I received a sample knit back today, and I really wish the sample knitter had paid some attention to gauge. (It is in the agreement, in bold type.) We're two stitches off on stitch and three and a half off on row. There are no humans made in dimensions that would work with these mittens. Not even close.
Why would you continue knitting when it's obvious that there is something very wrong? That's the time to re-measure gauge. If it's off, rip back and fix it. If it's on and the garment is a distorted shape, do the math. Multiply the gauge times the finished dimensions and see if the stitch counts match. If they're way off, abandon ship! Either re-write the pattern yourself, get someone to help you, or pick a new project. There is no virtue in making a useless garment. And in this case, the sample knitter made not one, but two. Sheesh!
Showing posts with label sample knitter. Show all posts
Showing posts with label sample knitter. Show all posts
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Saturday, March 12, 2011
Gauge
I knit like I cook: I start with a recipe, and follow parts of it but not others. I make the dish, or the garment, my own.
One of the most exciting things about designing knitwear is seeing other people make the designs their own. One of the toughest things is telling Sample Knitters that they don't get to interpret at all.
For samples, the colors and yarns are chosen in advance. The gauge is chosen in advance. Every line of the pattern needs to be followed exactly. I love seeing the beautiful finished products, and I'm eternally grateful for all of the feedback on the reliability of the pattern, but I hate telling other knitters what to do! The terrific women who knit samples for me are happy to challenge themselves with a new project or technique. Bless their hearts. It would make me crazy!
The trickiest bit, I'm learning, is to knit exactly to someone else's gauge. I tend to knit my stitches a little tall compared to the average. When I knit up a swatch to use as the base math for a design, that's the gauge. When someone else knits it, if the row gauge is off, the pattern comes out like a fun house mirror version of the original. If the stitch gauge is off, the sample doesn't fit normal human dimensions. So I'm trying to make my gauge as moderate as is humanly possible to make my patterns more flexible. Wow! It feels like trying to use someone else's handwriting.
And so it goes. I'm sorting out a tricky bit of thumb math right now. Thank heavens this project will be felted. Row gauge is a little less critical. A little.
One of the most exciting things about designing knitwear is seeing other people make the designs their own. One of the toughest things is telling Sample Knitters that they don't get to interpret at all.
For samples, the colors and yarns are chosen in advance. The gauge is chosen in advance. Every line of the pattern needs to be followed exactly. I love seeing the beautiful finished products, and I'm eternally grateful for all of the feedback on the reliability of the pattern, but I hate telling other knitters what to do! The terrific women who knit samples for me are happy to challenge themselves with a new project or technique. Bless their hearts. It would make me crazy!
The trickiest bit, I'm learning, is to knit exactly to someone else's gauge. I tend to knit my stitches a little tall compared to the average. When I knit up a swatch to use as the base math for a design, that's the gauge. When someone else knits it, if the row gauge is off, the pattern comes out like a fun house mirror version of the original. If the stitch gauge is off, the sample doesn't fit normal human dimensions. So I'm trying to make my gauge as moderate as is humanly possible to make my patterns more flexible. Wow! It feels like trying to use someone else's handwriting.
And so it goes. I'm sorting out a tricky bit of thumb math right now. Thank heavens this project will be felted. Row gauge is a little less critical. A little.
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