Many apologies for the delay on posting the L/XL half of the pattern for my Sea Foam Fingerless Gloves! I think I have the pattern finalized, but I'd like to be sure before I go ahead and post it here, and as a free download on Ravelry.
I gave my twin sister her pair of the gloves, and she adores them. Naturally, she's requesting a second pair, this time in blue and black. So, there we have it, another project added to my ever growing stack! It's good though - I like to have a variety of projects in the crochet queue. :)
The only problem with having a bunch of WIPs at once is sometimes I'll leave something alone for a few weeks, come back to it, and when my crocheting resumes, I'll notice my gauge is ever so slightly different! Frustrating!
I gave my twin sister her pair of the gloves, and she adores them. Naturally, she's requesting a second pair, this time in blue and black. So, there we have it, another project added to my ever growing stack! It's good though - I like to have a variety of projects in the crochet queue. :)
The only problem with having a bunch of WIPs at once is sometimes I'll leave something alone for a few weeks, come back to it, and when my crocheting resumes, I'll notice my gauge is ever so slightly different! Frustrating!
This brings me to today's topic: gauge.
What is gauge? Gauge is simply the dimensions (length and width) of a small swatch that you crochet prior to starting your project. Sometimes, as in my pattern, the gauge might read "10 sc = 2.5 inches and 4 rows worked in back loops only = 1.25 inches" -- the 10 sc bit gives you the width, and the number of rows gives you the length.
Other times, gauge might say "8 rows of 10 sc = 2.5 inches". This means that when you crochet the aforementioned, you're going to end up with a square that is 2.5 inches on each side. Occasionally you might see a pattern that only gives you the width measurement, indicating that the height of a stitch is less important.
What is gauge? Gauge is simply the dimensions (length and width) of a small swatch that you crochet prior to starting your project. Sometimes, as in my pattern, the gauge might read "10 sc = 2.5 inches and 4 rows worked in back loops only = 1.25 inches" -- the 10 sc bit gives you the width, and the number of rows gives you the length.
Other times, gauge might say "8 rows of 10 sc = 2.5 inches". This means that when you crochet the aforementioned, you're going to end up with a square that is 2.5 inches on each side. Occasionally you might see a pattern that only gives you the width measurement, indicating that the height of a stitch is less important.
Why does gauge matter? If you don't get your gauge correct from the start, not only is the size of your crocheted piece going to be off, but you may run out of yarn. And nobody likes to have to pause a project to order more yarn, or finish a crochet project with yarn from a different dyelot!
How do you fix your gauge if it's not right? If your gauge is coming out smaller than needed with the suggested hook, that means you need your stitches to be bigger, and you should go up one size in crochet hook, and vice versa for the opposite situation.
One trick that I use is having different sets of crochet hooks. Not all crochet hooks are created equal! If I can't get the proper gauge with different size hooks, I'll stick with one size and try each hook from different brands.
How do you fix your gauge if it's not right? If your gauge is coming out smaller than needed with the suggested hook, that means you need your stitches to be bigger, and you should go up one size in crochet hook, and vice versa for the opposite situation.
One trick that I use is having different sets of crochet hooks. Not all crochet hooks are created equal! If I can't get the proper gauge with different size hooks, I'll stick with one size and try each hook from different brands.
If you only have one set of hooks, this means that you'll need to play around with your yarn tension instead, making each stitch either tighter (for a smaller gauge) or looser (for a larger gauge) than you ordinarily would. I hate doing this, which is why I have lots of different hooks! :)
Next post coming up will, definitively, without a doubt, be the last half of the pattern for the Sea Foam Fingerless Gloves!! Stay tuned!
Next post coming up will, definitively, without a doubt, be the last half of the pattern for the Sea Foam Fingerless Gloves!! Stay tuned!