Fade to Light Jacket MAL: gauge information

Hello and welcome to the Fade to Light Jacket make-a-long (MAL). Today we’ll talk about the gauge and its importance in crochet garments. First bit of instructions will follow later this week. If you haven’t seen Fade to Light Jacket, please check this blog post full of reveal pictures and general information about sizing and yarn requirements. For translation to other languages, please use a Translate button on this blog.

As you might already know, Fade to Light Jacket MAL is about making a top down crochet garment with raglan sleeves. Every crochet pattern, regardless of its shape or kind, always has a listed gauge (or tension). The gauge gives you an idea of how many stitches and rows match in 10 cm/4 in. In other words it gives you an idea of the size.

In fact the gauge is important for every project: whether it’s a shawl or a blanket. But if you can skip it making a pillow, for example, for crochet garments the gauge is the most important bit.

Why? Because garment pattern instructions are always written for certain yarn weight, hook size, and gauge.

If you choose to live dangerously and don’t make a gauge swatch for your Fade to Light Jacket, you risk ending up with a totally different size than you meant to choose.

If you have less or more stitches/rows in 10 cm/4 in, your jacket will become bigger or smaller. And as a result, it won’t fit you.

PLEASE! Before you start making your Fade to Light Jacket, first make a gauge swatch.

The stitch pattern is very simple: only single crochet stitches and chains are used here (US crochet terms). And every sc and chain-space (a “small hole”), counts as a stitch.

Usually the patterns list the gauge before blocking. The gauge for Fade to Light Jacket is given after a slight block (you can stretch your gauge swatch with hands a little, but don’t pull it too much, as it will destroy the stitches).

What is interesting about Scheepjes Whirl Fine Art and Merino Soft yarns – they are quite stretchy. When you work your gauge swatch, don’t make it tight, as after blocking it will shrink back. It means that your gauge swatch before and after blocking will stay almost the same. So work it in a relaxed way, change to a bigger hook if needed. The stitches should look neat: not too loose, and not too tight.

I have made a short video where I am talking about the yarns and gauge for Fade to Light Jacket MAL:

The gauge for Fade to Light Jacket is 20 sts and 18 rows to 10 x 10cm (4 x 4in) using 4.5mm hook. Here is the stitch pattern for your gauge swatch (every sc and every ch1-sp counts as a stitch):

Row 1. Ch30, 1sc in second ch from hook, [ch1, sk next ch, 1sc in next ch] to end, turn – 29 sts

Row 2. Ch1 (doesn’t count as a st), 1sc, [ch1, sk sp, 1sc] to end, turn.

Rows 3-25. Repeat Row 2.

Dutch below:

Stekenverhouding: 20 stn en 18 rijen meten 10 x 10 cm met 4,5 mm haaknaald – licht opgespannen. Patroon voor stekenverhouding (elke v en elke 1l-open telt als s):

Rij 1. 30l, 1v in 2e l vanaf naald, [1l, volg l oversl, 1v in volg l] tot eind, keer – 29 stn

Rij 2. 1l (doesn’t count as a st), 1v, [1l, open oversl, 1v] tot eind, keer.

Rijen 3-25. Herhaal Rij 2.

After 25 rows, your gauge swatch will be bigger than 10cm/4”. Take a ruler or measuring tape and measure your gauge in the middle of your gauge swatch. Don’t forget that every space counts as a stitch as well.

Success! :) See you on Friday. We will begin crocheting our Fade to Light Jacket. And I will show you how to make short rows.

Just to remind that general information about Fade to Light Jacket MAL is available HERE.

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