Stripe Study

May 2, 2013 in Louisa Harding, Sweaters, Tips, Uncategorized

Many knitters and crocheters do not like swatching.

They see it as a waste of time and yarn. Swatching delays their ability to get to the good part of actually starting a project.

There is often little the pro-swatching crowd can say to change their minds, but it doesn’t stop us from trying!

Swatching is usually done to ensure you’re knitting at the recommended pattern gauge. If your gauge is correct your finished project will be the correct size.

However, swatching can have other uses, such as testing out an unfamiliar technique or learning a new stitch pattern.

In this example, I used swatting to test out the colors I’m using for a striped top.

Meet Billy

Photo by Stephen Jessup.
Louisa Harding book #127, Mila

Billy is one of the patterns in Louisa Harding’s new Mila book. (Add Billy to your Ravelry queue.)

Mila is a new cotton blend yarn (91% Cotton, 9% Polyester Metallic). It comes in 109 yard (50 g) balls and has a recommended gauge of 4.5 sts on a US8 needle. You can see all 12 colors here. You can preview the rest of the book here.

When it was time to select my spring projects I knew I wanted to make something with Mila since cotton has a reputation of being hard to work with. Many people find it fatigues their hands.

I have not found that to be the case with Mila. The yarn’s chainette construction gives it spring and allows for smooth stitching.

When I was selecting my colors I’d only glanced through the book, but hadn’t settled on a project. I remembered many of the projects had striped versions and that seemed fun for the summer.

Louisa Harding Mila #9 – Venice

I started with blue, because it is one of my favorite colors. (You can really see the shiny bits in the blue ball.)

Louisa Harding Mila #1 – White

Then I selected white, because it goes with everything.

Louisa Harding Mila #6 – Tomato

Then I took orange, because I was feeling frisky that day and orange and blue are paired on the color wheel.

As you can see, Louisa shows Billy in two colorways.

Photo by Stephen Jessup.
Louisa Harding book #127, Mila

The red version has long sleeves, while the green and yellow version has short sleeves. (I’m making the short sleeved version.)

I would say the options shown in the book are gradient.

My three colors are far from gradient!

If I’d been buying the yarn at my local yarn store with the book in hand I probably would have followed the example in the book and made a gradient version. Probably in blue. As it was I had to get creative.

But getting creative is one of the best parts of knitting and crocheting! We can make our projects in the colors we want!

Balancing Stripes

Go team!

I remembered that dark colors are suppose to minimize the area they cover so blue would go at the bottom around my hips. White in the middle with orange at the top seemed logical, but I wasn’t sure.

I fished out my trusty copy of Maggie Rhigettie’s “Sweater Design in Plain English” and reread the section about colors influencing how we view a garment.

She says dark colors minimize and light colors draw the eye. Suddenly I wasn’t sure about having white around my waist!

The only way to be sure (and avoid knitting a sweater with which I wouldn’t be happy) was to swatch. I knit abbreviated versions of the stripe sequence to get an idea of how the colors would look together.

I started with orange in the middle, since it was the option I was most unsure about.

I don’t like it. Some people might prefer it (and that’s OK! ), but to me it a little too “sports team.”

Just right.

Happily, the white in the middle was in line with my vision of the sweater.

It was safe for me to proceed.

The other thing all the swatching confirmed was that my gauge was correct. I was very surprised when my first swatch with the suggested needle size was spot on. Usually I have to go down a needle size!

Side by side.

Have you worked a swatch for a reason other than to check your gauge?

Tags: tips, WIPs
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Crossing Colors in Intarsia

March 26, 2013 in Cowls, Free, Juniper Moon Farm Yarns, Tips

Intarsia is sometimes referred to as “picture knitting” because it is used to work motifs into your project.

Compared to Fair Isle or stranded knitting, when working intarsia you are created isolated blocks of color.

Public side of the Argyle Cowl.

