Check your gauge: Three of the dirtiest words in knitting

Authors Note: This column also applies to crocheting.

Have you ever spent hours knitting a sweater only to find out it did not fit? Either it was too small or it ends up being large enough to fit multiples of you in it.

Well, did you check your gauge? Was it correct? Did you check your gauge while you were knitting?

Gauge is very important if you are trying to make something that will fit.

When you are knitting a garment you want to wear, or to give as a gift, you want to make sure your gauge is correct.

The definition of gauge is the number of stitches and rows per inch. Usually, you see this written out as so many stitches and rows equals four inches.

Gauge is not a math test, it is not there to annoy you, it is there to help you.

Every knitter is different and gauge is to help make sure the garment fits, instead of having to look for a way to get rid of it.

If you are going to spend hours creating a beautiful garment, why take a chance that it will not be worn? Gauge is the key to being happy with your finished garment.

Some patterns use the finished size of the knitted garment while others use body measurements to help you decide which stitches to follow. In order to tell which type they are using, you knit a gauge swatch. An entire pattern is written around a gauge swatch, so why shouldn’t you check to make sure yours is correct?

A half stitch, more or less, could alter your garment drastically.

Gauge should be a continuous effort and checked as you knit. There are many factors as to why your gauge changes. Was it a stressful day at work? Are the kids driving you up the wall? Have you been knitting for several hours? Since knitting is a form of relaxation, your gauge relaxes, too.

The types of knitting stitches you use can also affect your gauge. The main characteristic of ribbing is to “pull” in your knitting. This gives you more stitches per inch. Cables pull at your knitting, as well. Purl stitches are generally looser than knit stitches.

Projects are created for specific yarns and you may have to substitute the yarn. You need to know if it is suitable for your pattern. Does the gauge of the yarn match what is in the pattern? Do you like knitting with this yarn? Is it fuzzier than you first thought? Creating a gauge swatch gives you an idea of what is going to happen with the finished garment.

How do you measure your gauge swatch? Gauge is truly measured in the middle of your swatch. The first few stitches, cast on and bind off rows are different since you are creating an edge to the fabric. Make your swatch wider and taller than the area you are trying to measure. Gauge should be used to become familiar with the pattern stitches and yarn, knit until you are comfortable with what you are learning.

I once was told you should measure your gauge swatch before and after “finishing.”

Once you have bound off your swatch, toss it gently onto a flat surface. Let it sit there for a few minutes to relax. If it curls up too much, you are allowed to gently pat it flat. It will be a more accurate gauge if you do not pull and stretch your fabric. Stretching, even the teeny-weeny tiniest bit, can throw off your gauge and you will be knitting on the smaller side.

Grab your trusty gauge measurement tool, scrap paper and a trusty calculator. Count the stitches over three to four inches then divide the stitches by the number of inches. This will give you an average gauge. This is more accurate than counting the stitches in an inch. If your gauge turns out to be more stitches per inch than you need, try larger needles; if less, smaller.

Now, you can proceed to the “finishing” of your swatch. This must be done. How else are you going to know when you wash the yarn that it pills or felts or drapes badly?

However you are going to treat your final garment, hand-washing or machine-washing, is how you should treat your swatch. Do not wring or stretch your fabric after you have washed it. This stretches the stitches and we do not want that. Blocking, though a column unto itself, is basically to help the fabric lay flat, not to stretch it.

Let your swatch dry all the way. Do not try to speed up the process, this also distorts the stitches. Be patient, it will dry. Then repeat the measuring steps above.

If you do your homework, a gauge swatch, you will enjoy those hours, days, weeks or years it took to knit that garment and be able to wear your masterpiece in the end.

Danielle can be contacted by e-mail at wovenpixel@yahoo.com. Please visit my blog at wovenpixel.blogspot.com or find me on ravelry.com as wovenpixel. I enjoy discussing my yarn habit, sharing local and Internet resources and meeting fellow yarnsters.

Going public with your projects

It’s that time of year again. Funnel cakes, giros, space burgers, cows, rodeos, demo cars, kiddy rides and the smells of fair.

There is an area at the fair that many of my readers know about.

Let us imagine together. You walk in and the first thing you notice is the colors. Actually, you may notice the cooler air, then the colors.

Pinks and purples. Browns, blues and blacks. Lets not forget the whites, yellows, greens and every color in between.

