Oh, Gauge

[untonuggan]

So I got some really awesome rainbow sock yarn and I am going to make Pride Socks. Because the yarn is kind of busy, my plan is just to use the Yarn Harlot's basic sock pattern from Knitting Rules. (That way I also have good zombie knitting.)

The ball band says I should get 30 sts/4" with US #2 needles. I figured, hey, I'd aim for roughly that so that it's not too loose and I don't get big honking holes that need darning.

Admittedly, I'm still waiting for my swatch to dry, but with #2 needles I got 25 sts/4" (unstretched). OK, swatched again with US #1s and got 27 sts/4" (unstretched) before washing.

I think if I switched to #0 needles I could probably get the official gauge of the yarn - or at least much closer - but I'm wondering if it is worth it. Will I hate myself later if I just use the #1s? Right now I am just kind of sick of swatching, but I also don't want to make beautiful socks that then get holey ridiculously fast.

Since the pattern is uber-customizeable, I can make the pattern fit the gauge...

Right now I'm just really, really hoping that when the swatch dries it will magically be the right gauge.

If you were me, would you...
- Knit another swatch using US #0 needles just in case?
- Wait and pray that the other swatches work out?
- Decide that the #1 swatch is close enough?

Comments

[indeliblesasha]

I would decide that the #1's are close enough and then cast on my sock and then sigh and rip it out and swatch with the #0's because I know well enough by now that if I don't I *will* regret it. :D

Although if your #1 swatch comes out at 29 or closer that I might go ahead with. Good luck , and I hope the 1's work!

[untonuggan]

The 0's worked! Hurray!

[hobbitbabe]

Is your swatch a tube-shape knitted on your choice of DPNs or a circular? Back-and-forth gauge can often be quite different from round-and-round gauge.

Do you like the feel of the fabric the way you swatched it?

If it was me, I'd just use 2.25 mm needles because I use those for all socks and I like the feeling of the fabric that way, and I'd work out from the swatch how many stitches around I need for the leg. (Usually I do 68 for myself, although occasionally I do special stretchy or loose patterns with 64.)

[untonuggan]

The 0's worked hurray! Now I can't figure out how many to cast on to make it work right. Boo!

[jumpuphigh]

Swatch? What's a swatch?

;)

[untonuggan]

;)

[aunty_marion]

I use 2mm needles (US size 0) almost all the time for socks now, because I prefer the closer texture they give. But if it's a plain vanilla sock, you may want to work by measurement to start with - if you're getting x stitches to 4", then work out how many times 4" around your feet are, multiply by x, and that's how many you'll need, *whatever* size needles you settle on.

Remember all knitters knit differently and to different tension/gauge. The ball band is only a guide!

I know I knit loosely, and for years I went down a size or used smaller needles to get the right size, without worrying about tension. These days, if something really *has* to fit (and I knit mostly socks and shawls...), then I do swatch, sometimes with two or three different sizes of needle, and if necessary do a bit of calculating and/or size swapping to get the result I want.

[untonuggan]

I always feel really proud of myself for knitting a swatch at all, and then rather indignant if I don't get the right gauge on the first swatch. Is that weird?

[himeykitty]

Usually for socks you actually want to get a tighter gauge than is listed on the label, so your socks last. I remember reading somewhere years and years ago that label gauge on yarn is usually what you'd want to get for a sweater in that yarn. Socks need to be sturdier than a sweater does.

All that to say: I'd go with the US #0 needles.

[untonuggan]

And they gave me gauge! Only now I can't get the damn sizing to work around my ankle and...these are going to be problem socks, I can tell.

[aderam]

Ignore what the ball-band says. Which fabric do you like? If it's tight and sturdy enough on the 1s then stick with those and don't bother moving to the 0s.

I generally knit socks using 2.25mm (US 1 - I think) or 2.5mm. But lately I've been experimenting with larger needles because I knit pretty tightly.

Especially if the pattern is forgiving for numbers of stitches you should use whichever size needle makes the fabric you like best.

[untonuggan]

Thanks for the advice! I think I actually like the tighter look and am worried about excessive holes, so I gave it a day or so of time out and then it worked out with the 0s.