August 22, 2019 • 33 mins
Are you completely confused by gauge?
Don't worry, you're not alone! I turned to my Instagram community again this week to bring you another "what you wanted to know episode" to find out exactly what you need to know about gauge.
Clearly this is a topic that needs clarification. After all, it's the single most important thing to consider when designing or following crochet or knitting patterns. So many questions were submitted that I'm breaking it into two episodes so I can answer as many of your questions about gauge as I can for you!
About The BHooked Podcast
Brittany's primary goal is to inspire you and help you grow in your craft with The BHooked Podcast. Through her own stories and the stories of each special guest, you'll discover tips and tricks to improve your crochet and knitting skills and find inspiration to achieve your hobby goals. When you want to kick back and learn from yarn industry experts, grab some yarn and turn on The BHooked Podcast. There's never a shortage of all things crochet, knitting or yarn.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Brittany (00:00):
You're listening to The Be Hooked Podcast, episode
130, with Brittany.
Well, hey there.
(00:32):
Welcome to episode 130 of theBe Oaked podcast, the place
where we love yarn, we love tolearn, and we truly believe yarn
can do more for us than justmake pretty things.
Am I right?
Well, if you're new to theshow, first of all, welcome.
My name is Brittany and I'myour host here on the show.
And today I have a specialtreat for you.
We're going to do another oneof those what you wanted to know
(00:55):
episodes because you all wentpretty crazy over the first one.
In episode 124, I turned to mycommunity on Instagram to see
exactly what you wanted to knowabout fiber.
Well, this week, I turned to myInstagram community once again
and asked what you wanted toknow about gauge.
So that's what we're talkingabout today.
If you missed the opportunityto submit a question for today's
(01:19):
show from my Instagram stories,don't worry, we'll have more
episodes like this in thefuture.
So to get in on thoseopportunities in the future for
more episodes like this one,you'll first need to follow me
on Instagram.
My handle is at bhooked, that'sB-H-O-O-K-E-D.
When you follow me, you'll beable to see my stories.
(01:41):
You know those little circlesat the top of your home feed?
Those are stories.
So when I'm preparing the nextWhat You Wanted to Know episode,
I'll share a story with thetopic that we'll be discussing,
and you'll see a place for youto submit your question.
So when you see me pop up instories, be on the lookout for
those posts and submit yourquestion.
(02:03):
As you know, if you're familiarwith Instagram, stories are
only live for 24 hours, sothere's kind of a short window
for you to be able to get yourquestions in.
That's why you want to followme and keep an eye on my
stories.
Now here's how it works fromthere.
I'll answer as many of thosequestions that I can cram into
one episode, with the exceptionof this one.
(02:24):
There were so many questionsthat came in for Gage, what you
want to know and what you needto know about Gage, that I
decided to break it into twoepisodes so I can answer as many
questions as I possibly can.
Gauge is sort of a big dealwhen it comes to following
patterns.
It can be the differencebetween a project that fits and
(02:46):
one that doesn't.
It can also be the differencebetween having enough yarn or
running out mid-project.
Bottom line, if you plan tofollow patterns any time in the
near future, you'll want to soakup as much information as you
can about gauge.
Before I get to some of yourquestions, I want to remind you
(03:06):
that the show notes can be foundat behooked.com slash 130.
I will link to any resources Imentioned there so you can just
have easy access to them.
And of course, if you have anyadditional questions or perhaps
you have tips for others in thecommunity, feel free to leave
that in the comments section.
That space is really there foryou to utilize.
You can communicate with oneanother so that you can
(03:28):
communicate with me.
And I really love to see whatquestions you have and what tips
you have as well.
So you can find all of that onthe show notes page.
Once again, it's be hooked.comslash 130.
All right, first things first,I want to explain what gauge is
for the questions that came infrom those who just really need
all the help they can get.
(03:48):
They're brand new to thiscrochet thing.
Maybe they've been doing it fora while, but they just can't
get a grasp on gauge and what itmeans and more importantly, why
they should even care.
So let's start super basic.
Gauge is a measure of stitchesand rows per inch, and its
entire purpose is to bridge thegap between different crochet
(04:12):
styles.
I'm not talking about Tunisiancrochet versus standard crochet.
I'm talking about the uniqueway that you form your stitches
compared to the unique way thatI form my stitches or some other
designer forms their stitches.
Have you ever heard someone saythat they crochet really tight
or maybe really loose?
(04:32):
I know I've said it hereseveral times on the show.
I crochet tighter than mostpeople do.
That's just how I learned.
That's how I am comfortableholding the hook and the needle.
I think it sort of stemmed frommy perfectionism to some
extent.
I wanted to make sure everysingle stitch was as even as
possible so I would hold theyarn a little tighter, my
(04:53):
tension was tighter, andtherefore my stitches are
tighter.
So what does that mean for meand perhaps for you if you also
work your stitches tighter?
Well, our stitches are smallerthan some other people, right?
Think about that.
The tighter you're holding theyarn, the more compact the
stitches are, the smaller that'sgoing to be.
Now on the reverse of that, ifyou know somebody who works
(05:17):
their stitches a little moreloose and Those stitches are
going to be bigger, they'regoing to use more yarn, and
overall they're gonna measuredifferently than compared to
somebody like me who crochetstighter.
We all crochet a littledifferent, and with that comes
slight variations in how wecrochet the same project.
(05:38):
So gauge is really used as areference point to make sure
that you can recreate somethingthat's the same size that I can
create.
Its sole purpose is to makesure that when you follow a
pattern, that it will one, turnout the size the pattern claims,
and two, that you have justenough yarn to finish the
(05:58):
project.
Kind of a big deal, right?
Okay, I'm glad we're on thesame page.
So gauge is measured institches, on the horizontal and
rows on the vertical.
So you've got a verticalmeasurement and you have a
horizontal measurement.
The horizontal measurement,always remember, is in stitches.
The vertical measurement isalways in rows.
(06:20):
Now, when you see it in yourpattern, it'll look something
like this.
It might say something like 14stitches and eight rows equals
four inches.
Okay, so what on earth doesthat mean?
Well, that means that 14stitches should measure four
inches wide and eight rowsshould also measure four inches
(06:42):
tall.
It's pretty basic stuff whenyou spell it out like this, but
really the questions arise whenthings don't measure up right.
So let's go ahead and get intothose questions.
Our first question comes fromStation Owl, who wants to know
if the gauge is different,meaning you measure something
different in one or bothhorizontal or vertical
(07:04):
measurements than you seeprinted on the pattern.
If the gauge is different,instead of changing the hook
size, can you just adjust thesize of the garment instead?
Now, we are starting off strongand complicated with this one.
This question is a great one,but it's also not cut and dry
(07:26):
because you could really say yesor no either way here.
