Hello fellow knitter! Knit gauge issues got you down? I feel your pain. I FEEL it. Knitting gauge is a tremendous sore spot among many knitters. And I have been there, knitting swatch after swatch and still coming up a stitch too few stitches for gauge swatch or too many stitches in knitting gauge. It’s a nightmare!

But what if you could switch up your knitting needles and get a different result? And I mean without changing the needle size? It’s possible. Read on! 

True confession: I have given up on knitting patterns because I couldn’t meet gauge. Absolutely frustrated with knitting swatch after swatch and coming up short  I couldn’t take it anymore and moved on. But it didn’t have to be that way. And I definitely don’t want that to happen to you. Especially if you’re trying to knit one of my patterns! 

This post is going to focus on those of you who chronically struggle to meet gauge. You’ll know it’s you if you find yourself reaching time and again for needles that are 1-2 sizes larger or smaller after every failed gauge swatch.

What if my gauge issue isn’t what you just described? 

There can be many reasons a knit gauge swatch is off, and depending on your issue, I encourage you to read any of my blog posts about gauge. Here are some quick links: 

And if you regularly use yarn other than what is recommended by the pattern and have gauge issues, then please stay tuned because I’m working on a post that will get into all the yarn details that can affect gauge! 

Pattern Details Effect on Gauge

When you get a knitting pattern it gives you detailed information on the tools that you need. The size knitting needle, the type of yarn with weight, and includes additional information about fiber content, the amount of yards or meters in the ounces or grams that you should use. 

As a new knitter, I didn’t realize how important this information was. I thought all that really mattered was the knitting needle size and yarn weight. Nope!

Each of these things provided by the designer can affect your knit gauge and it is why they include these seemingly minute details. Additionally, designers provide the exact yarn that they used to make their sample knit so that you can get the same results. 

So here is a list of things from the pattern that can affect your knit gauge: 

• Knitting needle size
• Type of yarn
• Yarn weight
• Fiber content
• Amount of yards/meters in ounces/grams per skein

In this post, we’re only focusing on knitting needles. We will get to that other stuff in a post soon!

Changing Knitting Needles to Match Gauge

Pay attention to your pattern. Most designers will include a note next to the knitting needle size that says “or size to match gauge”.  

This is a love note. 

You didn’t even know it! But, it truly is. 

Because you do not have to use the same size knitting needle the designer used. In fact, you may not be able to use that same size and match gauge. And that’s ok. 

Some of us are tight knitters, others are loose knitters. I personally start off tight and loosen up at the end. What a pain! Consistency is difficult to master and it takes some self reflection and attention to get there. 

But if you are a person who constantly needs to go up (or down) a size or two in knitting needle size to match gauge, consider starting there. You know your knitting style better than anyone. So, if time and again you are knitting up a gauge swatch and finding that you need larger (or smaller) needles, then just start with larger (or smaller) needles. 

Tight Knitters: Knitting Needles to Loosen Up Gauge

Are you a tight knitter who is always knitting gauge swatches that are too small? 

First, know that it’s great to be a tight knitter! There’s nothing at all wrong with you because you knit tightly. Tight knitting is not “wrong”, or anything that needs to be changed. 

But if you want to loosen up naturally and use the size needles called for in a pattern rather than switching sizes, then I’ve got some good news! 

You can try knitting with knitting needles of a different material. Metal knitting needles are great for naturally helping you loosen up your knitting. 

Once yarn slides on that metal needle it’s hard to keep it super tight. So without extra effort on your part, you may find that using metal needles helps you relax and your knitting too! You may find that carbon and some plastic needles can also allow you to relax your knitting.

I know that I have one pair of plastic needles, that my stitches just fly off! 

Experimentation is key! 

Beginner Knitters: I do recommend starting with wooden or plastic needles. Metal knitting needles have easier sliding of stitches which can lead to dropped stitches.

Loose Knitters: Knitting Needles to Tighten Up Gauge

So, you’re a loose knitter. That’s not a statement on your morals (lol), but getting your gauge to be smaller is just not something you typically do. 

But guess what? Knitting loosely is great! There is nothing wrong with you because you are a loose knitter. You aren’t doing anything “wrong”. So let’s kick out those fears right away.  

So, what if you want to get tighter knitting naturally? And maybe begin to use the size needles called for in a pattern rather than switching sizes? 

