Let's take another look at the sample used in the previous lessons.

You will have noticed that the section knitted in Garter Stitch (every row knitted) has a distinctly different look from the Stocking Stitch section. The section knitted in Garter Stitch has a loft with a crunchy feel to it. There are rows of purl stitches on both sides of the work and it's very stretchy. The section knitted in stocking stitch has a smooth knit side, and a side showing the bumps of the purl stitches which are much closer together than in the Garter Stitch. Stocking Stitch is not as stretchy as Garter Stitch and is much smoother to handle. It has a tendency to curl in at the sides towards the purl side (which is usually the wrong side of the work) and Garter Stitch does not.

Another characteristic of the two stitches is that Stocking Stitch usually has stitches which are little rectangles. Balls of yarn usually are wrapped in paper which indicates amongst other things the stocking stitch tension which can be achieved with the yarn in question on a particular size of knitting needles. Stocking Stitch stitches are often about 2/3 as high as they are wide - stitch ratios of 6 stitches and 8 rows per inch are common. Garter Stitch stitches are more compressed than Stocking Stitch and will often be twice as wide as the height of the stitch. They are also usually wider on the same pair of needles than stitches in stocking stitch.

There is a clever trick which can be used when making Garter stitch borders on a garment. If you make a garment with a garter stitch border and cast on the same number of stitches as for the main pattern, using the same size needles, you will get a rippled wavy border. Some books advise that when you cast on a garter stitch border for a sweater you should cast on 10 per cent fewer stitches for this border than you will need for the stocking stitch, using the same size needles as for the stocking stitch or pattern area. When you reach the main pattern area you should increase to the number of stitches required for the main pattern. There really is no need for this increase, all you need to do is use a size smaller needles and cast on the same number of stitches as in the main pattern for your garment, and your Garter Stitch border will lie flat and not ripple as it would do if you used the same needles as for the main part of the garment!

One other difference between Stocking Stitch and Garter Stitch is that when you turn a corner using shaping techniques, the Garter Stitch will form a right angle whereas the Stocking Stitch will not. This is because of the properties of Garter Stitch and the way its stitches are twice as wide as they are high, and it is a very handy piece of information to have when designing.

You have learned from this article about two stitches which knit to totally different tensions even though you are using the same yarn and knitting needles. Most knitting patterns will give you a stitch gauge which should be matched before you start working the pattern. If you do not work a tension sample you have no way of knowing whether your knitting matches the tension of the garment, and no way of knowing whether your garment will come out the right size. In the next article you will learn how to make a tension sample, how to prepare it before you measure your stitches and how to measure your tension gauge.