Ask the Expert: How Do I Measure Gauge in Reverse Stockinette Stitch?

All Interweave patterns specify gauge in the stitch pattern used in the project. Reverse Stockinette stitch is a popular stitch pattern often used to frame cables or other more complex textures. But Reverse Stockinette stitch can look like an undifferentiated jumble of bumps, making it a challenge to count stitches and rows.

Read on to find out how to train your eye to see the individual stitches in Reverse Stockinette stitch.

The Quick and Easy Way to Measure Gauge in Reverse Stockinette Stitch

The easy way to measure your gauge in Reverse Stockinette stitch is to flip the swatch over and measure on the Stockinette stitch side.

If you’ve trained your eye to see the “V” of a knitted stitch in Stockinette stitch, you can take your gauge measurements on the back side of your Reverse Stockinette stitch swatch. After all, whether you are looking at the knit side or the purl side, your swatch has the same number of stitches and rows in each inch of fabric.

Identifying Stitches and Rows in Reverse Stockinette Stitch

Of course, the real question here is this: How can you identify individual stitches when looking at the purl side of the swatch. Since there are no “V”s, what do you count?

Reverse Stockinette stitch is a series of interlocking “frowns” and “smiles”. Each frown is the head of a stitch. The smiles are the yarn traveling from one stitch to another. Practice seeing the “frowns” in your swatch. A row of knitting in Reverse Stockinette stitch will look like a row of cereal bowls lined up on a counter upside down to dry. Count the bowls along the line. To count rows, look for the bowls stacked upside down, and count the bowls in the stack.

With just a little practice, you can train your eye to see the rows and columns of “frowns” that are the heads of your stitches.

Knitting Flat vs. Knitting in the Round

When your project will be knit flat, then Stockinette stitch and Reverse Stockinette stitch are produced in exactly the same way—you alternate one knit row with one purl row. The only difference is which side you choose to call the “right side”: the knit side or the purl side.

When your project is knit in the round, Stockinette stitch is produced by knitting every round. Reverse Stockinette stitch is produced by purling every round. Many knitters find that their gauge is slightly different when purling than when knitting. If this is the case for you, you may find that your gauge in Stockinette stitch knit in the round is not the same as your gauge in Reverse Stockinette stitch knit in the round. To ensure an accurate gauge measurement, if your project will be knit in the round, make your swatch in the round and purl every round.

Thank you to Ancient Arts Yarns for providing the yarn used for these samples. This swatch was made with Herlig.

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Sandi Rosner is the technical content editor for all things yarn at Interweave. When she isn’t knitting, she usually has her nose in a book. You’ll find new technical content from Sandi nearly every week at www.interweave.com.