The Secret to Upping Your Sweater Game

As you begin to make a plan to be part of Yarnology's 2026 Sweater Challenge, we want to invite you to try something you can do ahead of time (yes, this bit can be accomplished before the Challenge begins on January 1). 

The something is creating a gauge swatch you like. And we are offering a nifty PRIZE to every single person that takes the time to complete this clever bit of homework.

If you already make it a practice to gauge swatch before starting a project, our hats are off to you and you'll absolutely want to show us your swatch and get a PRIZE. If you're new to gauge swatching or wish you knew more about it, read on to the next section.

To claim your swatching prize, either:

1. Bring your completed gauge swatch into the shop and show it to a Yarnologist

OR

2. Reply to this note (or address an email to info@yarnologymn.com) and attach a photo of your gauge swatch with a ruler or tape measure in the shot.

We're guessing you're familiar with the concept of a gauge swatch, even if you don't regularly stop to create one. But for those who aren't sure, a gauge swatch is a way of testing how many stitches you are making per inch---because gauge (stitch size) is really important in determining how large your finished item will be in the end.

While it may not matter how many stitches per inch you are creating when you knit or crochet a blanket or scarf, it begins to be a critical piece of information when you make something to fit somebody...like a sweater.

The pattern designer always suggests a needle size and a yarn weight to be used in combination. This is where most of us begin when we check our gauge. Do we match what the designer predicted? Easy Peasy. Are our stitches a bit smaller than expected (more stitches per inch)? Let's try a needle one size larger. And if our stitches are a bit larger than the goal (fewer stitches per inch)? You guessed it...we try a slightly smaller needle size and see where that takes us.

If your pattern suggests that you should get 20 stitches over 4 inches using worsted weight yarn and US8/5mm needle, try that combination first:

1. Cast on 1.5x the number of stitches you hope to measure in 4 inches. The edge stitches are not good reference points, so you want your swatch to be bigger than a 4" square. In the little example above, you would cast on 60 stitches.

2. Use the needles and yarn you want to knit the garment with. Wooden needles can give you a different gauge than metal needles, so be consistent.

3. If your sweater will be knit or crocheted in the round, it's critical that your gauge swatch is also knit in the round. Most of us purl at a slightly different tension than we knit, so a back-and-forth swatch may have a different gauge than a tubular swatch. See this tutorial if you need to know the Stitch & Slide or Speed Swatching technique. Likewise, if your sweater will be knit or crocheted in flat pieces, create you gauge swatch in the flat also.

4. Wash and block/air-dry the swatch as you plan to do with the sweater. If the slowness of this frustrates you, at least gently steam block the sweater, keeping the hot plate of your iron a couple of inches from the swatch.

5. Measure several times in several places on the swatch. We often divide by 4 to get stitches per inch (5 st/inch in the example) and then measure many one inch spans to take an average. It also helps to have others measure for you. We routinely bring in gauge swatches to the shop to have a coworker check our "math"! We are happy to consult with you on your gauge, if you are in the area.

Even if you "almost always knit to gauge" and "never need to swatch", we hope you'll accept our invitation to create a gauge swatch for your next sweater. First off, there's a prize involved. Secondly, those gauge swatches are a beautiful record of your projects (we know people who pin them up like Nepalese prayer flags in their craft area), and last---but definitely not least---a gauge swatch is the only way to end up with a garment that's the size you want it to be. And we wish you that kind of success.

And if you haven't yet signed up for the Sweater Challenge, you can do so here. The Challenge runs from Jan 1 through the end of February, so your ever-growing sweater will keep your lap warm in the coldest months and you can knit through the entire Winter Olympics! The Challenge is free, it's fun, and it might just be the catalyst you need to create a sweater in the new year.