How to Knit a Tension Square (Stocking Stitch)
Posted on October 19 2017
Our blog post 'Tension squares - are they really necessary?' talks about the importance of doing a tension square.
This is a good pattern for a square and you need to cast on at least 10 stitches more than the tension stated on the yarn ball. So, if it says 28stitches to 10cm/4in I would cast on 40stitches to ensure I had enough to take a measurement from. Similarly do an extra 10 rows to enable an accurate measurement.
You can then keep these squares labelled with the yarn and your tension so that you can refer back to them for future projects.
- Cast on (x) stitches
- Knit 3 rows
- Row 1: Knit all stitches
- Row 2: Knit 3, Purl to last 3 sts, Knit 3
- Repeat the last 2 rows 14 times more for a total of 30 rows
- Knit 4 rows
- Cast off all stitches
- Press lightly using a damp, clean tea towel and with the iron on a cool wool setting
- Measure the square and repeat if necessary!