Perhaps the most recognizable intarsia pattern is the diamond motif of the Argyle pattern. But you can also use this method for creating polka dots, squares, stars, and even animals.

You use a separate ball of yarn for each section of color. So in the Chadwick Argyle Cowl pattern seen above you would have four balls of red, two balls of white, and one ball of black. As you arrive at each section of the motif you drop the current color and pick up the new color.

The potential problem with all this dropping and switching is the potential for little holes at the color change. However, they are easily avoided by crossing the yarns so they twist together. The tension created by the twist pulls the holes closed.

Crossed colors working a red knit stitch. Yarn thrown, stitch not completed.

To work the color cross you pick up the new yarn from the right and underneath the current yarn. Stated another way, when you get to the stitch where the color change happens pull the current yarn to the left, then grab the new yarn and pull it to the left and over the top of the old yarn.

In the picture above I’m about to work a red stitch after working a white stitch. I took the picture after I threw the red yarn around the needle but before I finished the stitch. You can see the red yarn hugging the white yarn.

Since all this might be a little hard to understand in text, I made a little video demonstrating the method. I filmed it while I was working the purl side since it seemed easier to see what is going on.

It probably looks a little awkward, but remember I was working around a camera and trying to use exaggerated gestures so you could see what is happening. LOL!

Inside of the Argyle Cowl. You want those little half-moons.

After all that crossing, the inside of your project should look like this. The little half-moons are your goal and the colors should be consistent on either the top or the bottom in each section.

If it still doesn’t make sense you can probably get a private lesson at your local yarn store where you can see the technique demonstrated in person. You’ll also get to ask questions as you try it out.

Intarsia is my favorite style of color work. I think it’s fun to be able to add pops of color here and here in projects. And argyle socks are fun to knit and wear.

Challenging ourselves with new knitting techniques helps keep our craft interesting and our minds sharp. What new technique will you try out?

If you’re ready to try out intarsia you can download the free pattern for the Chadwick Argyle Cowl on our website. You can add it to your Ravelry queue here.

Tags: argyle, cowls, intarsia, tips
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Yarn Bobbins and Butterflies

March 14, 2013 in Tips

When knitting or crocheting color work such as intarsia or Fair Isle an issue you’ll quickly encounter is yarn management.

You can, of course, just work off the full balls of yarn. But most people find that method is both heavy and prone to crazy tangling from turning your project.

The solution lies in yarn bobbins and butterflies, which range from gadgets to hand tied. The best solution is the one that works for you!

Bobbins

Traditional plastic yarn bobbins

Bobbins come in a variety of shapes and sizes.

The ones pictures above were in a box of tools my mother-in-law gave me after she taught me to knit. This style has been around for a while, as evidenced by the fact that I think these belonged to her mother originally.

As you can see, it’s a simple matter of wrapping a length of yarn around the bobbin. You feed the working yarn from the slotted end, which also keeps it from unraveling too quickly.

Some people don’t like this style of bobbin because the hard plastic corners can get locked together if they bump into each other.

An answer to that issue is the “E-Z Bob” style of bobbin. You can see a picture of them on this website. This style of bobbin is doughnut shaped. One side is usually flat, while the other is domed. You pop the dome open, wrap the yarn around the inner core, and pop it shut again.

Because of the rounded sides this type of bobbin is less likely to get locked together. The yarn also feed from anywhere along the side, which some people prefer.

Butterflies

Hand tied yarn butterfly

A gadget free solution is to hand tie a yarn butterfly.

This is a simple matter of wrapping the yarn in a figure 8 around two fingers (usually the thumb and pinky or index and pinky).
It can be a little hard to explain in text, so I made a little video demonstrating it.

In text, you’ll lay the yarn tail between your thumb and index finger toward the back of your hand. This keeps it accessible for latter. Then take the working yarn and wrap it in a figure 8 from one finger to the other. After you’ve made an adequate sized bundle take the tail and wrap it around the crossing point, then tuck it under the wrap.