I want to approach thesituation in an objective way so
that you can make the bestdecision for your particular
case.
So the short answer to thisquestion is yes, you can
technically adjust the size ofthe panels in your garments if
your gauge doesn't match to sortof make up the difference.
(07:47):
However, this approach won't bethe easiest and you might find
that making another swatch witha different size hook and just
getting the gauge right in thefirst place will be the easier
and probably the safer approach.
Since gauge is a factor thatpieces together the overall size
of the garment, you'll have tomake adjustments to every single
(08:09):
panel based on your own gaugeif you're going rogue.
That can be really timeconsuming and it can also strip
you of the confidence that it'llturn out right.
One of the greatest thingsabout working a pattern is that
you can sort of tune out, right?
You just follow theinstructions and you're
confident that as long as youdid your gauge correctly and you
(08:30):
measured everything up as itshould, ideally that project
should go without any question.
The size will turn out as youexpect, you'll have enough yarn
and everything will be perfect.
Fine and wonderful.
But gauge is really the onlything that gives you that peace
of mind.
So if you're going rogue andyou're sort of throwing that out
(08:51):
and you just want to use yourown gauge, what you're
comfortable working with or whattools you have available, and
you're just changing the size ofthe garment, well, you sort of
lose that peace of mind.
That being said, I do thinkthis can be a fun exercise for
somebody who's trying to improvetheir designing or their
pattern grading skills.
(09:13):
But I wouldn't really recommendit unless you have a good grasp
on how the garment comestogether and how gauge works
with that.
And if you're reallycomfortable with the
measurements and what you knowthey need to be.
And again, you're alsocomfortable with maybe having to
order more yarn if you don'thave enough or having some
leftover yarn if you have toomuch.
(09:33):
So yes, you can change the sizeof your garment, but I would
strongly suggest that you justtry to alter the gauge first.
I think it'll be much easier ifyou take that approach, unless,
of course, you're looking for achallenge.
I do think it could be quitefun.
Now that's in the morecomplicated sense, right?
(09:54):
When you think of projectsbased on how complicated they
are, garments are pretty high onthat scale.
So let's look at it in a muchmore basic sense.
Let's say you're working on ascarf, something that's just one
really big long rectangle,right?
If your gauge doesn't matchexactly and you would rather
(10:16):
just say, okay, I know thisneeds to be 10 inches wide.
I'm just going to make enoughchains and work my first row so
that it measures 10 inches wideand I'm good to go from there.
It's so much safer and easierto do it in that instance
because you just have one simpleand basic shape.
The sizing isn't too incrediblyimportant.
(10:36):
If it's a little wider or alittle skinnier, it's not a big
deal.
But the one thing that youshould keep in mind when doing
that is of course the yarnrequirements.
If you're not off by a wholelot, you'll probably be okay.
But if you're off by a lot, ifyou're using a lot more yarn, if
you're working more stitches,then you might need more yarn.
(10:56):
So just keep that in mind.
If you're making anyadjustments to the size of your
pattern because you don't wantto change your gauge, just know
that you've sort of taken awaythat security blanket of the
sizing and the yarnrequirements, okay?
All right, our next questioncomes from a creative mama who
(11:20):
wants to know what to do ifyou've tried different hooks and
you still can't get it right.
This is another fun questionthat doesn't have an incredibly
straightforward answer, but I'lldo my best to break it down for
you here.
So if you find yourself in thissituation, first ask yourself
what part of the gauge is off?
Is it the stitch count or therow count?
(11:42):
Because you really do need totreat them differently.
Now, if the stitch count is offand you can't make it work with
different hooks, the firstplace I would look is your
measuring technique.
This is one of the things thattrips a lot of people up.
Their gauge might be perfectlyfine, but they could be
measuring it incorrectly.
(12:02):
So the first piece of advicethat I have for you with
measuring is to use a gaugetool.
If you have one at yourdisposal, use that because it
sort of blocks out all of theother stuff in the background.
And it just has a little windowand it just makes it easier to
count.
(12:22):
The other benefit to having agauge measuring tool like that
is that they're usually a rigidmeasuring device.
So they're not like a tapemeasure or something floppy that
can move around on you.
Now you don't have to have agauge tool.
You could use a hard ruler,like something that you would
send your kids to school with.
And some hook sets will evencome with just like a short,
(12:45):
hard plastic ruler.
When you're measuring, makesure that you align the very
edge of the first stitch thatyou're going to count with the
line, like the first tick markin your ruler.
That part's really important.
Be as exact as you possiblycan.
I like to stand over top of ittoo, because sometimes if you're
(13:08):
looking at it from a differentangle, it can look like it's
right on the edge, but it mightnot actually be.
So try to stand right over topof it, place that tick mark
right at the edge of the firststitch you wanna count, and then
count over from there.
Now, the other thing thatusually will get people in a
twist is not counting the airspace in between the stitches,
(13:32):
specifically at the end.
So let's say you're countingthe number of stitches in four
inches and you've counted allthe way to 14 and that four inch
tick mark actually accounts forsome of the air space in
between that 14th and the 15thstitch.
That airspace is still part ofyour gauge, so you need to
(13:54):
factor that into it as well.
It's not actually 14 stitches,it's 14 point something.
And I know it gets really nittygritty when you break it down
this much, but really to be asaccurate as you possibly can,
you need to be as detailed asyou possibly can.
Now, if you're confident in howyou've measured, you know
(14:16):
you've done all of thiscorrectly, I like to do a little
calculating with the swatchthat matches the stitch count in
my gauge the closest.
Remember this, gauge is afactor.
That means it's a multiplier.
It's not just a one and donekind of deal.
So ask yourself these threequestions.
What's the total project width?
(14:37):
How many times does your gaugemeasurement, you know, that inch
number, How many times doesthat divide into that width?
And by how many stitches orfractions of stitches are you
off?
If you answer those threequestions, you can plug them
into a really simple equationand do some sort of damage
(14:57):
control before you start.
So you can actually tell, okay,is this going to be a big, huge
deal if I'm off by a half astitch or a quarter of a stitch?
So here's an example.
Let's say your total projectwidth is 16 inches.
My gauge stitch width is fourinches and 16 divided by four is
(15:21):
four.
That's your multiplier.
Your total project widthdivided by the number of inches
that's in your gauge, that'syour multiplier.
Now let's say you're off by ahalf a stitch and you measure
four stitches per inch, ratherthan three and a half stitches
per inch, which is what you seein your gauge.
(15:43):
So 0.5, a half, times four istwo.
So even though you're only offby a half a stitch, what this
means is that if you continuewith this gauge, with this
slight little variation that youhave, your project will be two
inches wider.
