MAKING A CIRCULAR GAUGE

If you are knitting a project “in the round” it is a good idea / to make your gauge in the round, also.  When you knit circularly, you never turn and work across the back side of the knitting. The front of the work is always facing you and your gauge can be very different from when you do knit back and forth. A circular gauge can be much more accurate. It is very simple to do:

You will need either a pair of double-point needles, or a circular needle in the size that you plan to use for your project!

If your project is large, like a sweater or vest, you will need to do at least a four-inch wide swatch. {In a project that goes around the entire body, one fraction of a stitch-per-inch can really make a difference in the finished size of a garment!} You might consider making a hat to get a true gauge, or start the project with the sleeve.  A sleeve size may be adjusted by adding stitches as you knit upá!

If you are making a smaller project, such as a sock or glove, you only need to cast on as many stitches as you will need to make your gauge swatch about 2 inches wide.  Be sure to use the yarn you have chosen for your project!

Cast the stitches on your needle and then knit back and forth for a couple of rows (garter stitch) so that the bottom edge of your swatch doesn’t curl too badly.

After you have finished a right side row, slide your work, without turning, to the right side of your needle.

Make a loop with your working yarn behind the swatch.  Hold it firmly and then knit another row with the loop hanging at the back of your work.

Slide the work, again, to the right side of your needle, without purling it! Keep the loops LOOSE so that you swatch will lay flat.

Continue to work this way, sliding your work to the right side of your needle, leaving a loop, then knitting across again, without purling.

Your swatch should look like this on the front side….

and this on the back side!

Knit your swatch long enough so that you can measure an accurate stitch-per-inch guage and a row-per-inch height gauge. Bind off and save the swatch, or WRITE DOWN THE INFORMATION and un-knit your swatch (especially if you might not have enough yarn for your project!).
REMEMBER! Knitting a smaller piece tends to make a person knit tighter!  RELAX and try to knit as you would for your project.