Let’s talk about gauge swatching. When I first started crocheting, it seemed like such a waste of time. I finally learned that although gauge swatching is tedious it is also necessary.

It can be really handy if you just want to try out stitch patterns or color combinations before committing to a full scale crochet project!

They can be worth their weight in gold (or yarn) and has saved me from wasting precious hours on something that I realized far too late that I don’t even like doing or I don’t like the way it looks.

Gauge swatching is an important part of crocheting, especially when you’re following someone else’s pattern and need to make sure your hook size matches the gauge for that project. If you are like me, you just want to jump in and start working the pattern but checking gauge can really save you time in the long run. I cannot tell you how many times I have had to frog a project because I had the wrong hook size or because I lost at yarn chicken.

Not everyone has the same tension when they are crocheting so your swatch will tell you if you need to go up or down a hook size.

When it comes to meeting gauge for a pattern, a gauge swatch will show you how similar or different your tension is compared to the designers. If you have more stitches and rows than the gauge for the pattern, you crochet tighter than the designer so you need to use a large hook. If you have less stitches and rows, you crochet looser and need to use a smaller hook. If either of those are your results, you need to change your hook size accordingly and work another swatch. If your work matches gauge, you are ready to start the pattern.

More Stitches = Use a large hook

Less Stitches = Use a smaller hook

When you are trying to meet gauge for a pattern, I always recommend making the gauge swatch bigger than what is needed. For example, if the gauge in the pattern is for 2 inches by 2 inches I will make mine 4 inches by 4 inches. I like to make it bigger so I can measure in the middle of my swatch. Why do you need to make gauge for a pattern?

The reason I like to gauge swatch this way is because your first few rows in a pattern can be a little wonky. It takes me a few rows to really hit my stride and get nice consistent stitches. The same goes for the first and last stitches in a row. I feel like the middle part of my work has the best consistency and that is where I want to measure.

As I stated earlier, gauge swatching was the biggest time-waster in my mind until I finally gave it a chance. It wasn’t until I actually put it to use that I realized what a valuable tool they are! When you’re just starting out, gauging can be one of those things you don’t do but when your project is halfway done and doesn’t turn out as expected. There’s only so much guess work you’ll get away with before finally going back to square one – which could take hours or more depending on how complicated the pattern is. Save yourself some time by carefully calculating each stitch beforehand using the gauge given in the pattern. Or if you are designing a pattern try the stitches out on a smaller scale first. You won’t regret it!

I would love to hear your opinion on gauge swatches. Are you team for it or team against it?

Do you have any yarn chicken stories that you would like to share?

And if I am being totally honest, I still don’t do it with every project. I measure as I work projects and just do my own thing. Unless I am designing crochet patterns, that is now a different story. I have started including gauge in all of my patterns. I am a really tight crocheter so having gauge included is really important to my customers. I am slowly working on going back to my older designs to include gauge.

If you are still not a fan of gauge swatching, just use my rule. If size is important to me for the pattern, always gauge swatch first! If size isn’t a big deal, skip that part and just get to the good part-crocheting!