18 inches rather than 16 inchesmight be a big deal.
(16:05):
If you're talking about agarment, that's one extra inch
of ease.
It's going to be bigger.
But then again, for somethinglike a scarf, if it's two inches
wider, it might not make orbreak that project.
Now, it might change the amountof yarn that you have to have
in order to finish that, and itprobably will, but it's okay,
(16:27):
right?
It's not gonna make a big, hugedifference if your scarf is two
inches wider than the patternsays.
If you're okay with that, thenyou could move forward knowing
that, okay, I'll probably needmore yarn, and it's just gonna
be a little wider.
but taking it back to thosegarments or hats or anything
where the sizing of a project isreally important, two inches
(16:51):
can be a really big deal and twoinches could be a make or break
deal.
Here's the bottom line.
If you've tried every singlecrochet hook and you still can't
get it right, it's best if youchange the tension on your yarn.
So we're still on that questionof what to do if you've tried
different hooks and you stillcan't get it right.
The first thing I would do isdo everything you can to
(17:15):
possibly get it right.
Make sure you're measuringproperly.
Do a little damage control.
See if that little differencethat you have is going to be a
deal breaker or not.
But let's say if you don't meetthose requirements, if it is a
big deal, if your sizing is offand you still can't create a
swatch where your gauge matches,the next thing you'll need to
(17:39):
look at is your tension.
how tight you're holding theyarn as you're working your
stitches.
Now, here's a good rule ofthumb.
If you count fewer stitches perinch, then try holding the yarn
a little bit tighter.
That's going to make yourstitches a little more condensed
and you might make up for thatdifference.
Now, if you count more stitchesper inch, try holding the yarn
(18:03):
a little more loosely.
That'll make your stitches alittle bit bigger and hopefully
match your gauge.
So what I would do in thisinstance is use whichever hook
gets you as close as possible tothe gauge in your pattern and
then use one of thesetechniques, either holding the
yarn tighter if you're countingfewer stitches or holding the
(18:26):
yarn a little more loose ifyou're counting more stitches
per inch.
When I find myself in thissituation, It's hard.
It's really difficult to makethese adjustments because
crocheting stitches is more likemuscle memory.
After we've done it so manytimes, we've crocheted thousands
and thousands of doublecrochets or whatever stitch
you're working on.
(18:46):
It's muscle memory.
It's hard to change the way youcrochet.
And so that's why this isn'treally a great scenario, but it
is a realistic one.
If I need to tighten up on mygauge, which because I crochet
so tight, I usually don't haveto do this, but I will add an
extra wrap around my pinky.
I'm one of the people, ifyou've seen any of my tutorials,
(19:09):
I like to wrap my working yarnaround my pinky, run it under my
middle and ring finger, andthen sort of let it flow over
top of my index finger on myleft hand because I'm
right-handed.
If I need to tighten up mytension, I'll just make two
wraps around my pinky.
And that really is thedifference that I need.
If I'm looking to make mystitches more loose, and this
(19:31):
one is definitely more practicalfor me, I remove that wrap from
my pinky so that I'm justletting the yarn flow sort of
under my hand as a whole, sounder my pinky ring finger and
middle finger, and just lettingit go over top of my index
finger.
And the only thing that I amusing to control the tension is
(19:53):
me pinching my middle finger andmy index finger together.
Because I've lost that wrap onmy pinky, it just naturally
makes me hold my tension moreloose.
So I can usually crochet looserand I can get my gauge to
match.
For some projects, subtledifferences really are less
critical.
Just know that if you're unableto meet the width part of your
(20:16):
gauge measurement, you can'tfully depend on the
measurements, so like the totalsize, the finished size of the
project, or the yarnrequirements.
But what if you're not havingtrouble with the stitch
measurement, but rather the rowmeasurement?
And after looking at yourquestions coming through my
Instagram stories, I found thatseveral of you are having this
(20:37):
problem.
You're good with the widthmeasurement, but you're
struggling with the rowmeasurement.
So here's what I would do inthat scenario.
The most important takeawayfrom this point is that the row
height portion of your gaugereally isn't about hook size at
all.
It's addressing the way youwork your stitches, specifically
(20:58):
how high you pull up on yourloops as you work each stitch.
So if your rows are shorterthan the gauge, try pulling up
higher on your stitches.
And alternatively, if your rowsare taller, then try working
the stitches closer to the hookand not pulling up so high.
Now, I sort of have the worstof both worlds here.
(21:20):
I hold the tension on my yarnpretty tight, so my stitches are
already pretty condensed, but Ialso like to work the stitches
really close to my hook, so whenI do a yarn over and pull
through sort of that firstmotion of the stitch, I'm not
pulling up very high at all.
In fact, I'm keeping that yarnas close to the hook as
possible, and because of that,not only are my stitches more
(21:42):
condensed because the tension'stighter, but my rows are more
condensed because Because I'mnot pulling up as high.
I would sort of take this onein strides.
If you know that your widthmeasurement is good, you don't
need to change your hook size inorder to meet this second
requirement.
What I would recommend is worka few more rows.
(22:04):
You could make another swatchtoo or you could really do it
within the same one as long asyou know where you made the
adjustment and try working yourstitches either closer or
farther away from the hook.
So pulling up higher or notpulling up as much to see if you
can make up for whateverdifference you're off.
If you're off by just a littlebit, like a fraction of a row,
(22:29):
you'll most likely be able toget it worked out by doing this.
But let's say you're off by awhole lot, you're off by a whole
row by the time you work fouror five or however many rows are
within your gauge.
Well, in those cases, it mightbe easier as long as you have
the measurement for the piecethat you're working on or the
(22:50):
panel for your garment, then youcould potentially just change
your row count or change thenumber of rows.
Now, As with changing anypattern, I would do this with
caution.
Make sure you're completelycomfortable with what you're
doing, you fully understand whatyou're doing, and you have the
full picture of what the projectis supposed to be, as well as
(23:14):
the stitch multiple, so the rowmultiple that you might be
working on.
Adjustments like this are mucheasier to make when you're just
using a single stitch or astitch that doesn't really have
a multiple, versus when you'reworking on a stitch pattern that
maybe works across a multipleof 10 rows.
That's going to be a lot harderto change and you might find it
(23:36):
easier to just change the styleof your crocheting a little bit
to match that gauge.
Now along those lines, New YorkFirst wants to know which is
more important, your width oryour height measurement in terms
of gauge.
To this, I would have to saythe right answer is both because
the purpose of matching gaugein the first place is so that
(23:59):
you're confident that yourproject will be the right size
and that you'll have enough yarnto finish the project.
So that's the right answer.
But if you want my honestanswer, I would say the width
part or the number of stitchesper inch.
We know that the width part ofthe gauge affects all with
(24:19):
portions of that project.