The working yarn should feed smoothly from the butterfly as you knit or crochet.

The advantage of hand tied butterflies is, well, you don’t have to get up to find your bobbins, and they don’t add extra weight to your project.

Depending on the size of the butterfly I do find that I have to retie them occasionally.

Another option is to just let the yarn hang free! Depending on how many colors you are using, and how many yards you are trailing, some people don’t secure them at all.

I’ve heard this method is easy to untangle since there are no bobbins or butterflies at the end of the yarn to get tangled up.

Number and Size

The number of yarn bobbins you’ll need depends on how many colors with which you’re knitting or crocheting. Obviously, you’ll need one for each color.

If you’re working intarsia you’ll need a bobbin or butterfly for each color section, which means you might have two different butterflies for a single color.

Yeah, argyle!

For instance, for my Chadwick Argyle Cowl I had four red butterflies, two white butterflies, and a single black butterfly. (You can get the pattern here.)

How big to make your butterflies or bobbins is, to a degree, a matter of preference. You’ll want to include enough yardage to get a good amount of knitting or crocheting done, but not so much they become unwieldy. You’ll also want to consider how many ends you’ll have to weave in when the project is finished–the smaller your bobbins the more ends you’ll be weaving in.

As with so much in knitting and crocheting, you’ll get a better feel for it as you apply the technique!

On a random note, and I don’t remember how I found this, but this Jute Bundle with Wall Mount looks like it would be a very amusing way to manage your yarn. Of course then you’d have to have a dedicated place to sit and knit/crochet that project, but it still makes me giggle.

Which do you prefer? Plastic bobbins or hand tied butterflies? Share you’re tips for managing your yarn.

Tags: tips
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Ease, It’s About Fit

February 12, 2013 in Araucania, Juniper Moon Farm Yarns, Mirasol, miscellaneous, Tips

Ease is the difference between your body measurement and the sweater measurement.

While gauge is important to ensuring your finished project resembles the version in the pattern picture, ease is important to ensuring the finished project fits the way you want.

Positive ease is when the finished dimensions of the sweater are larger than your body. Negative ease is when the finished dimensions are smaller than your body.

Unfortunately, for me at least, ease is a much more nebulous concept than gauge. I attribute this to my poor spatial reasoning skills! haha!

Measuring is Important

The first step to getting comfortable with ease is to be honest with ourselves about our measurements. They change over time for a variety of reasons, so you should remeasure yourself on a regular basis. You’ll know what that is.

The Craft Yarn Council has a handy document indicating how to measure various key points of the body. For people who prefer offline resources, “Sweater Design in Plain English” by Maggie Righetti, “Knitwear Design Workshop” by Shirley Paden, and “The Ultimate Knitting Book” by Vogue Knitting all have charts and worksheets for recording your measurements. You should be able to pick those books up at your local yarn store.

You’ll notice that the Craft Yarn Council page also has a “fit chart” outlining how many inches are involved in a close (1″ to 2″), standard (2″ to 4″), or loose (4″ to 6″) fit.

Righetti points out that knit garments don’t need as much ease as fabric garments because knit fabric is more forgiving and with stretch and cling to accommodate the body.

Of course saying a standard fitting sweater has 2″ to 4″ of ease doesn’t mean much in isolation. It’s helpful to apply it to numbers.

Say you have a 36 inch chest. If you make a 34″ sweater it will have -2″ of ease and be very close fitting. If you make a 38″ sweater it will have +2″ of ease and be considered standard fitting. If you make a 46″ sweater it will have +10″ of ease and be over-sized.

And it’s not enough to know that +2″ of ease is a “standard” fit. You have to know what those 2″ of ease will mean on your body.

“Measure a Favorite Sweater”

In addition to being honest about our own bodies, we should have a good think about the fashions we like and the way we prefer our clothes to fit.

