Notes on gauge, yarn and arithmetic.
The guides follow the order a project usually needs: measure the swatch, diagnose a gauge that will not match, choose a substitute by length, then estimate the quantity.
49 guides
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Do needle materials change gauge? How to test it
Wood, metal, bamboo and carbon can feel different in the hand. Whether they change your gauge is a personal question you can test in one swatch pair.
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Interchangeable needle sets: what to check before buying
A set is only worth it if the sizes, cables and joins fit the way you knit. What to compare before you spend.
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Steel crochet hooks: the sizes that run backwards
Steel hooks are numbered the opposite way to regular hooks, and they use a different scale. Here is the chart and how to read a thread pattern.
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DPNs, magic loop and short circulars: choosing a method
Small circumferences need a method, not just a needle. How DPNs, magic loop and short circulars compare, and how to choose by stitch count.
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Needle and cable length for a project
Cable length decides whether your stitches sit comfortably or stretch around the needle. How to estimate the right length from stitch count.
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Positive vs negative ease: how much to add
Ease is the difference between the body and the finished garment. How much to add for sweaters, hats, socks and mittens — and how to turn it into stitches.
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How to measure a body for a garment
A tape measure, a mirror and someone to help. The measurements that matter for a sweater, hat or socks — and the mistakes that make them wrong.
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Sleeve and armhole maths without a pattern
Set-in sleeves need four numbers and a gauge. How to derive armhole depth, sleeve width and increase rates from a garment that already fits.
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Short rows: where the maths goes
Short rows add length in one part of the fabric without adding rows everywhere. How to turn an extra length into rows, turns and stitch counts.
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Garment length and row gauge
Length is rows multiplied by row gauge. If your row gauge is off, a pattern written in rows will not land at the intended measurement.
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