Spilling unnecessary yarn can almost be a death wish. Why? Have you ever played the game of ‘Yarn Chicken’? When creating a new project where gauge is key, we must spill some yarn. Again why? What about crochet tension hunny? You don’t want your sweater to become too large or that blanket too small, do you? Today we’re gonna talk about the big fluffy yarn elephant in the room; what about yarn tension?

Crochet and knitting is a craft for relaxation at the end of the day. For me, it is a form of relief after a long working day. Just counting, placing my stitchmarker, and crossing off that one row. For some projects, you don’t need to pay attention to your tension. For amigurumi, the key is that the stitches are packed together. If the holes are too big, just take a smaller hook. But, there are projects that tension matters. For fashion items for sample or a blanket.

Gauge is key

The game of yarn chicken is one of many we have as knitters and crocheters. You look at the ball of yarn and wonder if you’re gonna make it. Sounds familiar right? The reason I never make a gauge swap is because of the fear of playing yarn chicken. But, a big BUT. When working on a fashion item you need that gauge swap. When your tension is too loose your sweater might become an XXL. Or when your tension is too tight, that awesome sweater ends up for a child instead of a regular M-size. The gauge swap is to measure your hand to the designer’s hand. Are you coming short on inches/cm you need a bigger hook or needle. Too big, size down.

Yeah, yeah tension…

Yes, tension. We all held our yarn differently and our technique may vary. If you are a ‘Yarn Under’ kind of person, you might need a bitter crochet hook. The stitches of the Yarn Under technique are more tight than the Yarn Over stitches. The same item can defer in size when using a different technique than described.

When holding your yarn, we all do it differently. Some wrap the yarn multiple times around one finger. For example, I wrap it around my pinky once to keep my tension. But is the yarn slippery like velvet, I wrap it around 2 fingers to keep my tension going. Even if you do the same as me, our tension may vary. That is why, and I hate it to say, a gauge swap is so important for bigger projects.

So push that thought of yarn chicken aside. Make that gauge swap as intended and keep track of the way you hold your yarn. Don’t change midway a project, because it can mess up measurements. Stick to your choice all the way through.

How about my gauge swap and yarn chicken?

Coming short on yarn for your project? Just take the gauge swap and use that yarn. Trust me you won’t see the difference in my yarns that are used. It is only curly for you, not for the result. Take the swap apart if you need the yarn. But it is best to make sure you have enough yarn to start with. And pay attention to yarn baths! A blog about this subject is coming up soon, so stay tuned!