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Converting Patterns

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42 st

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42 St

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You’ve found a great sweater in a magazine, but the instructłons aren’t given in your size. Or you would like to use yarn that works up to a different gauge. Don’t wony, the changes are easy to figurę out!

The most important thing for converting patterns to a different size or yarn is the gauge. In the following examples, 22 stitches and 30 rows are 4" X 4".

This means that .4 square inches contains 2.2 stitches and 3 rows; these are the numbers you use for your calculations. So you have to multiply the inch measurements for the width by 2.2, those for the length by 3.

If you come up with numbers that are not whole numbers, round off. For example, if your calculation gives you 127.6 stitches, that would be 128 stitches; if you come up with 114-4, you can choose either 114 or 115. The 2 selvedge stitches are always added to these numbers; this means that for these parts, you need 130 and 116 or 117 stitches, respectively.

In instructions, patterns are usually shown in only haif their width, so that the indicated width has to be doubled. To make the calculations easier to understand, we have shown the patterns in their entire width.

Front and Back

For a size 4 pattern, the calculation is as fdlłows: 54 x 2.2 = 118.8. This means that you need 119 stitches plus 2 selvedge stitches =121 stitches for the necessary width. (For size 8: 58 x 2.2 = 127.6 4- 2 sel-vedge stitches = 130 stitches.)

If you now calculate the ribbing the same way, 105.6—i.e., 108 stitches including selvedge stitches—would be enough. However, sińce ribbing patterns tighten, you should use a few morę stitches, such as 112 stitches, and add the additional 9 stitches you need either in the last row of ribbing or the First row of the basie pattern, evenly distributed over the row, and twisted. (For size 8: 52 X 2.2 = 114-4 4- another 6 stitches = 120 stitches.)

When the piece is 24%" long, work the neckline. In traditional patterns, the neckline width is approximately ^l/j of the sweater width, deducting the selvedge stitches. For size 4, the calculation would be: 18 x 2.2 = 39.6—i.e., 37 stitches for the neckline. (For size 8: 20 X 2.2 = 44— i.e., 42 stitches.) This leaves 18 x 2.2 = 39.6 4- 2 selvedge stitches = 42 stitches for the shoulders. (For size 8: 19x2.2 = 41.8 4- 2 sel-vedge stitches = 44 stitches.)

For the back neckline, you need —i.e., 6 rows. This means that after binding off the center stitches, you can decrease twice. With this gauge, 4 stitches once and 2 stitches once are the best option. Therefore, bind off the center 25 stitches (size 8: 30 stitches) First.

For the front neckline, you have lVi—i.e., 18 rows. Here the last 4 rows are supposed to be worked on the same number of stitches—i.e., you can decrease 7 times = 14 rows. For an attractive rounded edge, the decreases should become smaller as you go: For size 4, First bind the center 15 stitches off straight across, then, every other row, 3 stitches once, 2 stitches twice, and 1 stitch 4x. (For size 8: the center 16 stitches, then, every other row, 4 stitches once, 3 stitches once, 2 stitches once, and 1 stitch 4x.)

Patterns for Size 10

I 18 I

Neckline: 37 st

Back: center 25 st, then 4 st 1x and 2 st 1x

Front: center 15 st, then 3 st 1 x, 2 st 2x, and 1 st 4x

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+ 9 St = 121 st

V |    _112 st_ |    ^

I3I    48    I3I

52

Sleeves

For the sleeves, you do the same calculations: The width after the wristband ribbing is 26 x 2.2 = 57.2 4- 2 selvedge stitches = 60 stitches for size 4.

For the ribbing, 7" = 39.6 stitches 4- 2 selvedge stitches, but 42 stitches in the ribbing pattern might be too tight. Add a few stitches—6 stitches in this case. Increase the missing 12 stitches at the end of the ribbing evenly distributed over the row.

Now first calculate the top sleeve width: 52 x 2.2 = 114.4 4- 2 selvedge stitches =116 stitches.

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