And since it's a factor, makingadjustments requires more
knowledge of the pattern thanyou may have or more work than
you're willing to put into it.
The height portion I think iseasier to adjust, especially if
you have those target lengthslike we were just talking about.
So sometimes I'll just look atthat target measurement, that
(24:41):
length, and work my rows until Imeet that amount.
but that isn't always the case.
So remember, the right answeris that they're both important
and you should do everything youpossibly can to match them
both, width and height, foreverything to work out smoothly.
But if you're gonna fudge it alittle bit, I think you can get
(25:02):
away with it a little easier inthe height portion of your
gauge.
Are you still with me here?
I know gauge is such an in oneear, out the other ear kind of
topic.
It's really easy to gloss over.
But that's why I'm breaking itinto two episodes.
I want to make sure I have yourfull attention so that you can
soak it in.
And if you have to listen tothis episode more than once to
(25:25):
let it sink in, will you just goright ahead and do so?
So our last question comes fromDK Crochets, who wants to know
how to make adjustments whenit's off from the pattern.
This is a wonderful question toend on.
Because this is the number onequestion you have when you first
learn about gauge, you've madeyour swatch, and it's off.
(25:48):
Then what?
This is the next thing you needto know.
So here are your two goldenrules for stitch count, and if
your stitch count is off fromyour gauge.
If you count more stitches perinch, go up a hook size and make
your swatch again.
or if you count fewer stitchesper inch, go down a hook size
(26:12):
and swatch again.
Okay, fewer stitches go down,more stitches go up.
All right, now here are yourtwo golden rules for row count
and if your row count is off.
If you count more rows perinch, work your stitches closer
to the hook.
In other words, don't pull upso high.
(26:33):
And if you count fewer rows perinch, pull up a little higher
when you work your stitches,okay?
So more rows, closer to thehook.
Fewer rows, pull up a littlehigher.
Okay, so if you're justcompletely confused by Gage, or
maybe this is the first you'relearning of it at all, that last
(26:55):
part should be your biggesttakeaway from this episode.
Because like I said, it'sreally that first checkpoint.
It's the first question you askwhen you realize something is
wrong.
Now, this sure was a lot ofinformation.
So let's do a little recap tomake sure it all sinks in.
First and foremost, gauge isn'tsomething you should overlook
(27:16):
because it's the thing thatmakes sure your project, the
thing that you invest hours andhours and lots of money into
buying the yarn, it's the onlything that makes sure your
project will fit and that youhave the right amount of yarn to
finish it.
We do this because it'ssomething we love, because it
calms us, it relaxes us.
And there is nothing relaxingabout working on a project and
(27:40):
it not working out right.
When it's too big or it's toosmall or you don't have enough
yarn...
You don't need to deal with anyof that stuff.
Just try to set yourself up forsuccess right at the start.
Make sure everything matches sothat you really can enjoy the
process.
That's the whole basis for mesaying that yarn does more for
(28:01):
us than make pretty things.
I mean, yeah, it makes verypretty things and we love to
wear the things and gift thethings that we make.
But I think it's also safe tosay that just as much as we
enjoy wearing or gifting things,our projects, we enjoy the
process, for me personally, evenmore.
(28:21):
So if something like Gage, apotentially confusing topic, is
throwing me off, that's notenjoyable anymore.
And the process isn't funanymore.
So let's just make a commitmenthere and now that you will do
everything that you can tounderstand Gage and its
importance and you won'toverlook it just because you
(28:44):
don't understand something aboutit.
There are so many people inthis community who are willing
to help and who are happy toanswer questions, myself
included.
If you have questions that wehaven't covered here or, you
know, of course in next week'sepisode when that one is
available, leave your questionson the show notes page,
behooked.com slash 130.
(29:04):
Myself or somebody in thecommunity will be happy to help
you out through this process.
All right, still recappinghere.
The next important takeawayfrom this episode is that gauge
is given in stitches per inchand rows per inch.
Many times patterns will listyour gauge in four inches.
(29:26):
Sometimes you'll see two inchesand every now and then you'll
see one inch.
but really being listed in fourinches or bigger, that really
is the best practice for gradingpatterns because in those
instances you have a biggersample size so you know your
measurements are more accuratewith more certainty, but I don't
(29:46):
want to bore you withstatistics and how or why all of
that works.
All you need to know is themaker of that pattern is how to
convert that into stitches orrows per one inch.
So to do that, you'll take yournumber of rows or your number
of stitches and divide that byyour inch measurement.
(30:07):
So an example for that, if yourgauge is 16 stitches equals
four inches, you divide 16 byfour, which gives you four.
So you should have fourstitches per inch.
It works the same way for rowsas well.
In some cases, you won't have awhole number.
Don't round up.
because that rounding could bethe difference between a project
(30:30):
that fits and one that doesn't.
So just write it out however itis.
If it ends up being three and ahalf stitches per one inch,
that's your gauge, friend.
Don't round up.
We also talked about two goldenrules for stitch count, and
they are, one, if you count morestitches per inch, go up a hook
(30:51):
size and make your swatchagain.
or if you count fewer stitchesper inch, go down a hook size
and swatch again.
Your two golden rules for rowcount and the adjustments that
you might need to make there arethat if you count more rows per
inch, you'll work your stitchescloser to the hook.
(31:11):
And two, if you count fewerrows per inch, just pull up a
little higher when you work yourstitches.
We also talked about what to doif you can't match your gauge.
And if you can't seem to matchit no matter which hook you use,
try changing your tension orthe way you're holding the yarn.
How tight is the yarn as itcomes through your fingers?
Hold it tighter if yourmeasurement is too big or loosen
(31:35):
up if your measurement is toosmall.
And the final thing I want torecap here is that when it comes
to changing the pattern overchanging your gauge, Just
proceed with caution.
It can be done, but you'll beflying solo, and then some of
those crutches in the patternthat make you confident in your
size and your yarn requirements,they won't be there anymore.
With this approach, you'reessentially rewriting parts of
(31:58):
the pattern, so only tackle thisif you're looking to either
improve your understanding or ifyou just like a good challenge.
Something like this, of course,will be much simpler with a
project like a scarf, so maybeyou start there first.
All right, I will be back nextweek with more answers to your
gauge questions.
So if you haven't subscribed tothe show yet and you don't want
(32:19):
to miss that one, then do thatnow.
Subscribe on your podcastplayer now so you don't forget.
Thank you so much for tuning intoday.
And a big thank you to those ofyou who submitted these
questions.
This was such a fun episode forme to put together.
But aside from that, it's areally needed resource.
There are clearly a lot ofquestions that are circling
(32:40):
about gauge.
It's clearly a topic that'svery fuzzy for a lot of you.
