Gauge<\/strong><\/em> is defined as the thickness, size, or capacity of something, especially as a standard measure, in particular, or an object used to measure this quantity. As a verb, it is the act of measuring the previous.<\/p>\n Now these things are completely different, yet knitters seem to interchange them as if they were the same thing. I assure you they are not. When knitting, each knitter will have a particular tension on a piece of work. We all seem to have a predisposition to put a particular amount of strain on the yarn as we are working on it. To simplify things, we usually classify the amount of tension as loose, average, or tight. Of course, there are varying degrees of each person’s tension, but for the most part, these three classifications seem to work. I myself am a loose knitter, and that’s before the rum! \ud83d\ude09<\/p>\n Gauge however, is the measurement of the number of stitches and rows per inch for a particular knitted piece. As you can imagine, there are a number of variables that can affect the gauge of said piece. Of course, the knitter is one, as is the yarn, needles, texture, and knitting method. Most patterns have a gauge at the beginning that tells you how many stitches\/rows per inch you should have for a particular texture. The gauge also has a recommended or suggested needle size for the yarn, however, it may be necessary for each individual knitter to change that needle size depending on how much tension<\/em><\/strong> they knit with!<\/p>\n Confused? Just a bit more … The big thing about gauge, is that it can be changed! Tension, over the course of a large project, cannot. What I mean is that if I’m a loose knitter and I find I need to tighten up my knitting to achieve a particular gauge while using a certain needle size, I might be able to pull it off for a short period of time. As I continue to knit however, I will tend to revert to my regular amount of tension, resulting in uneven tension throughout the work.<\/p>\n So what can I do if the gauge says 20 stitches over 4 inches in stocking stitch using 4.5mm needles? Well, of the factors that affect gauge, the only one I can change is the needles. In this case, I need to use smaller needles. With smaller needles, even with a loose tension, I’ll get more stitches on the needle, coming close to the desired gauge. If I’m a tight knitter, I’ll want to use bigger needles, to get fewer stitches over the same 4 inches.<\/p>\n Ever wonder why it’s important to make a gauge swatch? Here’s a picture from Vogue Knitting showing three examples of a piece of knitted fabric. Each piece has identical number of stitches and rows, using the same yarn and needles …<\/p>\n The one on the left will have been done by someone with fairly tight tension, the middle average, and the right one, by someone like me, who tends to knit loosely. There is nothing wrong with any of these knitted pieces, but as you can see, it’s important to know your tension tendency and to make a swatch in order to obtain the right gauge. Why? Because SIZE MATTERS!<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n![\"gauge1\"](\"https:\/\/ittakesballstoknit.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/08\/gauge1.jpg\")
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![\"GAUGE_SWATCH\"](\"https:\/\/ittakesballstoknit.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/08\/GAUGE_SWATCH.jpg\")
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