Gauge help, please...

[joyfulheart]

I am going to be knitting a hat for my ds.  The pattern I'm using says to knit a gauge "in circular stockinette stitch".  What does that mean??  I use circular needles and go back and forth as if I were using straight needles, or does it mean knit a row, push the stiches to the other needle and then bring the yarn across like making an i-cord and knit??

I'm so confused.

Any guidance is most appreciated!  Thanks...

[34me]

It sounds to me as if you cast on enough stitches to knit in the round and then knit a few rows in the round. So knit, join in the round, knit a few rows. I could be totally wrong though...

[Think of Winter]

The reason for doing a swatch itr is because for some knitters, their gauge differs a bit between the knit and purl.  When you're knitting itr, it's just knitting, no purling.  So you'll a more accurate gauge.

If you expect your gauge is similar for knit and purl, you could just knit your gauge square.  If you want to really be sure, you could knit a row on a double point or circ, then slide it to the other end of the needle, and knit the next row, and so on.  The yarn will have to carry across the back in between rows.  Your other option is actually doing your swatch in the round, but you'll probably want to use dpns, or magic loop, or two circs to get a swatch with a small number of stitches (I usually do 20.)

[joyfulheart]

Thanks for the replies.  I appreciate it.

I think I am going to use circular needles for my swatch -- sliding the stiches over to the other needle and knitting that way.  I did happen to find a tutorial on youtube showing how to do so.