All colors in various combinations and patterns. Welcome to the Craft Barn at the county fair.

Someone has to create these lovely pieces of art, but who? Well, you, of course. Each year, just before fair, you are able to enter your projects into categories. They have to be created in that year between fairs.

Many county fairs now have web pages you can visit to see their fair books, exhibitor guides or whatever it is they call them. These guides tell you about the categories you can enter items into the fair.

First off, you have to find the department and section you are going to enter your project(s) into. Second, you find within that department a class your project applies to. Then, it is as simple as filling out the exhibitor’s form for that fair.

These are placed around the Craft Barn and displayed for visitors during the fair.

So maybe you don’t want to enter into the fair. Don’t worry, there are other places you can enter you projects.

Many of the craft magazines and web sites offer contests you can enter. Not to mention if you have a guild in the area. For the “tech savvy” readers, there are also podcasts and blogs that hold contests.

There are many different kinds of yarn craft-related contests. You can design your own pattern. Name someone else’s pattern. You can knit-crochet along with a pattern that is revealed in parts. And many, many more.

I encourage you to have fun in whichever contest or fair you are comfortable with. Part of the excitement of knitting and crocheting is being able to share your work with others.

Since I am encouraging you to enter the local county fairs, I thought I would share the project I intend to enter this fall. I knit an afghan.

The pattern is a second-place contest winner from Mary Maxim. The pattern is called “Twin Trees Afghan” and was designed by Shirley Rhyne.

I chose to knit this pattern using Bernat Satin Solid yarn in the Star Dust colorway. The finished afghan measures 44 inches by 53 inches and is knit with almost 2,500 yards of yarn.

This afghan was a big project for me.

When I first got the pattern, I was wondering what I had got myself into — it was overwhelming.

There were four solid pages of small print detailing each panel to be knit. The two side panels were to be repeated on the other side of the blanket, two sets of the smaller twin trees and then the two larger trees in the center.

The intricate design of the twin trees and the side panels made for quite an interesting project. I enjoyed working on the afghan as much as I enjoyed watching the pattern unfold.

While I have dreams of winning a ribbon, my fondest hope is to garner feedback that will help me become a better knitter.

You can contact me by e-mail at wovenpixel@yahoo.com or visit my blog at wovenpixel.blogspot.com. I enjoy discussing my yarn habit, sharing local and Internet resources and meeting fellow yarnsters.

Blanket your neighbors in kindness

When someone says the words “Charity Knitting,” what comes to your mind?

I think of little old ladies, sitting around, knitting mittens, hats and socks for orphans in some cold distant country.

Well, that may be true, but there are other groups that serve people right here in the United States. One of those charities is Warm Up America!

Warm Up America! (warmupamerica.com) was the yarn child of Evie Rosen from Wisconsin. She wanted to help people in need here in the U.S.

Rosen started by asking people she knew, customers of her yarn store and her community, to knit or crochet 7-by-9 inch squares that would later be joined into afghans and donated.

Countless volunteers from all over the U.S. help to keep this charity going. These volunteers donate their time to knit or crochet the original squares, join these squares to make afghans and either donate them locally or send them off to the Foundation Headquarters, which will also join the squares and distribute them.

Each afghan resembles a patchwork quilt and also represents the different people who make each square their own.

Warm Up America! afghans are given to people in need.

The American Red Cross, women’s shelters, children’s hospitals and others are recipients of these afghans of love. Many communities complete afghans in the spirit of “neighbor helping neighbor.”

The Columbia Basin Farmer-The Othello Outlook has a basket for donation of squares, yarn, needles or even completed afghans. These supplies are then passed on to a group in the Tri-Cities that is working with Warm Up America! Pictured in the upper right corner is the basket with supplies that were donated last September.

Another charity to look at is Project Linus (projectlinus.org). Project Linus’ mission is to provide blankets or quilts to children in need. They are comprised of local chapters and many volunteers, “blanketeers,” across the U.S.

Project Linus accepts all styles of blankets that will then be given as gifts to seriously ill or traumatized children (0 to 18 years old).

For Project Linus, the blankets need to be homemade, washable, free of pins and come from a smoke-free environment (due to allergy reasons).

