I’m about to begin work on some cabled fingerless gloves, and I want to make sure I’ve got the correct gauge before I start. This is only my second project using DPN. How do I go about creating a gauge swatch?
Also, the pattern lists the gauge as 22 sts/ 32 rows = 10 cm. Should I cast on 22 stitches, divide them between three needles, and work 32 rows to check? That seems like an awfully long time to spend on this before I’ve even started the project, but I’ll do it if it’s necessary.
I don’t think I’d bother with a project so small, because the gauge swatch is basically the size of the fingerless glove you’re knitting. So you might as well just start the glove and use it as a gauge. If it’s fine you have already got half your glove done. If not then you rip and rethink.
What pattern are you using? For the last two pairs I did with worsted weight yarn I cast on 40 and they were fine.
Thanks for the quick reply! I’m using this pattern:
http://thegivingflower.de/patterns/Cabled_Fingerless2%20.2_20071017.pdf
I’ll be using Trendsetter yarn that looks like it’s on the thin side of worsted, but not quite sport weight, and I’ve got size 6 DPNs.
Oh! I made those for my daughter! I used Caron Simply Soft (worsted) and size 5 needles. I cast on 40. She cast on 48, but she had DK weight yarn so it was a l ittle thinner. As you can see from the photo though they are on the large side and her hand measurement is bigger than mine. Since your yarn is thinner than mine was you might want a few more stitches, but you are using a larger needle. I think I started with the 48 and found that it wouldn’t work for me so I frogged it and cast on the 40 which was fine.
Here’s my post with the photo-
http://www.knittinghelp.com/forum/showthread.php?t=88715&highlight=fingerless
I think I actually found the pattern because you referred to it in an answer that you gave me on another post! This pattern looks like just what I’m looking for, although I’ve never made gloves before OR done cabling, so it’s going to be a challenge for sure. Do you think I’ll be all right with this yarn and size 6 DPNs? I’ve been to the yarn store something like 6 times over the last week and I’ve been spending way too much. I’d hate to have to go buy yet another set of needles, but I’ll do it if I have to.
The only way to tell for sure is to do a swatch. I think if your yarn is as thin as you say you might want US 4 or 5 needles. Everyone knits differently though and you might like the fabric just fine on 6’s. I wanted mine a little tighter because I thought they’d be a bit warmer. Like we need that in southern California, but whatever. :teehee:
Cabling is easy. Just make sure to keep track of your rows or the crossed stitches will be off. You know, I ended up with my cable off center because I cast on less stitches so you might try going with the pattern as is the first time so you won’t have to fiddle with it if you don’t have to.
I’ve knit about 10 rows now, and the glove seems a bit too large. If I want to make it smaller, should I cast on less stitches or drop to size 5 needles? And if I do end up casting on less stitches, should I still start the cable pattern after 2 knit stitches like it says, or K2, P2, K2, then start it? I know you said yours ended up being too close to the thumb but I’m not sure how to figure this stuff out just yet. 
I think I would go down a needle size instead of changing the cast on. How does the fabric feel to you? Is a little loose? It seems like it would be with US 6 on sport/DK weight yarn.
If you do change the cast on… :think: Since I goofed the cables it might be better to have someone who knows more… I’ll have a look on Ravelry and see if anyone else has done that.
Yeah, it seems pretty lose. The thing is, I’m not really sure what weight this yarn is. The lady at the yarn store said it was closer to worsted, but it’s almost in between the two weights and not quite a sport weight. I just bought size 4 and 5 needles, so I think I’ll try it with the 5s and see what I get. I’d rather not change the number of stitches if I can help it, especially since I barely know what I’m doing!
I love making cables. Without seeing the actuall pattern, which I will go look at it, if you have 40 stitches total, you will have 17, 6, 17 in order to center your cable. I haven’t worked much with dpn so I’m not sure how you divide it for that. I’m guessing you mark first st, then the the first and last st for the cable. A cable is usualy at least 6 stitches, but can be more or a combination of cables. I need the pattern to figure that one out. hee hee. Don’t know if that helped or not.
You can untwist a piece of the yarn to see how many stands there are, then you have to check the weight…not sure how to do that but I can send you a link to 501, they tell you how to do this. If you like?
I looked at your link and see that the problem is determining the placement of the thumb in relation to the cable. How did they do it for the 48 stitches?
Sometimes when I’m checking gauge in the roundI follow this…but most of the time I just cast on try it and if it doesn’t work frog and change needles :teehee:
That seems like it would be the simplest for a smaller item like a glove or sock.
That doesn’t really apply all that well to modern yarns. Gauge is a better number to go by.
http://www.purlbee.com/2-ply-4-ply-why-ply/
The pattern works fine for 48 as you can see from the photo of in the pattern. I co 40 and it was off.