I seldom make gauge swatches, but I am realizing that it is crucial for making baby clothes to ensure fit. I have some yarn (given to me, no labels) and I think it is DK. I think 4 mm works best for this yarn, however, I can’t seem to get a big enough gauge. I don’t know how to adjust gauge for different needle size and I am afraid that if I use a bigger needle, my finished product will be to holey. How can I fix this and still use the yarn I want to use?
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What is the name of yo/ur pattern and designer?
You can approximate yarn weight by measuring wraps per inch.
You’re going to larger size needles and still not getting about ~22sts/4inches which is typical DK? It’s possible that the yarn is thinner than DK. If you double the yarn it may then be too thick for the pattern (and it will use up more yarn) but you could try that. Otherwise, this yarn may not work at a DK gauge for this pattern.
If you like the fabric on 4mm you could look for a pattern that has the gauge you got, or if you felt like doing some calculating you could work out how many stitches would be needed in your gauge to acheive the width/size you want (say across the chest) and look at the larger sizes in the pattern to see if there is one with a stitch count close to this. It’s not always possible but sometimes I follow a larger size stitch count to acheive a smaller size sweater.