Swatch & StartYour workbench ↗

PATTERN GAUGE / BOTH DIRECTIONS

One gauge can match.
The other can still matter.

Compare your finished swatch with the pattern on both axes. See what the difference means for a fixed stitch and row count before choosing your next step.

How the calculation works ↓

Your measurements

Worked example is prefilled. Replace it with your measurements. Shared locally between these two pages.

Switching units converts lengths. 4 inches is 10.16 cm, not 10 cm.

01 / Counted area
Use the same counted area.
Use the same counted area.
02 / After washing & blocking
Measure after drying.
Measure after drying.
03 / Pattern gauge

Enter the gauge exactly as printed. Leave one count blank if the pattern specifies only one axis. A gauge over 4 inches uses 4 inches, not 10 cm.

Leave blank to skip this axis.
A positive measurement.
Leave blank to skip this axis.
A positive measurement.
Optional / One section of your knitting

Estimate a simple span at these counts. Excludes edges, seams, shaping and ease.

Leave blank to skip this axis.
Leave blank to skip this axis.

THE MEASURED DIFFERENCE

Your two-axis diagnosis

Calculate to see your measurements.

A preview lets you confirm or cancel. Your project name, target size, repeat rule, yarn details and row history stay in place.

For a measured section in matching fabric. Not whole-garment grading or a fit guarantee.

Read the two directions independently.

  1. Measure finished fabric. Use the pattern’s stitch texture and knit flat or in the round to match its construction. Finish the swatch as you plan to finish the item and measure after it is dry.
  2. Normalize both gauges. Stitches divided by width gives horizontal density; rows divided by height gives vertical density. A pattern’s width and height spans need not be equal.
  3. Read the size effect. More stitches per centimetre means the same stitch count makes a narrower piece. More rows per centimetre means the same row count makes a shorter piece.
  4. Decide what to swatch next. Consider fabric, construction and the pattern’s row-based shaping. Do not infer a whole-garment size change from one gauge ratio.

Gauge percentage and size percentage are not the same.

Gauge difference = (your density ÷ pattern density − 1) × 100%
Size difference at equal counts = (pattern density ÷ your density − 1) × 100%

If the pattern asks for 16 stitches per 10 cm and your swatch has 20, your stitch density is 25% higher. The same stitch count produces a piece 20% narrower, not 25% narrower. This reciprocal relationship is why the result labels distinguish density from size.

What if stitch gauge matches but row gauge does not?

Suppose both have 20 stitches per 10 cm, but the pattern has 28 rows and you have 32 rows per 10 cm. A 100-stitch width stays 50 cm. A 140-row section is 43.75 cm instead of 50 cm: 12.5% shorter. A direction that says “work to 50 cm” behaves differently from one that says “work 140 rows”. Armholes, yokes and row-based shaping may depend on both.

Changing needle size can change both axes and the fabric’s feel. It is not a guaranteed fix for a row-only difference. Try another swatch, check how you counted, and consult the pattern’s construction before deciding. If the fabric does not suit the project, matching a number alone is not enough.

Carry the measured gauge forward.

The cast-on handoff uses your finished swatch. It does not replace your target size or select a garment size. The existing cast-on tool still applies legal repeat multiples and shows the size effect of rounding. Open the cast-on workbench, or compare the same swatch before and after washing.

Sources and boundaries

These are original calculators and worked examples. The Vogue Knitting substitution guide supports swatching a replacement yarn and checking gauge. Public discussions about a pattern gauge mismatch and size changes after blocking illustrate the questions this workflow addresses; community replies are not treated as calculation authority.

Nothing here estimates a universal blocking percentage, selects a sweater size or rewrites pattern instructions. Fractional measured counts are accepted; section stitch and row counts must be whole numbers. Results display up to three decimal places, while calculations keep the underlying precision.

Measurements are saved in a separate browser-local draft shared by these two pages. The existing project JSON format is unchanged and does not include this comparison draft. Record your before-wash measurements separately if you need a portable history. These pages do not load analytics or send measurements elsewhere. Existing public-entry analytics choices.

Use this finished swatch?