Crochet Gauge and Tension

As described earlier, the yarn label has a (recommended) gauge. It shows how many stitches and rows are required to create a 4 inch by 4 inch square (10cm x 10cm square).

These numbers are specific to the yarn and hook or knitting needle. For example, my created label below has a recommended hook/knitting needle/tool size of 6.5mm. With that hook size (and yarn) it is expected that 10 single crochet stitches and 12 rows will create a 4 inch by 4 inch square. On the other side, with that knitting needle size (and yarn) it is expected that 15 knit stitches and 20 rows will create a 4 inch by 4 inch by 4 inch square.

To test the gauge, create a "gauge swatch" of the pattern stitch (it should be stated which stitch that is). For the swatch, use the recommended tool size and make a square with however many stitches is noted in the pattern. Then, build up the square however many rows is recommended by the pattern. The next step is to measure the length and width of the square. Ideally this will be a square with the dimensions noted in the pattern. If it doesn't match, the tension of the swatch is incorrect. The methods to fix this is described below.

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Here is a quick guide for explaining the meaning of recommended gauge on a yarn label.

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The gauge of a project measures the tension of project/swatch. The tension is basically the tightness or looseness of the project. For different patterns and projects different tensions are desirable.

Because of this the hook or knitting needle size in a pattern may vary from the suggested tool size on the label. It may be because the desired tension of the project is different than the label gauge's tension. Another reason my be because the tension for the pattern author specifically is different from the gauge of the label.

For example, for amigurumi/stuffies the hook size will (usually) be drastically smaller than the label's recommended tool size. Because, for amigurumi specifically, the stitches need to be tight in order to keep the gaps between stitches small. On the opposite side, clothing patterns often have a larger tool size than the label. This is because clothing generally need a looser tension.

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Tension and hook/knitting needle size are inversely related:

• To increase tension and tighten the project, decrease the hook/knitting needle size.

• To decrease tension and loosen the project, increase the hook/knitting needle size.

To return to the topic of gauge swatches, the swatch helps determine the hook/knitting needle size to use throughout the project. If the gauge swatch is smaller than a 4 inch by 4 inch square, the tension is too tight to match the pattern gauge. To fix the tension, switch to a larger hook/knitting needle size and make another gauge swatch. This adjustment process isn't unusual. Many fabric artists have different "natural" tensions due to the different habits and methods they use.