And it's my job to try to helpyou get better and to help you
be a better crocheter.
Oh yeah, and one last thingbefore I go.
If you enjoyed this style ofepisode, the what you wanted to
know type, and you want to getin on the next one because
you've missed submitting yourquestion here, then make sure
(33:01):
you follow me on Instagram atBeHooked and then watch for my
stories for the nextopportunity.
Okay, great.
Have a wonderful weekend.
Bye-bye.
You're listening to The Be Hooked Podcast, episode
130, with Brittany.
Well, hey there.
(00:32):
Welcome to episode 130 of theBe Oaked podcast, the place
where we love yarn, we love tolearn, and we truly believe yarn
can do more for us than justmake pretty things.
Am I right?
Well, if you're new to theshow, first of all, welcome.
My name is Brittany and I'myour host here on the show.
And today I have a specialtreat for you.
We're going to do another oneof those what you wanted to know
(00:55):
episodes because you all wentpretty crazy over the first one.
In episode 124, I turned to mycommunity on Instagram to see
exactly what you wanted to knowabout fiber.
Well, this week, I turned to myInstagram community once again
and asked what you wanted toknow about gauge.
So that's what we're talkingabout today.
If you missed the opportunityto submit a question for today's
(01:19):
show from my Instagram stories,don't worry, we'll have more
episodes like this in thefuture.
So to get in on thoseopportunities in the future for
more episodes like this one,you'll first need to follow me
on Instagram.
My handle is at bhooked, that'sB-H-O-O-K-E-D.
When you follow me, you'll beable to see my stories.
(01:41):
You know those little circlesat the top of your home feed?
Those are stories.
So when I'm preparing the nextWhat You Wanted to Know episode,
I'll share a story with thetopic that we'll be discussing,
and you'll see a place for youto submit your question.
So when you see me pop up instories, be on the lookout for
those posts and submit yourquestion.
(02:03):
As you know, if you're familiarwith Instagram, stories are
only live for 24 hours, sothere's kind of a short window
for you to be able to get yourquestions in.
That's why you want to followme and keep an eye on my
stories.
Now here's how it works fromthere.
I'll answer as many of thosequestions that I can cram into
one episode, with the exceptionof this one.
(02:24):
There were so many questionsthat came in for Gage, what you
want to know and what you needto know about Gage, that I
decided to break it into twoepisodes so I can answer as many
questions as I possibly can.
Gauge is sort of a big dealwhen it comes to following
patterns.
It can be the differencebetween a project that fits and
(02:46):
one that doesn't.
It can also be the differencebetween having enough yarn or
running out mid-project.
Bottom line, if you plan tofollow patterns any time in the
near future, you'll want to soakup as much information as you
can about gauge.
Before I get to some of yourquestions, I want to remind you
(03:06):
that the show notes can be foundat behooked.com slash 130.
I will link to any resources Imentioned there so you can just
have easy access to them.
And of course, if you have anyadditional questions or perhaps
you have tips for others in thecommunity, feel free to leave
that in the comments section.
That space is really there foryou to utilize.
You can communicate with oneanother so that you can
(03:28):
communicate with me.
And I really love to see whatquestions you have and what tips
you have as well.
So you can find all of that onthe show notes page.
Once again, it's be hooked.comslash 130.
All right, first things first,I want to explain what gauge is
for the questions that came infrom those who just really need
all the help they can get.
(03:48):
They're brand new to thiscrochet thing.
Maybe they've been doing it fora while, but they just can't
get a grasp on gauge and what itmeans and more importantly, why
they should even care.
So let's start super basic.
Gauge is a measure of stitchesand rows per inch, and its
entire purpose is to bridge thegap between different crochet
(04:12):
styles.
I'm not talking about Tunisiancrochet versus standard crochet.
I'm talking about the uniqueway that you form your stitches
compared to the unique way thatI form my stitches or some other
designer forms their stitches.
Have you ever heard someone saythat they crochet really tight
or maybe really loose?
(04:32):
I know I've said it hereseveral times on the show.
I crochet tighter than mostpeople do.
That's just how I learned.
That's how I am comfortableholding the hook and the needle.
I think it sort of stemmed frommy perfectionism to some
extent.
I wanted to make sure everysingle stitch was as even as
possible so I would hold theyarn a little tighter, my
(04:53):
tension was tighter, andtherefore my stitches are
tighter.
So what does that mean for meand perhaps for you if you also
work your stitches tighter?
Well, our stitches are smallerthan some other people, right?
Think about that.
The tighter you're holding theyarn, the more compact the
stitches are, the smaller that'sgoing to be.
Now on the reverse of that, ifyou know somebody who works
(05:17):
their stitches a little moreloose and Those stitches are
going to be bigger, they'regoing to use more yarn, and
overall they're gonna measuredifferently than compared to
somebody like me who crochetstighter.
We all crochet a littledifferent, and with that comes
slight variations in how wecrochet the same project.
(05:38):
So gauge is really used as areference point to make sure
that you can recreate somethingthat's the same size that I can
create.
Its sole purpose is to makesure that when you follow a
pattern, that it will one, turnout the size the pattern claims,
and two, that you have justenough yarn to finish the
(05:58):
project.
Kind of a big deal, right?
Okay, I'm glad we're on thesame page.
So gauge is measured institches, on the horizontal and
rows on the vertical.
So you've got a verticalmeasurement and you have a
horizontal measurement.
The horizontal measurement,always remember, is in stitches.
The vertical measurement isalways in rows.
(06:20):
Now, when you see it in yourpattern, it'll look something
like this.
It might say something like 14stitches and eight rows equals
four inches.
Okay, so what on earth doesthat mean?
Well, that means that 14stitches should measure four
inches wide and eight rowsshould also measure four inches
(06:42):
tall.
It's pretty basic stuff whenyou spell it out like this, but
really the questions arise whenthings don't measure up right.
So let's go ahead and get intothose questions.
Our first question comes fromStation Owl, who wants to know
if the gauge is different,meaning you measure something
different in one or bothhorizontal or vertical
(07:04):
measurements than you seeprinted on the pattern.
If the gauge is different,instead of changing the hook
size, can you just adjust thesize of the garment instead?
Now, we are starting off strongand complicated with this one.
This question is a great one,but it's also not cut and dry
(07:26):
because you could really say yesor no either way here.
I want to approach thesituation in an objective way so
that you can make the bestdecision for your particular
case.
So the short answer to thisquestion is yes, you can
technically adjust the size ofthe panels in your garments if
your gauge doesn't match to sortof make up the difference.
(07:47):
However, this approach won't bethe easiest and you might find
that making another swatch witha different size hook and just
getting the gauge right in thefirst place will be the easier
and probably the safer approach.
