guage/needle selection question

[chita]

Hi all,

I'm hoping to start this pattern soon, and have a question about guage and the needles that are suggested.

I've never really don't a guage swatch before (terrible, I know); I just typically use the needles that they suggest and my works turn out fine for me (granted, I've only done a few hats and scarves, nothing that really takes sizing). What's the best way to do a swatch? And if I do choose to go with say, a size 5 or maybe 9 needle due to cost constraints, how do I determine by how much to alter the pattern?

Thank you so much in advance!!!

[Jan in CA]

I've never done a gauge swatch for a hat, but I do them religiously for sweaters. Frankly I don't think it wise to use a 9 instead of a 5. There is too much size difference so you'd need to use probably a bulky yarn and cast on way less.. I think you'd end up wanting to rip your lips off trying to figure it out...but maybe that's just me.

If you want to do a gauge swatch cast on enough for about 5 inches and then knit flat for 5 inches or so. You knit across the rs, then loosely loop the yarn across the back and knit across the right side, etc. You do this because it will simulate knitting in the round better.

[chita]

Hi Jan,

Thanks for the advice!

I'm not sure I understand what you mean about loosely lopping the yarn across the back with the guage swatch; does that mean I don't purl to create the stockinette stitch?

[suzeeq]

The pattern calls for a 5, but you can use another. For a hat, you don't really need to swatch, just start knitting and measure after a few inches to see if that's going to work. If it seems about right, keep going, if not, change needle size or adjust the stitch number. It doesn't take long to knit that much and will probably take as long as working a swatch. Basically, you want to figure your sts/inch and multiply times your head measurement, minus an inch or so.