Brodissime

Hi all, I’m about to cast on my first sweater knit in the round, and the pattern says 22 sts and 30 rows = 4 in in stockinette. I swatched flat and got 22 sts, so I thought I was good. Someone at knit night told me flat gauge can lie for circular knitting because you purl back on the swatch but not on the sweater. Is that really a thing? Do I have to knit a whole tube just for a swatch? How do you cheat it without wasting a week? Thanks!

Yeah, it’s a thing. Some folks’ purl gauge is different from their knit gauge, so a flat swatch can fib. The cheat is to swatch “in the round” on one circular: cast on enough for 6 in or so, knit a row, slide the stitches back to the other tip, leave a long strand across the back, and knit the next row. You’re knitting every row on the RS and trapping a float on the WS. Cut the float after. It’s fiddly but way faster than a tube. Also wash it before you trust it.

Yes! Swatch in the round if the sweater is in the round—especially if you’re a purl-tension gremlin like me! The slide-and-float trick CreaseAndFold described is my go-to. Cast on at least 30–40 sts so you can measure away from the edges, and don’t let the float get tight or it’ll pull the selvedge in. Have you tried knitting the swatch on the same circulars you’ll use for the sweater? Also wash and block it exactly how you’ll wash the sweater! Gauge before blocking is just a rumor.

Wait—you’re supposed to wash the swatch? I’ve never done that. My last hat came out huge and now I’m wondering if that’s why. Also how big does the swatch need to be? I usually do maybe 4 inches and measure the whole thing, edges and all. Is that wrong? Thanks, this thread is already teaching me stuff.

QuillAndAwl, yes—washing matters, and measuring the whole swatch including edges is usually wrong. Gauge should be measured over the center of the fabric, away from curled or stretched edges, because selvedges behave differently. I make a swatch at least 6 in / 15 cm square, work it in the same technique as the garment (in the round for a circular sweater), then wash and dry it the way I’ll treat the finished piece. Pin it flat or let it dry flat depending on the fiber. For acrylic, heat can relax the yarn, so don’t blast it with an iron. For wool, blocking opens the stitches. Then measure across several spots and average. BobbinHobbit, if your in-the-round swatch gave 23 sts where the pattern wants 22, your stitches are a bit small; going up one needle size is the usual fix. But also ask whether you like the fabric—first sweater gauge is important, not sacred.

Thanks, ClayCallus! I tried the slide-and-float thing on a circular last night. Felt like knitting with a tiny parachute attached, but it worked. I got 23 sts over 4 in after washing, so too many stitches = stitches too small = go up a needle, right? I always flip that. Also the swatch curls into a little taco. Do you measure it curled or pin it flat first?