Mastering Knitting Tension
Tips for getting even tension.
4/20/20262 min read
Many factors in knitting can affect your tension, making it hard to master, especially when changing techniques between projects. Here are some tips to make it easier.
Tension Basics
Tension is largely determined by how you hold the yarn, muscle memory, and friction. Every knitter seems to have their own way of holding their yarn, making tension and gauge very personal. If you tend to knit loosely, try wrapping the yarn around an extra finger. Or loosen your grip if you tend to knit too tightly. Your tension will also change depending on whether you’re knitting Continental or English style. Or consider trying something completely new, like Portuguese knitting! The friction you get from a particular yarn and your choice of needles will also affect your gauge. There is less friction if you use a smooth, slippery yarn, like silk. The material of your needles will impact friction as well: you get less with metal needles, whereas wood and bamboo needles are more “grippy.”
Stranded Colorwork
Stranded colorwork tends to pull in and pucker, especially if you make your floats too tight. One way around this is to knit your project inside out. This means the floats will be on the outside while you work, and it’ll be easier to keep them loose. It’s important to keep in mind that the final fabric won’t be as stretchy as other stitch patterns.
Lace Knitting
Lace knitting is often done with larger needles than what the yarn label suggests. When knitting lace, your tension should be consistent but relaxed. You want the final fabric to open up and bloom when it’s blocked. The main tip with lace is to avoid pulling your stitches too tight.
Cables
Cables also tend to pull the fabric inward and have less stretch than other stitch patterns. Oftentimes, when working cables on a purl background, moving from the cable to the next purl stitch creates a ladder or gap. When knitting the first purl stitch after a cable, try wrapping the yarn in the opposite direction. This will tighten up the stitch and prevent a gap. Just remember to knit the stitch through the back loop on the next row so that it’s not twisted.
Rowing Out
Rowing out occurs when your tension differs between purl rows and knit rows. One way to compensate for this is to use a different needle size for purl rows. You will have to play around with needle sizes in your swatch to figure out the best sizes to use for knits and purls.
Tight Cast-ons and Bind-offs
Many knitters (myself included) tend to cast on and bind off too tightly. The fix for this could be as simple as trying a different method. Like many beginning knitters, I learned the backwards loop cast-on first and had so many tension issues with it that I almost quit knitting! Thankfully, I learned that there are other options. These days, I especially like the long-tail cast-on for its speed and versatility. I also like the suspended bind-off to keep that edge loose. Even with these other methods, I have to consciously remind myself not to make them too tight!
Varying Gauge
Sometimes, even with the same yarn and needles, our tension can shift from day to day, depending on our mood, fatigue, and even caffeine consumption. Every now and then throughout a project, I would suggest checking your gauge to make sure it’s fairly consistent.
Blocking
Blocking will help tremendously with uneven tension. It can’t work miracles, but it does make a huge difference. The steam or water will help relax the stitches, which is especially noticeable in lace knitting, which will bloom dramatically.
Ultimately, your knitting projects are handmade, and they will reflect that, no matter how consistent you are. Generally speaking, perfection is not the goal, we knit for the joy of creating! Keep that in mind when you make mistakes or when your tension is a bit off. Happy stitching!
