Let’s try this again…correct tension is key

I am using Honiburd Cotton for my Hoodie so decided to start off with Mary Anne’s tension and hope for the same result (27 sts and 36 rows = 4”/10cm). I am, however, using a Brother 940 rather than a Singer machine and experience has told me often that every machine knits at a different tension just like hand knitters do.

So, I made my tension swatch using Tension 9 and it looked great.However, when I measured it I definitely had a looser tension than Mary Anne’s. My tension worked out to 29 sts and 41.74 rows = 4”/10cm. So, not a huge adjustment but I needed a tighter tension.

I set up the machine again and decided to try one Tension setting tighter – 9.1 correct? As soon as I had knit about six rows and looked at the loose tension I realised I had, once again, thought like a hand knitter instead of a machine knitter. I learned to knit on needles that were English sizes (that means the larger the number, the smaller the needle, and therefore, tighter tension). American sizing is the opposite – the larger the number, the larger the needles (machines are the same). Anyway, I whipped the knitting off the machine, rewound it onto the cone, reset the machine in the proper direction (8.2 this time) and started again.

I had decided to try something different this time and, instead of casting on 60 stitches and isolating 40 stitches and 60 rows I decided to cast on 40 stitches and isolate 27 sts and 36 rows (Mary Anne’s exact tension). If things worked out as I hoped, the measurement of the isolated stitches and rows would be 4" x 4”). I’m an optimist.

I finished the swatch and cast off. Now to measure. Hmmm, 27 sts = 3.75” and 36 rows = 3.875”. Too tight.

I was about to sit down with the calculator to work out my changes when I reread the pattern instructions to ensure I had the gauge right. And then it hit me - “after the swatch is washed and dried”. I hadn’t washed and blocked the tension swatch, so off I went to the sink, washed the swatch well, pulled out four tension wires, threaded the swatch and placed it on my three tier drying rack that one of my knitters had given me as a gift. The swatch is now hanging in the stairwell drying. I am hoping to have a nicely dried swatch by noon tomorrow so that when Nancy and I meet to discuss next steps, I will be able to re-measure and at least have the correct tension to work from.