suggested needle size.
Hope that helps ya’ll:knitting:
It’s not the ply that determines a yarns size or weight. A good indicator of a yarn’s weight is the suggested needle size.
Actually, in Aus and NZ, and sometimes the UK, they do use ply to determine the weight, see http://yarnforward.com/tension.html
I noticed she’s from Tasmania so is probably used to yarns being 2 ply, 4 ply, 8 ply, etc. But the pattern is from the US where 2 ply means how it was spun.
got it in one!!! That explains the major discrepency then, lucky I hadn’t gone and bought aus 2 ply or it would never have fitted!!!
gosh, that then goes on to pose heaps more questions for me as most of the patterns i get are US, off the net and all the yarn I buy is from Australia, luckily I’ve started doing swatches!
Thanks for your help on my piggy back type question! I’ll get back to swatching
:knitting:
Hiya again tas,
You could then use the suggested needle size in the US patterns to determine to a point the weight of yarn they used. Usually the designers don’t go far off of the suggested needle for their chosen yarn, unless, they are going for a certain effect or THEIR gauge is different than most knitters and they’ve changed to a different needle themselves to compensate.
I’ll have to do some research in order to find out what the corresponding royal ply is to what most american standard weights are.
Go to the link I posted, fibrenut. It gives a good idea of what yarns equal what and what needles are usually used for them.
So with a chart like that tasknitter, and knowing the needle size, you can probably figure out which weights are equivalent.
nice one ladies, i’ve been ending up with some bizarre numbers by using the yarn and adjusting the needle size, good excuse to go and buy more to try the other way round!!!
thanks for your help