How Do You Modify the Pattern When You Are Using a Bigger Knitting Needle?

With a few calculations, you can adapt a knitting pattern for larger needles.

Knitting patterns are written with a specific needle size in mind. If you want to follow a pattern but use larger needles, your knitting project will simply be larger. The knitted fabric will also be looser because larger needles create larger stitches. If you prefer the looser fabric, but would like the garment's measurements to remain the same as in the pattern, you will need to do some math.

Instructions

1. Knit a 4-inch square to use as a sample. This is referred to as your swatch. Bind off all stitches.

2. Soak the swatch and then gently squeeze out excess water. Block the swatch by pinning it to a soft surface, such as a foam block or pillow. Allow the swatch to dry completely.

3. Measure a 2-inch portion in the center of your swatch, counting how many stitches fit within that 2 inches both horizontally and vertically. Divide these numbers by two. This is your gauge. The horizontal number is your number of stitches per inch. The vertical number is your number of rows per inch.

4. Find the recommended gauge for the pattern you are knitting. This is usually included at the beginning of the pattern, near the yarn and needle specifications. If the recommended gauge matches your gauge, you can proceed with knitting your garment as described in the pattern. (Keep in mind, though, that if your goal is to have a looser, airier fabric, you might need to go up in needle size and try steps 1 through 4 again.) If, however, your gauges differ, you will need to recalculate the number of stitches you need to knit to match the pattern's measurements.

5. Circle each number within the pattern directions where you are told to knit a particular number of stitches. This will occur several times within an article.

6. Calculate the length in inches of each number of stitches, using the pattern's gauge as a guide. For example, suppose your pattern's gauge is five stitches per inch and you are told to knit 20 stitches. Those 20 stitches will measure 4 inches (25 stitches divided by 5 stitches per inch). Your goal is to reach 4 inches in length, regardless of the number of stitches.

7. Calculate the number of stitches it will take for your knitting, in your specific gauge, to equal 4 inches. For example, suppose that your gauge, because you are knitting with larger needles, is 4 stitches per inch. To reach a 4-inch length, you will need to knit 16 stitches (4 inches multiplied by 4 stitches).

Tips & Warnings

• Follow the same formula for calculating the number of rows to knit.

• Check your math several times and continue to measure as you knit to ensure your garment fits as you intended.

References

• Earth Guild: Understanding Knitting Gauge

Resources

• Ravelry
• KnittingHelp