Free Printable Gauge Checkers!

If you’re new to crochet, I’m sure you’ve had that moment. You’ve started a new pattern and see it again… GAUGE…  Maybe you’ve been ignoring it, or have successfully ignored it and your patterns have turned out as they should.  But let’s rip off the Band-Aid. What is the gauge?!  And why does it matter?

It’s really not as scary as it sounds. You’ll be glad you took the plunge. 

And to make it even more fun, I’ve created these Free Printable Gauge Checkers! Just click on the link or picture to download, and make sure you subscribe so you don’t miss any discounts, free patterns and more. This download provides a 1″, 2″ and 4″ gauge checker. 

Gauge is important to learn and especially important to apply to certain projects.  When you check your gauge you’re measuring how the yarn is going to work up, which will effect the SIZE of your garment. THIS is why it is so important. 

A couple of things that affect your gauge are your tension (how tight you crochet), and the yarns weight or thickness.  So if you’re not using a pattern’s recommended yarn it’s really a good idea to check your gauge.

Generally, if size is going to be an issue, check your gauge. 

So how do you check your gauge?

First follow the instructions provided to make your swatch.  A swatch is just a square of crochet. The pattern should tell you what stitch to use to make your swatch. 

Let’s use this example. We’re going to make a sweater and the gauge is:

Gauge = 5 stitches and 5 rows in 1″ 

We’ll crochet up a swatch and when completed, measure and count how many stitches there are in the measurement provided. This gauge says 1″. So we’re going to count how many stitches there are in one 1″ of our worked up swatch.  Gauge is generally measured by 1″, 2″ or 4″.

I’ve created a swatch for you to see. I’m using my Free Printable Gauge Checker that you can download too! Now, you can use a plain old ruler as well, but these little tools are pretty fun.

I’ve also done my swatch with every other stitch in white in case your not yet really familiar with what one stitch looks like. It is single crochet.  

Below, you can see that there are 4 stitches in the 1″. I’ve numbered them for you. 

Now we’ll count how many rows. Once again, I have created my swatch with alternating rows of color so you can distinguish between the rows and have numbered the rows for you. 

You can see there are 4 rows in the 1″ space. 

Our gauge = 4 stitches and 4 rows in 1 inch.

But, for the pattern we need 5 stitches and 5 rows in an inch to meet the gauge requirements so let’s talk about how you adjust your gauge.  

How do you adjust your gauge?

If you make your swatch and you have MORE stitches or rows than the pattern suggests, you need to try the next hook size UP. Make a new swatch with the smaller hook size and measure again. Continue doing so until you find the hook that closest meets the gauge requirements. You want to get as close as possible. But don’t worry too much about perfection. You may not be able to get it bang on. 

If you make your swatch and you have LESS stitches or rows than the pattern suggests, as our swatch does in the example, you need to try the next hook size DOWN. Make a new swatch with the new larger hook and then measure again. Continue increasing hook sizes, until you meet the gauge requirements. 

Once you’ve ensured you have the right hook and your gauge is looking good it’s time to frog it and start the real fun, the pattern! 

That’s all there is to it! I hope this was a helpful walk through the process of checking your gauge, and it’s no longer a mystery! Did you enjoy this post? Please share! 

Happy Crocheting!