- 1). Check the pattern you’re working from; it should specify how many inches you’re going to measure across the gauge swatch. Chain enough foundation stitches to make the gauge swatch at least 1 inch wider than the desired measurement. For example: if the pattern specifies that your gauge should be 11 stitches every 3 inches, your gauge swatch should measure at least 4 inches across. The extra width allows you to take a more accurate measurement from the center of the swatch, instead of struggling to account for gauge differences along the edge.
- 2). Work in the particular stitch the pattern specifies, using the same crochet hook and the same yarn you’ll use for that stitch in the pattern, until your swatch measures at least 1 inch longer than the row measurement specified in the pattern. Not every pattern will specify a row measurement; sometimes you only need to know the stitches per inch, reading across the swatch.
- 3). Saturate the swatch with water from a spray bottle, and use rustproof T-pins to pin the swatch flat on a clean towel, or fabric-covered foam. Let the swatch sit until it’s completely dry, which may take about a day, depending on the yarn type and how heavily you saturated it. This step is important for sweaters, shirts and other fitted items that will be blocked as part of the finishing process, but you can skip it if you’re working on something, such as a scarf, where exact sizing isn’t important.
- 4). Measure across the center of the gauge swatch with a ruler or measuring tape, and count the number of stitches per row. If the pattern specifies rows per inch, measure up and down to count the numbers of rows, too. If you don’t match the pattern’s gauge on the first try, adjust the hook size or yarn and try again. A smaller hook gives tighter stitches and thus more stitches per inch; the looser stitches from a large hook yield fewer stitches per inch of crochet. Using a thicker yarn furnishes fewer stitches per inch as well, while thinner yarn creates more stitches per inch.
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