Uploaded October 2010 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
The basics of Gauge, an essential component of knitting a fitted garment.
For a garment like a sweater to fit as you intend, you will need to knit at an even tension. Remember how your first scarf was wide in one place, and narrow in another? You were knitting at a looser and tighter tension, respectively, and that kind of variation, in a garment like a sweater, can change the fit and style dramatically. If you were to knit an 8 foot scarf as your first project, you may still see some variation in gauge towards the end.
Practice knitting non-fitted garments until your tension looks even, then be prepared to knit some kind of sample in your exact yarn and needles before venturing into a large fitted project (like a sweater) in that yarn and needles.
The basics of Gauge, an essential component of knitting a fitted garment.
For a garment like a sweater to fit as you intend, you will need to knit at an even tension. Remember how your first scarf was wide in one place, and narrow in another? You were knitting at a looser and tighter tension, respectively, and that kind of variation, in a garment like a sweater, can change the fit and style dramatically. If you were to knit an 8 foot scarf as your first project, you may still see some variation in gauge towards the end.
Practice knitting non-fitted garments until your tension looks even, then be prepared to knit some kind of sample in your exact yarn and needles before venturing into a large fitted project (like a sweater) in that yarn and needles.
