help with gauge and measurements

[Aby]

:thinking: Okay, I'm having a little trouble wrapping my brain around this one. This is the first time I will be making something where I have to worry about how many cast on stitches I have and gauge.

The Goal:
I have several skeins of Lion Brand thick and quick chenille and I am using size 13 needles. I want to make a wrap approx. 10-15 inches wide and however long.. unsure yet.

The Problem:
The gauge on the label reads "8 sts + 16 rows = 4" in St st on size 11 needles." I would like to make a pattern of squares by doing k5, p5 for so many rows and then reversing it.. purling the knit and knitting the purl to give the illusion of different textured squares. I know that k5, p5 for 5 rows will not result in perfect squares.. so I don't know how to figure that out, either.

Here is what I do know.. however many stitches I cast on, will have to be divisible by 5. I also know that I totally don't understand the whole gauge concept.. if you could explain what "8 sts + 16 rows = 4" in St st on size 11 needles." means, too... thank you.

HELP :??

here is an example of what I mean by the squares.
http://intheclique.com/blanket.jpg

[Mer]

Well, I can try to help on the gauge bit--"8 sts + 16 rows = 4" means just that. You should be able to cast on 8 stitches and the knitted piece will be 4" wide, and if you knit 16 rows it will be 4" tall. Or you can say 2 sts = 1". So to make the item 10-15 inches wide, you would be casting on 20-30 stitches (10 times 2 or 15 times 2) and then knit to however long you want it to be. That's approximate of course, you should always do your own practice swatch to make sure your gauge is the same as what the yarn package says.

Can't help you with the square things though, I've never tried that. Seems like it should work with a CO divisible by 5.

[Aby]

hmm... well if I cast on 8 stitches.. I end up with 2 1/2 inches... if I cast on 12 stitches, I get 4 inches

:thinking: logically thinking, I would have thought that on larger needles, you would require less stitches to equal the same 4 inches... the mind wobbles, to quote the late great Kelly Bundy.

[twiggyann]

Everyone knits differently. The only real way to tell what your gauge is is to knit a swatch. Cast on and knit at least a 4 x 4 swatch in the pattern you plan to use and measure from that. The gauges given on the yarn may or may not equal your own knitting.

[Aby]

Okay, for the record, Lion Brand thick and quick chenille is really hard to work with... it has absolutely no give or stretch to it at all.. so your tension has to be dead on.. sheesh :rollseyes: