Stitchboard Admin message #2
Wizard Chart Aspect Ratio
February 18, 2014 at 2:03:20 AM  (in response to Mudflapsmomma message #1)
 
Hi...welcome to Stitchboard, and thank you for writing! 

We definitely understand what you're saying about the aspect ratio of stitches with Free Pattern Wizard patterns...you've explained that very well! 

I wish I had a really super answer for your excellent question, but I have to say that with stitches, it's really not an exact science.  Not only are stitches not always perfectly measurable exactly (for instance, stretching can knock the shape "off" a bit, and when you block something, it can really change the way an item looks and measures...you can often stretch something as you block it to force it to be the size you want!), but also, the stitches have to be represented on the screen, and of course, that's much different than knitting.

So the admittedly unsatisfactory answer is that it may be different depending on your gauge vs the way it appears in graphics.    I'm so sorry, because I wish I could give you a wonderfully definitive answer...but there's no direct correlation.  And even if there was, it would still depend on your yarn and gauge.

I do have a suggestion, though...might you be able to, for instance, knit up the portion of your pattern in question, kind of a "swatch" of the area you're trying to test, in the yarn you'll be using?  This may tell you exactly what you want to know.  I can knit up a test circle, for example, but my yarn/gauge/size of circle will likely be very different from yours.

Also, are you knitting side to side?  It's only when I knit side to side that my stitches are longer than wide...if I'm knitting top to bottom or bottom to top, my stitches are wider than they are long.    In that case, your pattern should be made side to side and not lengthwise. 

Anyway, I hope my answer is clearer than mud!    Please do let me know if I've misunderstood anything. 

---