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Member Lesson
Change Your Stitch Pattern to Change Your Width
Different stitch patterns don’t just use different amounts of yarn - they also knit to different widths. Learn how to use stitch choice to make your project fit your machine (and your yarn).
If your project feels too wide for your machine—or like you’re running out of room—you didn’t do anything wrong. This is one of those moments where a simple stitch change can give you more flexibility than you might expect.
Change Your Stitch Pattern to Change Your Width
Follow These Steps
- Knit a swatch in stockinette stitch using your usual tension.
- Knit a swatch in a slip or tuck pattern using the same yarn and stitch count.
- Knit a swatch in a lace pattern using the same yarn and stitch count.
- Lay the swatches side by side and compare their widths.
- Notice which stitch patterns pull in (narrower) and which open up (wider).
- Measure each swatch and record the width difference.
- Consider how changing the stitch pattern could help your project fit within your needle limits.
Watch the lesson
Stitch patterns cab change your knitted piece size
Even with the same number of stitches, different stitch patterns can produce very different widths. Lace tends to open up and create more width, while slip and tuck stitches often pull in and create a denser, narrower fabric.
