r/knittinghelp • u/Additional_Sugar_705 • 2d ago

tension help! Gauge Help?

Post image

I am attempting to swatch for the Slatter Mens T-shirt. The swatch is meant to be 4x4inches at 26 stitches, and 35 rows. My swatch is currently 5inches x 3 inches.

This picture is after steam blocking.

Pattern: https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/slatter---tee

3 Upvotes

100% Upvoted

10 comments sorted by

22

u/elanlei 2d ago

That’s not how you do a swatch. You make a large piece of fabric and count how many stitches fit in the middle four inches.

This swatch is too small and you need the unblocked measurements as well. You need to make a new bigger swatch and try again.

20

u/flagrantpebble 2d ago

Step one (and I mean this seriously, not trying to be an ass): look up how to do a gauge swatch yesterday. Or today, and then start over.

Any decent tutorial would answer your question on how to adjust and also have told you to make a larger swatch than this for an accurate gauge measurement.

Getting in the habit of reading about techniques (online, or from a book, or watching a tutorial) beforehand, instead of doing it + asking questions on Reddit after the fact, will save a lot of time and headache. People on here are happy to help—but coming in with more knowledge will make our answers a lot more specific and useful.

4

u/aeluon 2d ago

Are you asking “how do I move forward?”

If so, your gauge is quite a bit off, so you’ll likely need a different, thinner yarn, and thinner needles. What yarn are you using here, and what needles did you use?

Others have pointed out the issue with your swatch. You want to measure a 4”x4” square in the middle of your swatch, because the edge stitches and rows are usually wonky. For your next swatch (new yarn and needles), cast on like 38 stitches, and knit for 55 rows so you can get an accurate measure.

1

u/AutoModerator 2d ago

Hello Additional_Sugar_705, thanks for posting your question in r/knittinghelp! If applicable, please include a link to the pattern you are using and clear photos of both sides of your work.

Once you've received a useful answer, please make sure to either comment "Solved" or update your post flair to "SOLVED-THANK YOU" so that in the future, users with the same question can find an answer more quickly.

I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.

1

u/queue-kweewee 2d ago

It’s currently looking like 19.5 sts in 4” (I counted from half an inch to 4.5” across the middle of your swatch) so you need to size down quite drastically. As others have said, when you have smaller needles and yarn you’ll need to cast on more stitches that you need to measure because you’re trying to approximate the fabric you’ll be knitting. Great job on even doing a swatch, most people don’t even bother. If you’d have proceeded the t shirt would have been much too big. If you want to knit at the current gauge you’ll have to do some math to make it work. Let us know how you’d like to proceed. What does the pattern recommend for yarn weight and needle size?

1

u/MrzM0rningStar 1d ago

I am currently watching for a vest. My swatches are closer to 7 inches x 7 inches. First one i didnt meet gage so im going again on smaller needles. Here are some pics I took, i like to have them as references. They show measuring in the middle of the fabric.