There are so many points in a knitting pattern where the instructions may say something along the lines of “work until piece measures approximately x inches/centimeters“. But how exactly do you measure length in your knitting when stitches are still on the needles? Do you measure over the needle, under the needle, or somewhere in-between?

I go over this question and share some demonstrations in the below 5 minute mini-lesson! You can also keep reading below for more details.

Where to measure – above, below or in-between?

Because I almost always knit exclusively on circular needles, what I do is slide my stitches to the cable part of the circular and then measure from the cable down. This tends to give me the most accurate results (which I confirmed in the mini-lesson video so watch it above if you are curious!).

Or alternatively, if your stitches are on the actual needle, you can measure from around half-way up the needle. You typically just don’t want to measure from the very top/over the needle as they will generally measure longer.

For either method, it’s important to make sure you lay your knitted piece flat (on a table is ideal). Although you may be tempted to just measure your garment while it’s sitting in your lap, it’s really best to take the time and measure it on a flat surface.

I hope the video mini-lesson and my notes above are helpful for the next time you need to measure the length in your knitting!