Project Linus has a few chapters in the Columbia Basin. By going to the Project Linus Web site and clicking on “Chapter Listings,” you will be able to get in contact with someone in your area who can help you find where to donate blankets.

Don’t forget your community also has people in need. If you want to do some charity knitting or crocheting there are many ways to help. Go to any church, hospital, nursing home or shelter.

Please remember, there are many people in the U.S. who are in need of the loving care that goes into charity knitting and crocheting. The care and compassion that goes into the making of your project(s) offers a message of hope and compassion to whomever the lucky recipient may be.

You can contact me by e-mail at wovenpixel@yahoo.com, visit my blog at wovenpixel.blogspot.com or on Ravelry.com as WovenPixel. I enjoy discussing my yarn habit, sharing local and Internet resources and meeting fellow yarnsters.

*Published in The Columbia Basin Farmer, May/June 2009 Edition.

Knitting: No Longer Just Grandma’s Pastime

There seems to be a craze out there. Mothers, sisters, girls of all ages and some guys, too, are picking up the knitting needles and learning to knit or crochet.

Have the times changed enough to accept that a person, of any age or sex, can sit in a public place and knit?

The public is becoming more understanding. People just want to get away from that computer every now and then. They need something that is different than playing video games, watching TV or reading a book (which everyone should do more of).

Have you noticed that TV has started picking up on the knitting bandwagon? A few of the prime time TV shows have their stars knitting on the air and it’s not just the “Golden Girls” anymore.

In the bigger cities that surround our small town, I am seeing the younger generation picking up the knitting needles and taking them in public! Before, it was taboo to be young and knit in public.

Now, it seems that everywhere you go, you can find a young person knitting.

Knitting was reserved for the home; you did not bring it out in public until you retired from working, which was when you were considered “old.”

My name is Danielle Evans, I am 26-years-old and I am studying to become a computer programmer and the deadlines are stressful.

I use knitting to get away from it all.

I have had to travel from our small town of Othello to Moses Lake to find a knitting group. I go there almost every Thursday to knit. We don’t bash our significant others (rarely ever) and we don’t really talk about politics (just when they really tick us off).

Mostly, we just talk about what has happened over the last week, ask silly questions and listen to everyone respond.

Even though I do not gripe about work or the latest squabble within my family, often, I really feel a lot better when I leave.

Of course, that could be the countless balls of yarn and accessories that I buy each time I am there.

The atmosphere of knitting something, a pair of gloves, a scarf, a blanket, whether it is for you or for someone else, contains a sense of accomplishment. It is overwhelming at first, but by spending a little time on it every day, it seems to fly off those needles.

Every time I put down the needles after finishing a project, I have to pick them back up to start something new.

Though it was once thought taboo, knitting is now becoming popular.

Go to Barnes and Noble in Tri-Cities and see if I am kidding. I know of a group that meets in Richland once a week to sit in the chairs, drink coffee, knit or crochet and just talk with each other, whether it is about a project they are having a problem on or just to shoot the breeze.

I started knitting in 2004. I am self-taught. I was down in Richland for a summer internship and one of my roommates knitted.

My grandmother crocheted when I was little, so I knew the basic idea of what was going on, but my roommate’s knitting fascinated me and I have been fascinated with it ever since.

I dare you to go to a local yarn shop (this does not include the big blue building down the road), go in and touch the yarns and feel the differences. It is a feeling you will never forget.

What is a good yarn shop? You know when you walk in, that feeling that you have been there before. That is a good yarn shop.

The Country Boutique in Moses Lake is the yarn shop that I go to. It reminds me of my grandma’s house when I was a child – warm, friendly people, who know the meaning of “there is never a stupid question.”

Do not go back to a shop if there is not someone who offers to help you. Finding the right yarn, needles and other supplies is hard enough when you first start out, let alone when you start a major project.

This is why smaller yarn shops are in business, they love the people. Yes, they want to make money, but the craft is what drives them to stay open.

This column will become a craft-along. I would love to involve you. I would enjoy writing about other crafts and also including a craft-along, but I will need your help. Send me your ideas, comments and suggestions. E-mail me at wovenpixel@yahoo.com, visit my blog at wovenpixel.blogspot.com,or on Ravelry.com as WovenPixel.

You will be the driving force of my column (and trust me, I need all the help that I can get).

*Published in The Columbia Basin Farmer, January/Feburary 2009 Edition.