Archive of Thread: Tension swatch Back

2 years ago
Hi, after watching this week's live event, I also looked back at the classroom on swatches, tensions and gauges.  One thing I hadn't registered before was that you measured the swatch on the "wrong" I.e.purl side. I had a go on a swatch I had to hand and noticed that there does seem to be a slight  difference according to which side you measure. So - is it enough to matter? Advice please. 

2 years ago
I've never measured on the 'wrong side'?

2 years ago
I measure my swatch by having two stitches (in a row) that are knitted (manually) in a contrasting colour and measuring the length of the row between them.  It is usually much easier to do this on the right side of the fabric, but it shouldn't make any difference which side you are measuring because the width of a set number of stitches is the same whichever side you are looking at.

The nature of the stitch pattern can cause the width (or length) of a swatch to vary if you measure in different places so it is always a good idea to measure in 2 or 3 different places and take the average if the numbers are not the same.

Jenny

2 years ago
I'm not sure that it makes a big difference.  I just got in the habit of measuring stockinette from the purl side because I feel it's easier to see the stitches.

Like most things in MKing ... whatever works for you!  ðŸ˜ƒ

 

2 years ago
I do great measuring stitches from the knit side, but getting rows right for a perfect out come is a perennial problem.  There is a difference measuring rows from the knit vs the purl side.  They don’t measure the same.  What yarn I’m using throws in still another variable. Non stretch yarns such as linen & cotton make it even more difficult to reach desired outcome.  I end up having to fudge the row count.  For example a row count of 7 rows per inch, I’ll go to 6.5 rows per inch to plug in to my DesignaKnit program. I do everything required….. wash, block, even hang swatch with weights, but if I don’t fudge the row count, everything comes out tooo long.😩

2 years ago
Well I have a bigger problem I think, I carefully knitted a swatch but when I completed the back of the sweaeter it is about 7 inches too long.  Width is perfect! I have reviewed my swatch, remeasured and all my calculations and measuring are correct. If I measure on the purl side..it would be even longer! I soaked my swatched and left it lie before I measured it.
I have also reviewed the tutorial on swatching but I am totally perplexed. 40 rows measures 4.5 inches so 4 inches requires 35.5 rows..that is correct isnt it?. So 288 rows should measure 32.4 inches but the back measures 37 plus.

2 years ago
Mystery solved...I inputted the incorrect measurements...it is always human error not the machine!!!