Crochet tension (gauge) explained

I'm asked a lot about crochet tension (gauge), so I thought it would be helpful to follow this up with a dedicated blog post.

Getting your tension (gauge) right is just as important in crochet as it is for knitting, because if your tension (gauge) doesn't match the pattern instructions, then your project will turn out too large or too small, and all your beautiful crochet will be wasted.

I hope my step-by-step guide helps you to achieve the perfect tension.

What is Tension (gauge)?

Tension can also be referred to as Gauge - particularly in US patterns.