How gauge affects a pattern in real time
Let’s look at this pattern by Frayed Knot.
Let’s use this as our pattern to complete!
Age and Head Circumference:
Newborn 11.5 – 13 inches
0-3 Months 13 – 15 inches
3-6 Months 14 – 16 inches
6-12 Months 16 – 18 inches
Toddler (1-3 years) 17 – 18 inches
Child (3-10 years) 19 – 21 inches
Teen/ Small Adult (10 years +) 21 – 22 inches
Large Adult/Men 22 – 24 inches
Charts with the information above are found easily online and you’ll get very used to looking it up when making hats or any type of headgear. These charts follow average sizing. There are some children who measure larger, and some women who measure larger or smaller… etc. They just basically exist to tell you that if they measure 20 inches, you should make a child size. If you measure 23 you should be making a large adult size. Most patterns are written with this information in mind.
Changes for Teen/ Small Adult (10 years +) 21 – 22 inches:
So looking at the Frayed Knot Pattern: This pattern says that it was written to be 22 inches long. There is no sizing for other sizes included, but after you work up your gauge swatch (which you should ALWAYS ALWAYS be doing) and you get your hook that you’re supposed to use to match her gauge swatch, you will notice that 6 rows of height are equal to 2 inches in length. That would make 3 rows of height equal to 1 inch in length. So if you were wanting to create this for a teen aged 10 and up, at about 21 inches, following the chart above, you would take off 3 rows. So Rows 11-55 would change to 11-52.
Changes for Child (3-10 years) 19 – 21 inches:
If you wanted to create this for a child, and we’ll take a median length, let’s go with 20 inches. 22 inches (what the pattern is written for) – 20 inches = 2 inches is what you’ll need to take off of the original row count. If 3 rows = 1 inch then 6 rows = 2 inches. So Rows 11-55 would change to 11-49 for a 20 inch headwrap and 11-46 for a 19 inch headwrap. Keep in mind that children grow, so you might even want to create this at 21 inches just to be sure it will fit.
I will entertain going smaller. This pattern might do well for the toddler size, but I wouldn’t know until I tried. Keep in mind when you’re altering to be smaller for toddler or baby sizes that the width would then probably need to change as well to accommodate a baby’s shorter height head and the flower might look too big. It might be better to choose another pattern that offers a Newborn size. I only included this so that you would have a firmer grasp on gauge and because you might have a need for this information one day. Sometimes it is beneficial to make small changes and other times, like this, you would be rewriting the entire pattern. If it were me, I would look for another pattern, but just for curiosity’s sake:
Changes for Newborn 11.5 – 13 inches:
For a Newborn with a median length at 12 inches according to our chart above: 22 inches (what the pattern is written for) – 12 inches = 10 inches you’ll need to take off. If 3 rows = 1 inch and 6 rows = 2 inches, then 12 rows = 4 inches, 18 rows = 6 inches, 24 rows = 8 inches, 30 rows = 10 inches. So you would need to take off 30 rows for this headwrap to measure 12 inches. Rows 11-55 would then become 11-25.
When taking orders, make sure you nicely ask if they are of average size. I ask on every order the head measurement of the person I’m making it for. Some drag their feet on it and I just let it go and go with average sizing, but that way no one can ever say you didn’t TRY.
Finished? Return to Lesson 6 – Gauge