KNITTING TENSION

Checking your knitting tension, that is, the tightness or looseness of your knitting, is important. To check your tension, cast on 30 stitches using the recommended needle size.

Work in the pattern until your work measures 10cm from the cast on edge then cast off. You now have a

“swatch”. Measure your tension by placing a ruler over your swatch and counting the number of stitches across and rows down (including fractions of stitches and rows) in 10cm. Repeat these measurements two to three times on a different parts of the swatch to check your measurements. If you have more stitches and rows than called for in the instructions, you should use larger needles; if you have fewer, use smaller needles. Check your tension again before starting your project.