Penny Measuring System

I am very excited about what I am calling my Paint Box Socks.They are in Patons Kroy sock yarn, colorway Paint Box.

I am knitting them at a very small gauge, which I didn’t think about when I started, (maybe something should have clicked when I was getting 10 sts per inch when I swatched) so it is taking me some time. I have only today, two weeks after I started the socks, realized how big a deal this is.

To give a comparison, I put a penny on my knitting and took a picture.

I took it on the ribbing, but for the comparison, I measured on the stockinette stitch part of the sock. (Right now that part is too small to photograph the penny on.) I get 7.5 stitches for the width of the penny on these socks, which are knit on size 1US needles. To compare, I get 5.5 for the same stitch patern per penny on my mom’s Fancy Silk Socks, knit on size 2US using Magic Stripes. And, compared to the hat I knit for my husband, I got 2 stitches per penny, from Lamb’s Pride Bulky yarn (10US).

Clearly, I am defining a new way to measure your gauge if you can’t find a measuring tape.