Tomorrow we’ll begin knitting so today we’ll be doing a little bit of math to help us get closer to casting on. You will need the numbers from your measurement worksheet and you might want a calculator for this next section to make your life a little bit easier.
Better yet, just enter your numbers into our calculator!
NOTE: If you use the above calculator you do not need the math equations below. Just copy down your numbers and move on to the next module.
Because we are beginning at the neck line the first thing we need to do is calculate how many stitches it will take to go around your entire neck.
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[ ] stitch gauge x [ ] neck size = [ ] total neck stitches
Example 1: If my stitch gauge is 5sts/inch and my neck measurement is 19″ my equation will look like this: 5 x 19 = 95 total neck stitches
Example 2: If my stitch gauge is 3.5sts/inch and my neck measurement is 18″ my equation will look like this: 3.5 x 18 = 63 total neck stitches
The next step is to divide the total neck stitches into portions for the front, back and sleeves.
**round any fractional number to the nearest number of whole stitches.
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[ ] total neck stitches x 0.33 = [ ] back stitches
Example 1: Because I had 95 total neck sts in equation #1 my math will look like this: 95 x 0.33 = 31.35 (since it is impossible to make .35 of a stitch I will round to the nearest whole number, 31).
Example 2: Because I had 63 total neck sts in equation #1 my math will look like this: 63 x 0.33 = 20.79 (I can’t make .79 of a stitch so I will round it to the nearest whole number, 21).
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[ ] back stitches x 0.25 = [ ] sleeve stitches
Example 1: Because I had 31 back sts in equation #2 my math will look like this: 31 x 0.25 = 7.75, we’ll round to the nearest whole number and end up with 8 sleeve stitches.
Example 2: Because I had 21 back sts in equation #2 my math will look like this: 21 x o.25 = 5.25, we’ll round to the nearest whole number here to end up with 5 sleeve stitches.
Increase stitches = 8 (this number never changes)
To find the number of front stitches we will subtract the back stitches, both sets of sleeve stitches and the increase stitches from the total neck stitches.
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[ ] total neck stitches – ( [ ] back stitches + [ ] sleeve stitches + [ ] sleeve stitches + 8) = [ ] front stitches
Example 1: Using the numbers from equations 1-3 to fill in the blanks my math will look like this: 95 – ( 31 + 8 for the right sleeve + 8 for the left sleeve + 8 increase stitches) = 40 front stitches.
Example 2: Using the numbers from equations 1-3 my math will look like this: 63 (21 + 5 + 5 + 8) = 24 front stitches.
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At this point make sure that the front has more stitches than the back.
If the back has more stitches than the front, move some stitches from the back to the front until the front has more stitches than the back.
Next you will divide the front of the neck into right, left and center sections according to the type of neckline you have chosen.
FOR A V NECK:
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[ ] front stitches x 0.50 = [ ] right front stitches
Example 1: is a v-neck and the math will look like this: 40 x .50 = 20 right front stitches
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[ ] front stitches x 0.50 = [ ] left front stitches
Example 1: #6 is the same as #5 so the math will look like this: 40 x .50 = 20 left front stitches
FOR A CREW NECK
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[ ] front stitches x 0.25 = [ ] right front stitches
Example 2: is a crew neck so the math will look like this: 24 x .25 = 5.25 but we’ll round to the nearest whole number which will give us 6 right front stitches.
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[ ] front stitches x 0.25 = [ ] left front stitches
Example 2: #6 is the same as #5 so the math will look like this: 24 x .25 = 5.25 but we’ll round to the nearest whole number which will give us 6 left front stitches.
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[ ] front stitches – ( [ ] front stitches + [ ] front stitches ) = [ ] center front stitches
Example 2: Using the numbers from equations 5 and 6 the math will look like this 24 – (6 + 6) = 12 center front stitches
Whew! That wasn’t so bad right?
That’s all for today! We’ll see you tomorrow to start casting on!