Measuring your knitting can get confusing some times, so here’s some clarification. When instructed to work to a specific measurement, do not actually measure the knitting in front of you, unless you know your unblocked gauge!
If you’re measuring the piece of knitting right off your needles, you’ll be measuring your unblocked gauge, and may end up with a piece that is the wrong final measurement after it has been blocked.
Measuring Your Knitting
Instead, based on your blocked row gauge, calculate how many rows you need to work to reach the desired measurement specified in the pattern, and work that number of rows. That way your finished piece will be the length needed after it has been blocked.
For instance, at a blocked row gauge of 6 rows to 1″ (2.54 cm), to knit 0.75″ (1.9 cm), multiply 6 x 0.75 = 4.5 rows. Since you can’t knit a row at half height, round up or down to end with a Right Side or Wrong Side Row as specified in the pattern. Then you would work the number of rows you calculated and end with the row specified in the pattern.
I did this video to explain measuring to a customer. You might like this explanation using Paper Stitches.
For more about how to read knitting patterns, see Knitting Repeat Language, Using Written Pattern Table Instructions, Gauge, At The Same Time, and Pattern as Established.
