Gauge in the round vs. "flat"

Mommy22alyns · 06-01-2007, 08:54 PM

Experienced knitters - does your gauge change depending on whether you're knitting flat or in the round?

I need to make a swatch for something that I want to knit in the round, but I don't have the right cable length yet. Will a flat swatch do, or will I need to make adjustments, or...?

Jan in CA · 06-02-2007, 02:08 AM

Yes, your gauge can change quite a bit. Many people's purls are looser so that is what affects it. If you can't knit a swatch in the round you can "cheat" by casting on however many you need so you can measure (that varies by yarn gauge) and then knit a row. Instead of turning LOOSELY strand the yarn across the back and start knitting another row, etc. The edges get wonky because of the way it's done, but if you cast on enough you should get enough in the middle to get correct gauge. Or as correct as any gauge is.

Knitting_Guy · 06-02-2007, 02:22 AM

My gauge changes depending on whether I am chewing gum or not.

nuknitter · 06-02-2007, 03:00 AM

Originally Posted by Knitting_Guy

My gauge changes depending on whether I am chewing gum or not.

...

Really?

Braden · 06-02-2007, 04:14 AM

Your gauge is definately going to change, experienced or not. The reason is because lots of us knit and purl at different tensions, and in the round, you are either all knitting, or all purling. I always do at least 2 swatches per project.

Great, now y'all think I'm weird.

KnitClickChick · 06-02-2007, 12:19 PM

I knit tighter in the round than flat. If I am going to be making something in the round, like socks, I always do the swatch in the round, and if making a project flat, I do the swatch in the flat.

Inis · 06-02-2007, 05:24 PM

Haha - Mason's a funny guy.

My stitches get tighter the longer I work on a project -- it's a problem I've had with crochet, too. I dunno why I do that!

I just finished my *first* pair of socks. The first was way looser than the second.