Since gauge is a factor thatpieces together the overall size
of the garment, you'll have tomake adjustments to every single
(08:09):
panel based on your own gaugeif you're going rogue.
That can be really timeconsuming and it can also strip
you of the confidence that it'llturn out right.
One of the greatest thingsabout working a pattern is that
you can sort of tune out, right?
You just follow theinstructions and you're
confident that as long as youdid your gauge correctly and you
(08:30):
measured everything up as itshould, ideally that project
should go without any question.
The size will turn out as youexpect, you'll have enough yarn
and everything will be perfect.
Fine and wonderful.
But gauge is really the onlything that gives you that peace
of mind.
So if you're going rogue andyou're sort of throwing that out
(08:51):
and you just want to use yourown gauge, what you're
comfortable working with or whattools you have available, and
you're just changing the size ofthe garment, well, you sort of
lose that peace of mind.
That being said, I do thinkthis can be a fun exercise for
somebody who's trying to improvetheir designing or their
pattern grading skills.
(09:13):
But I wouldn't really recommendit unless you have a good grasp
on how the garment comestogether and how gauge works
with that.
And if you're reallycomfortable with the
measurements and what you knowthey need to be.
And again, you're alsocomfortable with maybe having to
order more yarn if you don'thave enough or having some
leftover yarn if you have toomuch.
(09:33):
So yes, you can change the sizeof your garment, but I would
strongly suggest that you justtry to alter the gauge first.
I think it'll be much easier ifyou take that approach, unless,
of course, you're looking for achallenge.
I do think it could be quitefun.
Now that's in the morecomplicated sense, right?
(09:54):
When you think of projectsbased on how complicated they
are, garments are pretty high onthat scale.
So let's look at it in a muchmore basic sense.
Let's say you're working on ascarf, something that's just one
really big long rectangle,right?
If your gauge doesn't matchexactly and you would rather
(10:16):
just say, okay, I know thisneeds to be 10 inches wide.
I'm just going to make enoughchains and work my first row so
that it measures 10 inches wideand I'm good to go from there.
It's so much safer and easierto do it in that instance
because you just have one simpleand basic shape.
The sizing isn't too incrediblyimportant.
(10:36):
If it's a little wider or alittle skinnier, it's not a big
deal.
But the one thing that youshould keep in mind when doing
that is of course the yarnrequirements.
If you're not off by a wholelot, you'll probably be okay.
But if you're off by a lot, ifyou're using a lot more yarn, if
you're working more stitches,then you might need more yarn.
(10:56):
So just keep that in mind.
If you're making anyadjustments to the size of your
pattern because you don't wantto change your gauge, just know
that you've sort of taken awaythat security blanket of the
sizing and the yarnrequirements, okay?
All right, our next questioncomes from a creative mama who
(11:20):
wants to know what to do ifyou've tried different hooks and
you still can't get it right.
This is another fun questionthat doesn't have an incredibly
straightforward answer, but I'lldo my best to break it down for
you here.
So if you find yourself in thissituation, first ask yourself
what part of the gauge is off?
Is it the stitch count or therow count?
(11:42):
Because you really do need totreat them differently.
Now, if the stitch count is offand you can't make it work with
different hooks, the firstplace I would look is your
measuring technique.
This is one of the things thattrips a lot of people up.
Their gauge might be perfectlyfine, but they could be
measuring it incorrectly.
(12:02):
So the first piece of advicethat I have for you with
measuring is to use a gaugetool.
If you have one at yourdisposal, use that because it
sort of blocks out all of theother stuff in the background.
And it just has a little windowand it just makes it easier to
count.
(12:22):
The other benefit to having agauge measuring tool like that
is that they're usually a rigidmeasuring device.
So they're not like a tapemeasure or something floppy that
can move around on you.
Now you don't have to have agauge tool.
You could use a hard ruler,like something that you would
send your kids to school with.
And some hook sets will evencome with just like a short,
(12:45):
hard plastic ruler.
When you're measuring, makesure that you align the very
edge of the first stitch thatyou're going to count with the
line, like the first tick markin your ruler.
That part's really important.
Be as exact as you possiblycan.
I like to stand over top of ittoo, because sometimes if you're
(13:08):
looking at it from a differentangle, it can look like it's
right on the edge, but it mightnot actually be.
So try to stand right over topof it, place that tick mark
right at the edge of the firststitch you wanna count, and then
count over from there.
Now, the other thing thatusually will get people in a
twist is not counting the airspace in between the stitches,
(13:32):
specifically at the end.
So let's say you're countingthe number of stitches in four
inches and you've counted allthe way to 14 and that four inch
tick mark actually accounts forsome of the air space in
between that 14th and the 15thstitch.
That airspace is still part ofyour gauge, so you need to
(13:54):
factor that into it as well.
It's not actually 14 stitches,it's 14 point something.
And I know it gets really nittygritty when you break it down
this much, but really to be asaccurate as you possibly can,
you need to be as detailed asyou possibly can.
Now, if you're confident in howyou've measured, you know
(14:16):
you've done all of thiscorrectly, I like to do a little
calculating with the swatchthat matches the stitch count in
my gauge the closest.
Remember this, gauge is afactor.
That means it's a multiplier.
It's not just a one and donekind of deal.
So ask yourself these threequestions.
What's the total project width?
(14:37):
How many times does your gaugemeasurement, you know, that inch
number, How many times doesthat divide into that width?
And by how many stitches orfractions of stitches are you
off?
If you answer those threequestions, you can plug them
into a really simple equationand do some sort of damage
(14:57):
control before you start.
So you can actually tell, okay,is this going to be a big, huge
deal if I'm off by a half astitch or a quarter of a stitch?
So here's an example.
Let's say your total projectwidth is 16 inches.
My gauge stitch width is fourinches and 16 divided by four is
(15:21):
four.
That's your multiplier.
Your total project widthdivided by the number of inches
that's in your gauge, that'syour multiplier.
Now let's say you're off by ahalf a stitch and you measure
four stitches per inch, ratherthan three and a half stitches
per inch, which is what you seein your gauge.
(15:43):
So 0.5, a half, times four istwo.
So even though you're only offby a half a stitch, what this
means is that if you continuewith this gauge, with this
slight little variation that youhave, your project will be two
inches wider.
18 inches rather than 16 inchesmight be a big deal.
(16:05):
If you're talking about agarment, that's one extra inch
of ease.
It's going to be bigger.
But then again, for somethinglike a scarf, if it's two inches
wider, it might not make orbreak that project.
Now, it might change the amountof yarn that you have to have
in order to finish that, and itprobably will, but it's okay,
(16:27):
right?
It's not gonna make a big, hugedifference if your scarf is two
inches wider than the patternsays.
