Float or Sink… Notes on Knitting Above Gauge
Because many of my patterns are written for a gauge typically associated with ‘heavy’ (DK to Aran weight) yarns, the topic of knitting above gauge tends to come up. This is particularly relevant to the Nostalgic Sweater Coat. While this pattern offers cropped and mid-length options, for those who want the dramatic length shown in the sample photos it is important to be mindful of yarn selection.
A below-the-knee coat, knitted in a standard Aran-weight yarn, will be heavy. As in literally: It will feel heavy on your body as you wear it, it will be heavy if you pack it in a suitcase on a trip, and it will perhaps feel uncomfortably bulky if worn underneath an overcoat.
For that reason, I knitted the pattern sample in a yarn that is technically (going by its meterage) a light-DK or even heavy-sport weight - but is intended to be worked at an Aran-weight gauge. This results in a lightweight fabric, ensuring that my sweater coat doesn’t feel heavy when worn, and compresses easily when worn underneath a coat or packed away.
The yarn I used is Honer och Eir Nutiden, a Swedish unspun wool - which, admittedly, is an obscure yarn that is not easily accessible (not due to cost, but due to its low-volume production).
So I would like to talk about what other yarns have this same lightweight quality, and are suitable for knitting above gauge - making them ideal for the full length version of the Nostalgic Sweater Coat.
To begin with, let’s make sure we have a handle on what exactly I am talking about here.
What is ‘Knitting Above Gauge?’
This means, knitting with a yarn that is finer (more meters per 100g) than the yarn typically associated with your gauge.
Example: The pattern states a gauge of 19 stitches per 10cm. This gauge is typically suitable for yarns that are 160-190m per 100g.
If instead you use a yarn that is 250m per 100g (more meters per 100g = lighter yarn), and knit with it at the 19 stitch gauge, that is knitting above gauge. It will result in a finer, lighter-weight fabric.
What Yarns are Suitable for Knitting Above Gauge?
Okay, so on the surface it would seem that if you want your sweater-coat to be lightweight, you simply choose a yarn with more meters per 100g than suggested in the pattern.
But wait! Because one important caveat is that not all yarns are suitable for being knitted above gauge. In fact, if you use a garden variety superwash merino and knit it above gauge, the fabric will look unattractively threadbare and ropey. And your long sweater coat will stretch and distort as you wear it.
Types of yarn that should be knitted above gauge tend to be fluffy and airy, and are constructed to maximise volume.
These include…
. unspun wool (Nutiden, &Point, or similar)
. Lettlopi
. cashmere
. ‘brushed’ yarns (i.e. brushed Alpaca, brushed silk)
. mohair, or anything held together with mohair
. chainette yarns
Of the above options, I think the last two are the most accessible and appealing to a typical knitter, and so I will elaborate about them in more detail here:
Mohair
If using pure mohair: Sportweight (300m/ 100g), or two strands of lace weight (600m/ 100g) held together will work with the gauge of the Nostalgic Sweater Coat.
Alternatively, lace weight mohair held together with a fingering weight yarn (such as sock yarn) will work.The potential combinations are too many to list. But a well-priced and easily available option if you are in Europe, is Drops Flora + Drops Kid Silk (1 strand of each held together).
Chainette Yarns
This is a relatively new type of yarn that has gained a lot of popularity lately. The yarn is constructed as a chainette casing, with unspun merino or alpaca blown into it. In terms of meterage, these yarns tend to be light DK. But they are designed to be knitted at an Aran weight gauge. Some examples of such yarns, to give you an idea:
Drops Air
Holst Garn Cielo
Katia Concept Cotton-Merino
What Yarns are NOT Suitable for Knitting Above Gauge?
Yarns that typically should not be knitted above gauge, are basically anything that is smooth, slick or compressed in its construction.
This includes…
. anything worsted-spun
. anything described as ‘high twist’
. any type of Merino, unless unspun/ brushed/ blown
. any type of Alpaca, unless unspun/ brushed/ blown
. any type of plant-based or silk yarn, unless unspun/ brushed/ blown
Maybe?…
There are also ‘grey area’ yarns. Ordinary yarns with 100% wool content that are woollen-spun (many Scandinavian and British yarns fall into this category) are fairly versatile, and some knitters like to knit them above gauge. Personally, while I find that this works well for stranded colourwork, I don’t think it’s a great idea for other types of knitting - particularly when the garment is single colour stockinette, somewhat structured, and quite long - like the Nostalgic Sweater Coat. In this scenario, I feel that knitting with ordinary wool above gauge will promote over-stretch and pilling.
What About Donegal Tweed?
Keep in mind that Donegal Tweed exists in many variations and under different brand names throughout the world, with different fibre blends and meterage. In a general sense, it belongs to the above ‘Maybe’ category, and I personally do not find it suitable to work above gauge unless for coloruwork.
That said, the following two variants of DK weight Donegal tweed are just lightweight enough to be suitable for the Nostalgic Sweater Coat without being overly heavy:
Studio Donegal Soft Donegal
DWSC
So if you love Donegal Tweed, that is what I would go for (the other, Aran-weight options are too heavy in my opinion, if making the long version of the sweater-coat).
I hope this narrative has given you ideas for yarn selection, should you decide to knit the full length version of the Nostalgic Sweater Coat. If you have any questions that have not been answered here, or wonder if your specific yarn is suitable, please feel free to ask in the comments.
And I hope you enjoy knitting the Nostalgic Sweater Coat!
