After a few attempts to make an 8" square I found that by using size 5 and a half mm needles and 36 stitches the square is accurate and measures 8*
Hope this helps
Jul 28, 2009 Rating
Knit on the diagonal by: Pam Johnson UK
Like another contributor I knit on the bias starting with one stitch and increasing - it is easy to get a net 8" square then - but I have found it works best only with garter stitch. When I use other patterns it pulls so much out of shape. Otherwise it is trial and error finding how many stitches and which needles suit you for DK, 4ply etc.
Mar 06, 2009 Rating
Try knitting on the bias by: Narapoia
I have posted this elsewhere but now I can't find it! I had the same problem getting the size right, especially with the odd bits of wool I'm using, so I tried making a square on the bias, starting with 3 stitches and increasing every other row until the sides are the right length, then decreasing. Even if it's not dead on 8" or a bit wobbly you can sort that out by blocking it.
Mar 02, 2009 Rating
Perhaps.... by: RCo7
1. Use slightly smaller needles.
or
2. Knit as in the instructions, ignoring the fact that it seems too wide, but stop knitting when it is 7 inches long. Gently wash the square, or spray it damp with water, then pin it to any soft water safe surface in an 8 by 8 inch square. The idea is that as you need to stretch it a bit to make the 7 inches up to 8, the 9 inch side will narrow to enable this.
Mar 02, 2009 Rating
Keep 8 inches by: Valerie
I had the same problem with the square getting bigger. Then I realized that when I started the next row, I needed to pull in the excess yarn after I made the first stitch. Then, just keep even tension on the rest of the row. By doing that, I was able to keep the row from getting too big. Watching your tension, especiallly at the beginning and end of each row, helps to keep it the same length.
Mar 02, 2009 Rating
Your 8 x 8 square by: Jen
Try this suggestion: keep using 32 stitches, but increase your tension. Good luck!