If you're okay with that, thenyou could move forward knowing
that, okay, I'll probably needmore yarn, and it's just gonna
be a little wider.
but taking it back to thosegarments or hats or anything
where the sizing of a project isreally important, two inches
(16:51):
can be a really big deal and twoinches could be a make or break
deal.
Here's the bottom line.
If you've tried every singlecrochet hook and you still can't
get it right, it's best if youchange the tension on your yarn.
So we're still on that questionof what to do if you've tried
different hooks and you stillcan't get it right.
The first thing I would do isdo everything you can to
(17:15):
possibly get it right.
Make sure you're measuringproperly.
Do a little damage control.
See if that little differencethat you have is going to be a
deal breaker or not.
But let's say if you don't meetthose requirements, if it is a
big deal, if your sizing is offand you still can't create a
swatch where your gauge matches,the next thing you'll need to
(17:39):
look at is your tension.
how tight you're holding theyarn as you're working your
stitches.
Now, here's a good rule ofthumb.
If you count fewer stitches perinch, then try holding the yarn
a little bit tighter.
That's going to make yourstitches a little more condensed
and you might make up for thatdifference.
Now, if you count more stitchesper inch, try holding the yarn
(18:03):
a little more loosely.
That'll make your stitches alittle bit bigger and hopefully
match your gauge.
So what I would do in thisinstance is use whichever hook
gets you as close as possible tothe gauge in your pattern and
then use one of thesetechniques, either holding the
yarn tighter if you're countingfewer stitches or holding the
(18:26):
yarn a little more loose ifyou're counting more stitches
per inch.
When I find myself in thissituation, It's hard.
It's really difficult to makethese adjustments because
crocheting stitches is more likemuscle memory.
After we've done it so manytimes, we've crocheted thousands
and thousands of doublecrochets or whatever stitch
you're working on.
(18:46):
It's muscle memory.
It's hard to change the way youcrochet.
And so that's why this isn'treally a great scenario, but it
is a realistic one.
If I need to tighten up on mygauge, which because I crochet
so tight, I usually don't haveto do this, but I will add an
extra wrap around my pinky.
I'm one of the people, ifyou've seen any of my tutorials,
(19:09):
I like to wrap my working yarnaround my pinky, run it under my
middle and ring finger, andthen sort of let it flow over
top of my index finger on myleft hand because I'm
right-handed.
If I need to tighten up mytension, I'll just make two
wraps around my pinky.
And that really is thedifference that I need.
If I'm looking to make mystitches more loose, and this
(19:31):
one is definitely more practicalfor me, I remove that wrap from
my pinky so that I'm justletting the yarn flow sort of
under my hand as a whole, sounder my pinky ring finger and
middle finger, and just lettingit go over top of my index
finger.
And the only thing that I amusing to control the tension is
(19:53):
me pinching my middle finger andmy index finger together.
Because I've lost that wrap onmy pinky, it just naturally
makes me hold my tension moreloose.
So I can usually crochet looserand I can get my gauge to
match.
For some projects, subtledifferences really are less
critical.
Just know that if you're unableto meet the width part of your
(20:16):
gauge measurement, you can'tfully depend on the
measurements, so like the totalsize, the finished size of the
project, or the yarnrequirements.
But what if you're not havingtrouble with the stitch
measurement, but rather the rowmeasurement?
And after looking at yourquestions coming through my
Instagram stories, I found thatseveral of you are having this
(20:37):
problem.
You're good with the widthmeasurement, but you're
struggling with the rowmeasurement.
So here's what I would do inthat scenario.
The most important takeawayfrom this point is that the row
height portion of your gaugereally isn't about hook size at
all.
It's addressing the way youwork your stitches, specifically
(20:58):
how high you pull up on yourloops as you work each stitch.
So if your rows are shorterthan the gauge, try pulling up
higher on your stitches.
And alternatively, if your rowsare taller, then try working
the stitches closer to the hookand not pulling up so high.
Now, I sort of have the worstof both worlds here.
(21:20):
I hold the tension on my yarnpretty tight, so my stitches are
already pretty condensed, but Ialso like to work the stitches
really close to my hook, so whenI do a yarn over and pull
through sort of that firstmotion of the stitch, I'm not
pulling up very high at all.
In fact, I'm keeping that yarnas close to the hook as
possible, and because of that,not only are my stitches more
(21:42):
condensed because the tension'stighter, but my rows are more
condensed because Because I'mnot pulling up as high.
I would sort of take this onein strides.
If you know that your widthmeasurement is good, you don't
need to change your hook size inorder to meet this second
requirement.
What I would recommend is worka few more rows.
(22:04):
You could make another swatchtoo or you could really do it
within the same one as long asyou know where you made the
adjustment and try working yourstitches either closer or
farther away from the hook.
So pulling up higher or notpulling up as much to see if you
can make up for whateverdifference you're off.
If you're off by just a littlebit, like a fraction of a row,
(22:29):
you'll most likely be able toget it worked out by doing this.
But let's say you're off by awhole lot, you're off by a whole
row by the time you work fouror five or however many rows are
within your gauge.
Well, in those cases, it mightbe easier as long as you have
the measurement for the piecethat you're working on or the
(22:50):
panel for your garment, then youcould potentially just change
your row count or change thenumber of rows.
Now, As with changing anypattern, I would do this with
caution.
Make sure you're completelycomfortable with what you're
doing, you fully understand whatyou're doing, and you have the
full picture of what the projectis supposed to be, as well as
(23:14):
the stitch multiple, so the rowmultiple that you might be
working on.
Adjustments like this are mucheasier to make when you're just
using a single stitch or astitch that doesn't really have
a multiple, versus when you'reworking on a stitch pattern that
maybe works across a multipleof 10 rows.
That's going to be a lot harderto change and you might find it
(23:36):
easier to just change the styleof your crocheting a little bit
to match that gauge.
Now along those lines, New YorkFirst wants to know which is
more important, your width oryour height measurement in terms
of gauge.
To this, I would have to saythe right answer is both because
the purpose of matching gaugein the first place is so that
(23:59):
you're confident that yourproject will be the right size
and that you'll have enough yarnto finish the project.
So that's the right answer.
But if you want my honestanswer, I would say the width
part or the number of stitchesper inch.
We know that the width part ofthe gauge affects all with
(24:19):
portions of that project.
And since it's a factor, makingadjustments requires more
knowledge of the pattern thanyou may have or more work than
you're willing to put into it.
The height portion I think iseasier to adjust, especially if
you have those target lengthslike we were just talking about.
So sometimes I'll just look atthat target measurement, that
(24:41):
length, and work my rows until Imeet that amount.
but that isn't always the case.
So remember, the right answeris that they're both important
and you should do everything youpossibly can to match them
both, width and height, foreverything to work out smoothly.
