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Tuesday

Knitting Machine Gauge Swatch: Red Double Knitting Weight Cotton Tape Yarn in Stocking Stitch

Greetings!

I want to share with you a Gauge Swatch I made on my SUPERBA S47 Double Bed knitting machine using a beautiful 100% Cotton Tape Yarn.

I purchased this yarn on a cone at Romni Wools here in Toronto and it is also available online through Stitch Diva Studios in California, sold as their Lucci Cotton Tape, in the Gallant Red colour.  




Gauge Swatch Notes:
The format and information listed below is the one I use when making a Gauge Swatch or when sampling a new yarn or new stitch technique.

 I have a dedicated notepad next to my machine at all times which has tear-away lined paper. This makes it easy to separate and then file my notes along with the washed and blocked Gauge Swatch, yarn sample and any other project information. I follow this format for hand knitting, machine knitting and crochet. 



Having all this crucial information and samples together in one place serves to help you become organized and you can file this knitting information away and come back to it when you are ready to knit the garment or accessory you have in mind. 

Like you I am a consumer and we are often inspired to buy a yarn based on how it looks and feels when wound onto a cone or in a ball or skein of yarn that we see and touch at our local yarn shop or that we see online

When we get the yarn home and knit it up, this opinion can change very quickly as the yarn may not meet our expectation or we change our mind about the stitch techniques we want to use. 



With all these factors influencing the final outcome of a knitted sample or Gauge Swatch, it's best to get into the habit of writing down exactly what you were doing when you knit the sample so that you have a record of all the machine settings that you made to achieve the swatch, you have information about the original yarn used, you have notes about what worked and did not work and then you will be able to quickly and accurately reproduce this swatch at a later date. 

If, like me, you have a limited amount of free time to sit and knit at your machine in a given week, then this last part becomes crucial as to why it's important to make and keep detailed notes.

Let me now share with you the format and the information I recorded to achieve this Stocking Stitch Gauge Swatch using a beautiful 100% Cotton Double Knitting weight yarn.

I remind you that all images, text and format in this post are copyright Patrick Madden/Superba Knitting™ and that you do not copy nor reproduce this information. All rights reserved. Thank you for respecting that.  





Red Italian Cotton Tape DK Yarn 
Gauge Swatch in Stocking Stitch. 

•1: MACHINE KNIT SWATCH NAME:

Italian Cotton DK Tape Stocking Stitch Gauge Swatch




•2. KNITTING MACHINE BRAND AND MODEL NUMBER: 

SUPERBA S47 Double Bed Knitting Machine.



All images and text copyright Patrick Madden/Superba Knitting™. All rights reserved. ©


•3. KNITTING MACHINE GAUGE:**

• 5mm Standard Gauge.
Note: Gauge in the instance refers to the spacing of the needles on the machine bed measured in millimetres (mm). 

•4: YARN INFORMATION.



Yarn Brand Name: Italian Cotton Tape

Yarn Weight Category: DK or Double Knitting

Yarn Content: 100% Cotton

Yardage: n/a for original yarn. Online a 1lb./453g cone of this same yarn has 1900 yards or 1737 metres.

Number of Grams or Ounces: One 2lb Cone or 1.13 kg Cone.





•5. KNITTING MACHINE STITCH SIZE *NUMBER:
* PLEASE LIST A STITCH SIZE FOR EACH STITCH TECHNIQUE USED

Stocking Stitch = Stitch Size 10.





•6. KNITTING MACHINE YARN GUIDE TENSION SETTING:

Yarn Guide Tension Setting: 5




•7. KNITTING MACHINE STITCH TECHNIQUE(S) AND CARRIAGE/LOCK SETTINGS:
Please list in order all the knitting machine Stitch Techniques and the Carriage/Lock Setting for your model of knitting machine to achieve these stitches.

Stocking Stitch, worked on the Back Needle Bed.
Back Bed Carriage Settings:
• V Stitch Key selected for Stocking Stitch
• Needle Return Buttons set to neutral setting "•". 
• Stitch Size Dial: 10




• Front Needle Bed Position: Flow Combs Set Opposite
   


• Front Bed Racking Position Set To 4.5




• Bed Space Lever Set To 4




• Gauge Swatch worked over 70 Stitches (35L-0-35R).




• I cast on using the Waste Yarn + Ravel Cord Provisional Cast On Technique then worked a Long Tail or Double e-Wrap Cast On Technique using the Cotton Tape yarn.





• I used a Medium length 100 Stitch Cast On Comb and 3 Medium Superba Weights. 




• I also used two Claw Weights on the edge stitches. Yes, these are the ones that came with my japanese SINGER knitting machine. The Knitting Police don't mind!





• 8.: SWATCH GAUGE: Very important!
Stitch and Row Gauge:  the average number of Stitches and Rows one achieves in your finished knit fabric measured over an industry standard of 4" square or 10cm square.

• Gauge Swatch After Washing/Drying: 
   23 Stitches  x  36 Rows







• How was the Gauge Swatch cleaned?
The Gauge of this particular swatch was achieved after washing the swatch in a regular cycle, cold wash using a top loading washing machine. The swatch was then put in the dryer along with a load of regular laundry using the permanent press cycle until completely dry. 

This is how the finished garment will be cleaned, this is how you treat the Gauge Swatch. 

The Gauge Swatch was then blocked to shape using blocking wires and steamed using the Cotton setting on my standard household iron.






•9. ADDITIONAL KNITTING MACHINE SWATCH NOTES:

While I would have preferred a slightly tighter tension, the recipient did not want the resulting hand of the fabric to be too coarse to the touch nor too tight as to overheat when wearing, so she chose this gauge. It feels really nice and it’s a beautiful red and the finished Cardigan has been worn and laundered numerous times and holds up extremely well to food and beverage stains and being laundered. 


All images and text copyright Patrick Madden/Superba Knitting™. All rights reserved. ©

Here are two photos of my washed and blocked Gauge Swatch in action during the blocking of the Garment this swatch was used to calculate. It is very important to have your Gauge Swatch on hand for comparison, especially when blocking. It's good to compare the fabric and stitch size of the swatch to that of your garment pieces and it's crucial to a successful garment. 

Always make a Gauge Swatch. AlwaysAnyone who advises you otherwise is misleading you and your project will not turn out as desired.





Lastly, here is a photo of the completed garment that this Gauge Swatch was used to create, worn by my knitting pal and good friend Liz. This pattern was made to her size and specifications regarding Sleeve Length, Neckline Depth and Design Ease. I think it turned out well and most importantly, she does!




______________________________________________________________________
Machine Knitting Swatch Database Group on Ravelry.com
If you are a member of the excellent online knitting website Ravelry, I invite you to join the Machine Knitting Swatch Database group that I moderate and contribute your own Gauge Swatch information to share with other knitters from around the world. 




This group is for home knitting machine brands of all makes and models. This information will serve to help promote machine knitting and also to help establish and build a free database of knitting machine information. Join us!

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I hope you found the information and photos presented today helpful. I encourage you to get organized, set aside some time in your busy day to at the very least sample and make a record of your work and use this information to prepare to make something on your Superba, Singer, White or Phildar french knitting machine.

I wish you happy knitting. 

Patrick Madden
Superba Knitting
Toronto, Ontario CANADA