Don’t miss the Summer Sock KAL with projects from Stories In Stitches 3!
Yep, I cussed. Almost. I guess it depends on where you live and how you define “cuss” but I wanted to get your attention.
The single most important thing you can do to get a good fit when you are knitting a sock from a pattern is to make sure you are getting gauge.
Recently I had two test knitters, working on two different sock patterns email me to say, “This sock is way too big for a human being!”
My response to both was the same, “What gauge are you getting?”
In both cases the reply was not the same gauge that was listed in the pattern. In both cases the knitter was getting fewer stitches per inch than specified. That is the recipe for knitting a sock that is too big.
“But I’m using the needle size listed in the pattern…”
“But I’m using the needles I always use for socks…”
“But I never knit my socks with so many stitches…”
But, but, but….
No excuses, knitters. If you want the pattern to come out as pictured and described with the same measurements listed, you must get the same gauge and use the same number of stitches listed in the pattern.
Sometimes it’s easy to think our gauge is “close enough” but if you’re an stitch per inch or even a fraction of a stitch per inch off in your gauge measurements, the socks you are making will not come out the size specified in the pattern. For example, if a pattern calls for 9 sts per inch and you get 8 sts per inch, with 80 sts in a sock, that’s the difference between an 8 3/4 inch circumference and a 10 inch circumference. Not even close to the correct size. Even if you’re only 1/2 st per inch off, at 8 1/2, your sock will still be almost a whole inch too big. (The variance will be slightly less if you’re making socks at a looser gauge with around 60 or 70 sts for your size, but it still makes a substantial difference.)
So, what’s a girl (or guy) to do? I don’t knit swatches for my socks. I begin the sock and use the cuff (or toe if it happens to be toe up) as my gauge swatch. So, if I get the cuff or toe done and the gauge is correct then, viola, I’m ahead of the game! If, however, the gauge is not right, I have to rip and start over. I still didn’t waste any more time than I would have knitting an official swatch. But don’t just keep going if your gauge is off or you’ll just end up wasting time on knitting a sock for bigfoot. Or for a kid, if you have too many stitches per inch, although I find that much less common.
In addition, sometimes different parts of a sock have different gauges and different pattern stitches. You need to be getting the right gauge for each part of the sock for it to fit right. For example, on the Dancing Stitches socks, I got 11 sts per inch on colorwork on the leg and 10 sts per inch on the foot with solid stockinette stitch. That may require using a different size of needle, depending on how your knitting differs with stranded colorwork versus knitting with one color. I definitely (let’s be honest, ok?) would never knit 2 gauge swatches for a project (solid stockinette and colorwork)! I would put a lifeline in after I finished a section that is just how I wanted and then proceed with the needle size I think will work for the next section. If it isn’t right I can always rip back to the lifeline and try a different size. Because stockinette is somewhat stretchy, but colorwork is barely stretchy at all, it is very important to make sure you make a big enough size to pull the colorwork leg on over your heel.
In the Flying Fish Kneehigh socks, there are sections of ribbing and sections of stockinette stitch, but these are worked on the same rows so, perhaps obviously, with the same needles. The gauge is only given over stockinette, and ribbing is very stretchy so the socks have a more flexible fit than the Dancing Stitches socks.
Or, if you really want to know in advance that everything will come out just so, then knit your swatches! (And still be ready to tweak as you go because our knitting tension can change with our mood, and for many knitters, gauge loosens up as they relax into a project.)
Remember: getting gauge is 10,000 times more important than using the same size needles listed in the pattern! In fact, I could say it’s infinitely more important because using the same needle size listed in the pattern is of zero importance.
Of course, if you’re up to winging it and making up your own pattern based on the pattern you like, then you’re on your own and you should know what to do for getting a proper fit with your preferred yarn, gauge, and needle size. But that is a different story, isn’t it?
Next up in the Summer Sock KAL: more tips for getting a good fit on socks and how to tweak patterns for a custom fit.
Don’t miss the Summer Sock KAL with projects from Stories In Stitches 3!
Experience level – advanced beginner
After I finished my Arctic Lace Knitting Book, I finally allowed myself to explore the world of lace knitting and discovered that is is much more varied and elaborate than I could have imagined. Around the world and over time, knitters in different countries and regions have developed unique styles of lace knitting that range from easy-intermediate (like the knitting of the Oomingmak knitters) to advanced-insanely- difficult (like some of the Victorian patterns designed by English knitters). Other lace styles are used in Estonia, Russia, South America, Lithuania, Germany and Austria, and New Zealand. I’m sure there are even more, but these are the styles I’ve explored so far. – Donna Druchunas –
Experience: All skill levels, basic knitting skills required.
Have you ever wondered why some people can read charts easily and others find them incomprehensible? The truth is, charts are written in a code that can be deciphered by knitters who learn the symbols on the page and in their knitting. Charts do not use arbitrary symbols, but each symbol includes the instructions on how to make the indicated stitch! In this class, you will learn the secrets of interpreting chart symbols for texture and cable stitches.
