Hello from Alaska!

[Alaska Redhead]

Hi everybody,

I have an Etsy shop and I love vintage crochet! I live in an off-grid cabin in Alaska (I have a phone w/internet) and recreate vintage clothes, accessories and housewares! (Etsy.com/shop/AlaskaRedhead)

 

I am dropping by to stay, but also have a question maybe someone can answer, I have a dress pattern from 1968 and I am stuck on the gauge instructions & feel a bit dumb lol, can anyone translate so I know how to proceed on my gauge swatch? It's an old pattern so maybe it's a misprint/typo, or maybe it's slightly above my head, mostly it's the first instruction. If anyone can help that would be greatly appreciated, I'm still learning! 

Thanks everybody

🌈❄

Edited June 9, 2019 by Alaska Redhead

[bgs]

Welcome to the 'ville.  Hopefully Granny Square will be along shortly.  She is the best at explaining the math for correlating stitches and gauge.  

[Granny Square]

Hi there, and welcome!

There's no such thing as a dumb question, there's just the first time we run into a new thing and have to figure it out.  Your pattern's type of gauge call-out is used nowadays too, it's not just a vintage thing.

What your pattern is saying is: 9 DC across should measure 3", and also 5 rounds of DC should measure 3".  You COULD make a back and forth swatch that is bigger than 9 stitches across and 5 rows and measure the interior 9 stitches and 5 rounds if you'd rather...I don't believe rounds vs. rows would matter for crochet (it can matter for knitting).  The reason for aiming for a bigger swatch that is called for is the edge stitches can be a little wonky and throw you off on something with a lot of stitches, and needs to fit, like a dress.  And this has a tiny 1" of ease, so it's supposed to fit pretty snugly.

The part you crossed out is saying that in the shell stitch area, the gauge is different, 1 shell + 1 V stitch = 2.25" across, and 3 rounds of the shell stitch pattern should be 2".  So again, you'd want to measure the interior part of a piece of fabric to measure that as well, not just a swatch of 1 shell + 1 V stitch.

 

 

 

[greyhoundgrandma]

Hello from Mississippi!

[Alaska Redhead]

Granny Square oh THANK YOU!!! I have a tendency to overthink things and also you're correct, patterns are new to me but I really wanted to gauge to be correct so it comes out like it should! I appreciate your thorough breakdown and am so thankful for the quick response, I am very happy I joined Crochetville😃❤

Thank you much and I will try that!

🌈❄✌

[Tampa Doll]

Hi  and Welcome  to Crochetville from the Gulf Coast of Florida.

Grab your yarn and hooks, put your feet up and sit a spell.