Swatching in the Round

For a garment worked in the round, you’ll want to swatch in the round too.
Swatching is the key to understanding what size your garment will be after knitting your project! It also gives you a chance to test the yarn, so you can decide whether you like the fabric and stitch patterns. Many knitters knit at different gauges when working flat vs. working in the round — most often, our purl stitches are looser than our knits. To make sure you’re getting an accurate gauge measurement, swatch using the same construction method as your final garment.

Does your garment have portions that are knit flat, while others are worked in the round?
Consider the primary construction method and the most critical fit points to determine the best way to swatch. Are you working a seamless cardigan where the body is knit flat, and then the sleeves are knit in the round? The most critical fit points (bust, across back, shoulders) are knit flat, so you’d want to knit a flat swatch and then keep an eye on your gauge when it comes to the sleeves. If you’re working a tank top that’s knit in the round to the underarm, and flat above that point, the most critical fit points will be in the body - full bust or high bust, waist, and hips, which are all worked in the round.

When in doubt, try swatching both flat and in the round.
Over time, you’ll learn how your gauge changes with different construction methods, and what you need to do to accommodate for gauge changes. For example, I know that when I’m knitting in the round at a small circumference (like for a sleeve), I almost always have to go up a needle size to account for my tighter stitches. When knitting at a larger circumference, it honestly depends on the specific yarn and needle combo. I will knit a few rows using the same needle size after the transition from round to flat (or vice versa), and closely check the fabric for changes. If needed, I’ll change my needle size. Be sure to check changes to row gauge as well!

Easily swatch in the round by using the Swatch Flat in the Round technique.
You don’t need to knit a giant tube to get enough fabric width to measure your gauge over 4” to compare to the pattern gauge. After finishing each row, float your yarn back to the start of the row so you can knit every row. Follow the image below or watch the video at the beginning of the article.

For accurate gauge readings, use swatching best practices:

Cast on at least 6” worth of stitches for your swatch. Your goal is to be able to count the number of stitches in 4” in the center of your work, without running into any distortions from the edges. Not sure how many stitches to cast on? Take the number of stitches called for your 4” gauge in the pattern and multiply by 1.5 (round up to the nearest whole number.

Swatch with the exact yarn and needles you’re planning to use for your project. It’s not just needle size that counts, but material and type of needle will also make a difference. Even different lengths of needles can cause you to hold the needle differently which can impact your gauge.

Wash and block your swatch in the same manner that you plan to wash your finished garment. You’re going to have to wash your garment eventually, so you’ll want to know what happens when it hits water! Most typically, blocking will mean removing some of the excess water, and then laying flat to dry and gently pulling/patting to shape. Use pins if you’d like to help keep the edges straight. You shouldn’t need to pull or stretch the swatch to an inch of its life, unless you also want to have to do this to your finished garment.

If your gauge doesn’t match the pattern:

Try different size needle than the pattern calls for - your goal is to match the pattern gauge, not the needle size.

If your swatch has too many stitches per 4”, your gauge is too tight. Go up a needle size to loosen your gauge.

If your swatch has too few stitches per 4”, your gauge is too loose. Go down a needle size to tighten your gauge.

You can also try re-blocking to achieve the desired gauge - just remember that you may need to take extra care when blocking your finished sweater to meet the desired measurements!