The most important tool (besides knitting needles!) in every knitter’s bag is the knitting gauge!
This handy tool makes it easy to check your knitting against a pattern’s measurements, find the right knitting needle in your stash, and many other measurements. Want to learn more about your new knitting gauge? Read on!
Let’s take a look at what you can do with your new knitting needle gauge!
Each gauge comes with some handy-dandy built-in tools. We’ll show you how each one works and how you can use it to make sure you have perfect projects, every time.
1. Check your knitting needle and crochet hook sizes!
Each hole in the knitting needle gauge corresponds to a common knitting needle and crochet hook size! Each one is labeled in mm, US Needle and US Hook sizes. Small sizes are on the inside edge and large sizes are along the outer side.
2. Figure out the weight of unlabeled yarn skeins!
This is super important if you have a bunch of unmarked skeins you want to use. To measure yarn, take one strand of yarn and wind it around the gauge until it fills the “Yarn Wraps Per Inch” space at the top. In the example above there are 5 wraps per inch (aka: WPI).
Lastly, check the wrap number it against the chart on the back!
Pro Tip: Make sure to let the yarn lie loosely along the space, don’t pull tightly! Also don’t overlap strands, make sure they lie next to one another in a single row.
3. Rescue dropped stitches easily using the built-in stitch saver hook.
Use the hook to grab a stitch that’s dropped off of a knitting needle. Thread it back onto your needle before continuing to knit your row!
4. Measure your swatch gauge in cm or inches!
To measure the gauge, place the BeKnitting needle gauge flat on your swatch. Choose either the cm side (the back) or the inch side (front). Make sure to line the open ruler spaces up with a column and row so that they fill the space in a straight line. Don’t stretch the swatch before counting either! The vertical and horizontal stitch count is used to find your knitting gauge.
5. Use the quick reference chart on the back to match your knitting needles and yarn to the desired knitting gauge!
The chart on the back lists the most common knitting gauges for each needle and yarn size. Because each knitter holds the needles or yarn differently, everyone can get a different gauge using the exact same materials! That’s why there’s a range listed for each size. Use the chart to get close to what you’re looking for and then perfect your swatch by knitting a test and measuring it with the built-in rulers.
Let’s recap!
The BeKnitting needle gauge has two sides, each one is packed with helpful tools and information. Each gauge comes with a handy keychain hole in one corner to make it easy to either attach stitch markers on a safety pin or hook your gauge to a keychain or clip in your knitting bag. It also comes with a stitch saver hook, perfect for snagging dropped stitches before they unravel.