Well, let’s start experimenting! You can try knitting with knitting needles that are made of a different material. Some good ones to try are carbon, wooden or plastic. 

If all you’ve been using so far are metal knitting needles, then knitting loosely is very understandable. The stitches fly off those metal knitting needles!

Wooden and some carbon or plastic needles are great at slowing down those stitches and creating a bit of friction that helps prevent more loose knitting. And, experimenting just helps build your knitting needle arsenal! 

Knitting Needle Materials and What to Expect

Metal – Very smooth, your yarn will glide over the needles super easily – beware newbies of the dropped stitches!

Carbon – Very smooth, but slightly less smooth than the metal needles. You may still need to watch for those dropped stitches, but it’s a step away from the metal super glide situation. 

Plastic – These ones I think are a bit more tricky. I have had some plastic that HOLD ON to the yarn. It’s gonna take some effort to move that yarn around. Yet other plastic needles that were very smooth and because they are so lightweight I found the yarn sliding very easily from the needles. 

Wooden – These are typically smooth. Regardless of smoothness, wooden needles are not so smooth that your yarn will go flying. 

Stay tuned, because I’ll be writing an example post soon as I knit a swatch of the same yarn with the same size needle and only switch up the knitting needle material. Look for it coming March 31, 2025…

Buying Tips! 

Be wary of those cheap wooden needles! Here’s where quality can really be tricky. Depending on the quality of your needle, you may have some real rough spots. Those super cheap bamboo needles on amazon? You’re gonna want to have a nail file handy just to make sure you don’t snag up all your yarn.

Go ahead and buy a size or two near what you need in a good quality brand. As an example, Clover, or Knit Picks are pretty inexpensive when buying one size at a time, and you don’t have to have that nail file to keep your yarn from snagging.  

Metal needles are pretty standard in “learn to knit kits”, plus they can be super cheap. I’ve seen some at the dollar store! And a plethora at the second hand shop. By far and away these are the most easy to find needles. So, don’t be afraid to pick some up and give them a try! 

And the best part? Experimenting with all these different needles here and there will help you decide which ones you want to get. Quality needles are an investment in your knitting time and pleasure, so shop around! 

You may find that you prefer knitting with one material more than another. I love wooden needles most! So then invest your money in some quality needles of the material you like. It’ll be a like a prize at the end of all your hard work experimenting.

Knitting Needles Effects on Gauge

Experimentation really is key. 

Did I say that already? I did, and it’s because it’s true!

And stay tuned because I will be demonstrating the impact knitting needles can have on gauge. Coming March 31, 2025 I will post my results of knitting the same yarn with the same size needles, but all with different materials.

If you think that your knitting gauge could be helped by changing up your knitting needles, experiment!

You can buy really nice knitting needles, like ChiaGoo, Addi, Lykke, Knit Picks, etc. at relatively inexpensive prices if you are just getting one or two sizes. And try out those cheap ones you find at the craft store, like Clover brand. 

If you’ve been knitting a while, experimenting with different knitting needle materials is great! Who knows? You may just find your next favorite knitting needle in an unexpected material or brand. 

If you enjoy knitting and you want to do it more if you can just get over this frustrating knit gauge thing, pick up a few different knitting needle types. You don’t have to buy top of the line. Just get some different materials to try things out. Or just grab one size in the different materials to see how it affects your gauge. 

Help! I can’t get knit gauge!

I’ve been there, and I hear this all the time. The good news? The tips in this blog post helped me go from frustrated to confident, and I’m here to share them with you.

Do I still need to knit a couple of swatches sometimes to match gauge? Absolutely. But that’s totally normal! It doesn’t mean you’re doing anything wrong. It just means you knit differently than the designer—and that’s okay! Even test knitters often have to adjust and re-swatch to get the right gauge.

So, take a deep breath and give yourself some grace. If you’re close to matching gauge but not quite there, check out my blog post here to see if you actually need to keep swatching: Knitting Gauge Swatch Problems and How to Fix Them.

Also, be sure to check out my next post coming Mach 31, 2025 to see just how much knitting needle material can affect gauge. I’ll post a link here when it’s live so be sure to save this page.

Comment below if you have more gauge questions!

Hugs & Happy knitting!
Lois 

Psssst! Want a break from all this gauge talk? I hear you – be sure to sign up for my Summer of Scrubbies 2025! These quick knit items do not require a gauge swatch, and they’re so quick to knit you can easily adjust gauge if you want and knit up another!