Helen Spedding demonstrates an easy way to create accurate tension swatches for circular knitting projects
TO GET the best results from your knitting, it’s vital to ensure that you have the correct tension – this determines how large or small your garment will be in the end. We always recommend knitting up a test square or swatch before commencing any project, to check your tension using your chosen yarn and needles. Yes, it can feel like a chore – especially when you’re super eager to get started on your ‘proper’ project – but it’s really important if you want a garment that fits well and looks fantastic. If your tension is too tight, your garment will come up smaller or shorter and might not fit you properly; if your tension is too loose, you’ll find that the garment is too baggy.
Most knitting patterns specify the tension for a 10cm by 10cm square (4in x 4in), and we recommend that you make a square at least 15cm by 15cm (6in x 6in) in size, which will enable you to measure your tension more correctly. This is straightforward enough when your project is knitted flat – but what about when you’ll be knitting in the round?
If you’re going to be knitting your project circularly – whether it’s a sweater, a hat, a cowl or socks – we recommend that you swatch in the round, too. This is because your knit stitches and your purl stitches are likely to be slightly different sizes – resulting in tension inconsistencies. A fabric that has been knitted flat in stocking stitch (alternating knit and purl rows) may be looser or tighter than the same fabric knitted circularly in stocking stitch (knitting every round, with no purling).
To create a stocking stitch swatch with no wrong-side rows, you could knit a small tube, and then cut it open to measure the gauge. But again, this isn’t necessarily going to give you an accurate tension measurement, as lots of us knit more tightly when we’re working small circumferences in the round using double-pointed needles, or circular needles and the Magic Loop method.
An easier and more accurate way to swatch in the round is known as the loop method, where you are only knitting from the right side of the work. It’s a bit like working an i-cord – essentially, you knit across the row, then slide your stitches to the other end of your needle and knit across again, leaving long loops of yarn at the back of the work. We find it easiest to use circular nee
