- Cast on
- 100 stitches
- Work
- 168 rows
- Chart cells
- 1.4 : 1 (w : h)
each stitch 5 × 3.57 mm - Yarn, stockinette
- ≈ 338 m
370 yd, all colours
Pattern written for a different gauge?
At your gauge, use 91 stitches to get the same width as 100 stitches at the pattern's gauge.
What gauge tells you
Gauge, also called tension, is how many stitches and rows of your knitting fit into 10 cm or 4 inches. It turns a measurement into a stitch count: if you knit 20 stitches to 10 cm, a piece 50 cm wide needs 100 stitches. The same rule with row gauge gives the number of rows for a length.
Two knitters with the same yarn and needles can get different gauges, which is why patterns ask you to swatch first. Matching the pattern’s gauge matters more than matching its needle size: change needles until your swatch measures right.
Worked example
Your swatch has 20 stitches and 28 rows to 10 cm, and you want a panel 50 cm wide and 60 cm long.
- Stitches: 50 cm is five lots of 10 cm, so 5 × 20 = 100 stitches to cast on.
- Rows: 60 cm is six lots of 10 cm, so 6 × 28 = 168 rows.
- Stitch shape: each stitch is 100 ÷ 20 = 5 mm wide and 100 ÷ 28 ≈ 3.6 mm tall, a ratio of 1.4 : 1, so a chart for this fabric needs cells 1.4 times wider than they are tall.
- Yarn: 16,800 stitches at this gauge come to roughly 340 m of yarn in stockinette.
Converting a pattern to your gauge
If a pattern is written for 22 stitches per 10 cm and says to cast on 100, its piece is 100 ÷ 22 × 10 ≈ 45.5 cm wide. At your gauge of 20 stitches, the same width takes 100 × 20 ÷ 22 ≈ 91 stitches. Round to suit any stitch pattern repeat, and convert row counts with your row gauge in the same way.
Charting colourwork
Because knitted stitches are not square, a motif drawn on square graph paper comes out squashed: a circle looks like a wide oval. Our knitting chart maker and editor draw cells at your gauge, so what you see on screen is the shape you will knit.
Frequently asked questions
How do I measure my gauge?
Knit a swatch at least 15 cm (6 in) square in the stitch and needles you will use, wash and dry it the way you will treat the finished piece, then count the stitches and rows across 10 cm (4 in) in the middle, away from the edges.
Why are my rows a different number from my stitches?
Knitted stitches are wider than they are tall, so there are more rows than stitches in the same distance. At 20 stitches and 28 rows per 10 cm each stitch is 5 mm wide and about 3.6 mm tall, which is why knitting charts use rectangular cells.
How accurate is the yarn estimate?
It is a rough guide for stockinette, using the same rule as our pattern maker. Textured stitches, cables and colourwork floats use more yarn. For a closer figure, weigh your swatch and scale it up by the area of the finished piece.
What gauge does each yarn weight give?
As a guide from the Craft Yarn Council's standard weights, over 10 cm (4 in) in stockinette: fingering 27–32 stitches, sport 23–26, DK 21–24, worsted 16–20 and bulky 12–15. Your own tension decides the exact number, so always swatch.
Can I use a pattern written for a different gauge?
Often, for simple shapes. Multiply the pattern's stitch count by your gauge and divide by the pattern's gauge to get the same width. Shaping and lengths given in rows need the same treatment with row gauge.
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