Question about a funky stitch gauge

General Knitting
1

The pattern is almost totally done in seed stitch.

There are 6 rows of stockinette near the beginning and another 6 rows near the end of the pattern.

The gauge for the swatch is done in stockinette stitch. The swatch is larger than both sets of stockinette added together.

I’m baffled. Why is the stitch gauge using a stitch hardly knitted in the pattern rather than the main stitch? I have never seen this before.

I am still uneven when I purl, and I generally check my gauge while I knit the project - checking every few rows to make sure I am not suddenly way too loose or way too tight - but how can I do that when the gauge is for stitches that combined are less than 4 inches worth?

Any suggestions would be welcome.

Sunny

2

Even on lace patterns, the designers often give the stitch gauge in stockinette even if there’s little to none in the pattern. If you get the same gauge they did in stockinette, then you’ll get the gauge right in the lace or pattern stitch too.

3

Blah - :grrr: - I don’t think 6 isolated rows - 2 times in the project is going to be very helpful this time.

I am using about 800 yards of yarn, and some how, 6 rows x 2, just isn’t going to be enough for me to know how I am doing in gauge :sad:

12 rows is going to be some minuscule percentage of the whole - split in half it is even smaller.

I’ll try to watch my edges as I am not slipping the first stitch on this, if my edging starts going wider or narrower, I’ll have to restart the row.

Crossed Fingers

Anyone else any suggestions?

4

It’s not about the 6 rows in the pattern, it’s about the sts/inch in the swatch.

If a person knits the swatch in stockinette to the same gauge the pattern writer did, then those same needles and yarn that got that gauge will knit the pattern stitch the same size/gauge as the pattern writer. The tension shoud be the same for both people no matter what the stitches used are. It’s just easier to measure stockinette than it is a stitch pattern sometimes.

5

I have been knitting for over 25 years, but purling for less than 6 months. My stitches aren’t even when I purl simply because I haven’t been able to purl as long in comparison to knitting and I am not as proficient at it.

My swatch came up perfect, but seed stitch isn’t k row 1, purl row 2, it is k1, p1, across each row.

For the first 18 rows, 12 in seed st and the next 6 in st.st. my gauge was perfect, but it seems like my st. st. pulled my seed st back into gauge and I’m not sure how to adjust for that - as I am knitting over 26 inches in seed st before I reach another st st row.

:pout: :help:

6

Seed st does pull in a little, that’s normal, and blocking may help that even out some. Even though you’re knot knitting an entire row, then purling another whole row, you are alternating the knit and purl sts.