The Gauge Swatch

Now, we are ready to machine knit the second swatch, the Gauge swatch. This is the one all the books and patterns suggest you make. Knit it at the sweet spot tension, in the same stitch pattern and on the same machine as the tension swatch.

Wash, dry and block the Gauge swatch in the same way you plan to treat the garment. From it, we get the gauge so we want to know how the swatch will behave when treated. The gauge is the number of stitches per inch and the number of rows per inch.

Here is how to machine knit the gauge swatch on the bulky machine. Refer to the guide for how to machine knit swatches on the standard gauge machine.

Cast on 40 using waste yarn at the sweet spot tension. In our example, it is 9 and 1 click.and knit a few rows.

Change to the main color and Knit 10 rows.

Create tension eyelets on the next row. Starting 5 needles from the right, using a one eye transfer tool, transfer the st on the 5 th needle to the 6 th , the 7 to the 8 th and so on making the same number of eyelets as whole numbers on the tension dial.

Now we will accommodate the number of clicks. Skip 4 needles. In the same manner, create an eyelet to represent the number of clicks in between the whole numbers (0, 1 or 2) Since our tension is 9 and 1 click. We would create 1 more eyelets.

Then knit 10 more rows.

Knit 2 rows of contrasting yarn.

Knit 10 rows in main yarn.

Pull out the 11 th needle right and left of zero and manually knit the stitch with a short length of contrasting yarn. I like to create a loop in it and knot the ends as this is less likely to come undone in the wash.

Knit 10 rows, and manually knit the 11 th stitch on both sides of zero with contrasting yarn.

Knit 10 more rows in main yarn. This gives you a total of 30 rows in the main section.

Knit 2 rows in contrasting yarn.

Knit 10 rows in main yarn.

Knit a few more rows with the contrasting color and cut the yarn leaving an 18-inch yarn tail.

Thread the tail into a double-eyed needle or yarn needle, and remove the stitches from the machine and onto the yarn tail. Arrange the stitches on the tail so they are not bunched together and secure the end with a few stitches. This ensures that the stitches do not come undone while going through the wash!

Give the swatch a tug lengthwise as before and let the swatch relax overnight. Then wash, dry and block the swatch in the same manner you plan to treat the garment.

Measuring for Gauge

Only the center section between the side markers and the contrasting rows will be measured. These outer areas simply protect the stitches in the middle from being influenced by any variations that occur on any of the edges. This assures that you will get accurate measurements.

Use a straight edge ruler to measure. But if you use a tape measure, make sure to measure starting at the 1 inch or 1 cm mark. The reason is that the end of the tape measure where the metal or plastic end is attached is often crooked . This means the measurements would not be accurate.

If you start at the 1 inch or 1 cm mark, just remember to reduce the reading on the tape measure by 1 to compensate for starting at the 1.

Take the measurements from the rightside of the fabric. For stockinette stitch, that’s the knit side.

First, measure the width of 20 sts by taking the measurement between the 2 sets of side markers.

Then, measure between the rows of contrasting yarn at the point of the side markers and in the center to determine the length of 30 rows.

The center measurements are usually the most accurate but if there is a slight variance, average the measurements for the width, then average the measurements for the length.

Note the measurements on you Gauge Swatch form. In this case the width is 5 inches and the length is 5 5/16 inches which equals 5.3125.

Calculate the stitches per inch by dividing the 20 by 5 and the rows per inch by dividing 30 by 5.3125. For exactness, I like to record 3 or 4 digits after the decimal point.

You are ready for knitting

Brother KH 965 Standard Gauge Electronic Knitting Machine

eBay

A machine that is usually sold re-purposed at upwards of £1,000, this Brother KH 965 might need some TLC upon arrival – but it’s nothing an expert crafter can’t achieve with a few online tutorials. Set to elevate your knitting experience far beyond what you thought was possible with a flat bed machine, this electronic option allows you to input the pattern you desire, sit back, relax and watch the magic happen.

Equipped with 200 knitting needles and a needle pitch of 4.5mm, the Brother KH 965 is suitable for both beginners and experts. Explore pattern variations with the touch of a button and save up to 254,000 different stitches in the machine’s memory drive. This machine is also capable of creating jacquard knitting, pin tuck patterns, racking patterns, and fully automatic jersey stitches.

Machine Knit Swatches

Learning to create machine knit swatches is critical for knitting well-fitting and pleasing garments.

You can download my guide for knitting swatches for free. It includes detailed instructions on how to make swatches for both the standard and bulky machines plus my swatch tracking sheets.

How to Machine Knit Tension and Gauge Swatches, Twisted Yarns channel