But if you're gonna fudge it alittle bit, I think you can get
(25:02):
away with it a little easier inthe height portion of your
gauge.
Are you still with me here?
I know gauge is such an in oneear, out the other ear kind of
topic.
It's really easy to gloss over.
But that's why I'm breaking itinto two episodes.
I want to make sure I have yourfull attention so that you can
soak it in.
And if you have to listen tothis episode more than once to
(25:25):
let it sink in, will you just goright ahead and do so?
So our last question comes fromDK Crochets, who wants to know
how to make adjustments whenit's off from the pattern.
This is a wonderful question toend on.
Because this is the number onequestion you have when you first
learn about gauge, you've madeyour swatch, and it's off.
(25:48):
Then what?
This is the next thing you needto know.
So here are your two goldenrules for stitch count, and if
your stitch count is off fromyour gauge.
If you count more stitches perinch, go up a hook size and make
your swatch again.
or if you count fewer stitchesper inch, go down a hook size
(26:12):
and swatch again.
Okay, fewer stitches go down,more stitches go up.
All right, now here are yourtwo golden rules for row count
and if your row count is off.
If you count more rows perinch, work your stitches closer
to the hook.
In other words, don't pull upso high.
(26:33):
And if you count fewer rows perinch, pull up a little higher
when you work your stitches,okay?
So more rows, closer to thehook.
Fewer rows, pull up a littlehigher.
Okay, so if you're justcompletely confused by Gage, or
maybe this is the first you'relearning of it at all, that last
(26:55):
part should be your biggesttakeaway from this episode.
Because like I said, it'sreally that first checkpoint.
It's the first question you askwhen you realize something is
wrong.
Now, this sure was a lot ofinformation.
So let's do a little recap tomake sure it all sinks in.
First and foremost, gauge isn'tsomething you should overlook
(27:16):
because it's the thing thatmakes sure your project, the
thing that you invest hours andhours and lots of money into
buying the yarn, it's the onlything that makes sure your
project will fit and that youhave the right amount of yarn to
finish it.
We do this because it'ssomething we love, because it
calms us, it relaxes us.
And there is nothing relaxingabout working on a project and
(27:40):
it not working out right.
When it's too big or it's toosmall or you don't have enough
yarn...
You don't need to deal with anyof that stuff.
Just try to set yourself up forsuccess right at the start.
Make sure everything matches sothat you really can enjoy the
process.
That's the whole basis for mesaying that yarn does more for
(28:01):
us than make pretty things.
I mean, yeah, it makes verypretty things and we love to
wear the things and gift thethings that we make.
But I think it's also safe tosay that just as much as we
enjoy wearing or gifting things,our projects, we enjoy the
process, for me personally, evenmore.
(28:21):
So if something like Gage, apotentially confusing topic, is
throwing me off, that's notenjoyable anymore.
And the process isn't funanymore.
So let's just make a commitmenthere and now that you will do
everything that you can tounderstand Gage and its
importance and you won'toverlook it just because you
(28:44):
don't understand something aboutit.
There are so many people inthis community who are willing
to help and who are happy toanswer questions, myself
included.
If you have questions that wehaven't covered here or, you
know, of course in next week'sepisode when that one is
available, leave your questionson the show notes page,
behooked.com slash 130.
(29:04):
Myself or somebody in thecommunity will be happy to help
you out through this process.
All right, still recappinghere.
The next important takeawayfrom this episode is that gauge
is given in stitches per inchand rows per inch.
Many times patterns will listyour gauge in four inches.
(29:26):
Sometimes you'll see two inchesand every now and then you'll
see one inch.
but really being listed in fourinches or bigger, that really
is the best practice for gradingpatterns because in those
instances you have a biggersample size so you know your
measurements are more accuratewith more certainty, but I don't
(29:46):
want to bore you withstatistics and how or why all of
that works.
All you need to know is themaker of that pattern is how to
convert that into stitches orrows per one inch.
So to do that, you'll take yournumber of rows or your number
of stitches and divide that byyour inch measurement.
(30:07):
So an example for that, if yourgauge is 16 stitches equals
four inches, you divide 16 byfour, which gives you four.
So you should have fourstitches per inch.
It works the same way for rowsas well.
In some cases, you won't have awhole number.
Don't round up.
because that rounding could bethe difference between a project
(30:30):
that fits and one that doesn't.
So just write it out however itis.
If it ends up being three and ahalf stitches per one inch,
that's your gauge, friend.
Don't round up.
We also talked about two goldenrules for stitch count, and
they are, one, if you count morestitches per inch, go up a hook
(30:51):
size and make your swatchagain.
or if you count fewer stitchesper inch, go down a hook size
and swatch again.
Your two golden rules for rowcount and the adjustments that
you might need to make there arethat if you count more rows per
inch, you'll work your stitchescloser to the hook.
(31:11):
And two, if you count fewerrows per inch, just pull up a
little higher when you work yourstitches.
We also talked about what to doif you can't match your gauge.
And if you can't seem to matchit no matter which hook you use,
try changing your tension orthe way you're holding the yarn.
How tight is the yarn as itcomes through your fingers?
Hold it tighter if yourmeasurement is too big or loosen
(31:35):
up if your measurement is toosmall.
And the final thing I want torecap here is that when it comes
to changing the pattern overchanging your gauge, Just
proceed with caution.
It can be done, but you'll beflying solo, and then some of
those crutches in the patternthat make you confident in your
size and your yarn requirements,they won't be there anymore.
With this approach, you'reessentially rewriting parts of
(31:58):
the pattern, so only tackle thisif you're looking to either
improve your understanding or ifyou just like a good challenge.
Something like this, of course,will be much simpler with a
project like a scarf, so maybeyou start there first.
All right, I will be back nextweek with more answers to your
gauge questions.
So if you haven't subscribed tothe show yet and you don't want
(32:19):
to miss that one, then do thatnow.
Subscribe on your podcastplayer now so you don't forget.
Thank you so much for tuning intoday.
And a big thank you to those ofyou who submitted these
questions.
This was such a fun episode forme to put together.
But aside from that, it's areally needed resource.
There are clearly a lot ofquestions that are circling
(32:40):
about gauge.
It's clearly a topic that'svery fuzzy for a lot of you.
And it's my job to try to helpyou get better and to help you
be a better crocheter.
Oh yeah, and one last thingbefore I go.
If you enjoyed this style ofepisode, the what you wanted to
know type, and you want to getin on the next one because
you've missed submitting yourquestion here, then make sure
(33:01):
you follow me on Instagram atBeHooked and then watch for my
stories for the nextopportunity.
Okay, great.
Have a wonderful weekend.
Bye-bye.
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