Adjusting the stitch size

Setting the right stitch size is crucial to get a successful piece of knitting from the machine. It can be a bit of a journey before finding the right stitch size since the yarn used, type of knitting, tension, and takedown all play a part in this. In this article, you'll read about how to find the right stitch size and how to set it in the software. Read more about what a good stitch size looks like here.

Which stitch size to use?

Generally speaking, the thinner your yarn is, the smaller your stitch size can be. So a yarn that's Nm6 needs a bigger stitch size than a yarn that's Nm8. The exact stitch size you need can only be found through experimentation.

Estimate your stitch size using the guidelines below, and knit at a very slow speed. Keep a close eye on the knitting to see if stitches are being formed properly without dropping and that the yarn is not breaking. If stitches are dropping, this can indicate the stitch size is too big. If the yarn is breaking, the stitch size could be too small.

Once you get your piece from the machine, inspect the stitches and decide whether they need adjustment or not. You can use the above-mentioned article on stitch size to help a bit, but what makes a right stitch size depends not only on whether it is knitting good but also on the effect you are looking for.

Here are a few indicators for initial stitch sizes:

Here are some guidelines to help you navigate to the best stitch size:

• The more stretchy the yarn is, the smaller the stitch size that can be used.
• When using more colors in a jacquard, increase the stitch size slightly.
• When using transfers, increase the stitch size slightly.
• When using more than 1 pitch racking, increase the stitch size slightly.
• Keep in mind that a bigger stitch size affects the amount of takedown. If your stitches are dropping it may not necessarily be that the stitch size is too big, you may be able to solve it by increasing the takedown.
• The same goes for stitches breaking on a small stitch size, this can sometimes be solved by decreasing the takedown.

How to set the stitch size?

In the option columns, select the 'S/F' (stitch size front bed) or 'S/R' (stitch size rear bed) cell of the row for which you'd like to adjust the stitch size. You can set the stitch size on the front and rear bed independently of each other. Change the stitch size by typing the value you need, for example '7' on the front and '8' on the rear bed. The stitch sizes for this row are now set.

To easily set the stitch sizes for an extended number of rows quickly, select the rows that you'd like to adjust and type in the new value. Select either one of the stitch-size cells, or select them together.  See recording below.