How to Adjust the Gauge for Yarn by Double

Substituting thicker yarn for thinner requires adjusting the gauge of the project.

When you find a pattern you love but don't have the right yarn or want to use a different yarn, you will often need to adjust the gauge. If you want to knit with the yarn double-stranded, you will need to adjust the gauge for the yarn by double. While it might seem as though you would simply divide the number of stitches per inch in half when using thicker yarn, the formula is in fact slightly different.

Instructions

1. Knit a 4-inch-by-4-inch gauge swatch with a single strand of the recommended yarn weight to make sure you achieve the correct gauge for the pattern. Note the number of stitches per inch.

2. Multiply the number of stitches per inch from your gauge swatch by 0.7. This will be the gauge for knitting double-stranded.

3. Multiply the number of grams recommended by the pattern for single-stranded yarn by 1.4. This is the number of grams of yarn you will need for knitting double-stranded.

4. Knit a double-stranded 4-inch-by-4-inch gauge swatch with needles one size larger than the needles you used for knitting single stranded. Count the stitches per inch to see if the number matches the number in Step 2.

5. Adjust the needle size until you achieve the number of stitches per inch determined in Step 2.

References

• The Knitting Fiend/Diet Diary: Knitting with Two Strands
• "Stitch 'n Bitch Nation"; Debbie Stoller; 2004
• Lion Brand Yarn: Learn to Knit: Making a Gauge Swatch

Resources

• The Knitting Fiend: Estimate New Yardage When You Convert a Knitting Pattern