If you’ve been knitting or crocheting for a while you’ve probably heard the advice to determine the size of a project by “measuring a favorite sweater.” The idea is you’ll match the dimensions of your project to that favorite sweater and end up with a happy result.

I, however, have modified this advice to “measure a favorite sweater that fits the way you want your project to fit,” which is a little more specific.

A few years ago I wanted to knit a slightly over-sized sweater for lounging around on weekends. I measured a favorite sweater and carefully did my math. My new finished sweater was very close fitting. It’s a nice sweater and I wear it all the time, but it’s not what I had in mind. Since then I’ve come to terms with the fact that I like my knit sweaters to be close fitting.

If your wardrobe is full of tailored garments and you knit yourself and 80s style over-sized sweater you might not be happy with the results. At the same time, if you like to be able to breathe in your clothing knitting a corset style top out of pure silk might not be the best way to go.

If you keep knitting sweaters with which you are unhappy when you’re finished, maybe you should examine the style as well as your technique.

Guess Work

An issue with ease is that the patterns don’t always specify how much ease the designer intended. To a degree it’s a space issue because there is only so much information you can squeeze into a magazine or pattern.

In most cases you can guess at the way a sweater should fit based on the pictures and combine that knowledge with the measurements provided in the pattern.

By comparing the “to fit bust” measurements to the “finished garment” measurements you’ll be able to calculate how much ease is included in each size.

For instance, you can look at this Ushya Sweater pattern and tell it’s meant to be over-sized. Then when you look at the pattern for a 32-34″ chest the finished sweater will be 39 1/2″. That from +7″ to +5″ of ease.

The Nibberdale pattern from Mirasol book #22 is along the same lines. The finished sweater for a 32″ to 34″ chest is 47 1/2″. Now if someone with a 47″ chest made that smallest size the sweater might fit, but it will be a very different look!

On the other side of the scale is the Plotted & Pieced Blouse from the Juniper Moon Farm Findley Dappled book.You can see in the picture it’s a close fitting top and the pattern says it’s meant to be worn with 0″ of ease. You want it to be tight to open up the lace pattern.

The pattern for Ruca Multy top from Araucania says “This is a fitted top, select your usual size.” When you compare the bust size to the schematic you’ll see there is only about +1″ of ease for the various sizes.

Trying to figure out fit is an area where a resource like Ravelry comes in handy. You can see how a sweater will look on many different body types. Unfortunately, most people don’t include their personal measurements in their project notes, so you are still left guess to a degree.

There was a while when Interweave Knits was showing patterns from the magazine on different body types and they were including measurements. It took me a few minutes to find them, but if you look for the “galleries” on the Knitting Daily website you’ll find them. Here is the gallery for the Spring 2010 issue. You’ll need to log in to see it. It doesn’t look like they’ve kept it up, and of course it only helps with IK patterns, but it will help you start conceptualizing ease.

I thought I’ve seen similar galleries on the WEBS blog in the past, but I’m not sure how to find them now.

Another way to see how different sweaters will fit on different people is to check out the samples at your local yarn store. Ask first, of course, but the staff usually won’t mind if you try the sample sweaters on. Keep your eyes out for trunk shows, as well, since there is usually a launch party so lots of people will be trying the items on.

Even Accessories Have Ease

Oh, yes, I have scared you and you thought you’d avoid all this ease nonsense by not knitting sweaters. Well, enjoy all those scarves and shawls you’ll be making because ease is everywhere!

Hats have ease. Traditional watch cap style hats usually have no ease or maybe a little negative ease to give them a snug fit. Slouch hats have lots of positive ease to be, uh, slouchy.

Socks generally have negative ease, although there is debate about how much. I like -1″ of ease on my socks. Other people prefer less.

Gloves and mittens can be either close fitting or slightly over-sized, depending on your goal. For instance, I like to make my fingerless mitts with no or negative ease so they don’t get in my way when I’m typing. But I made the Top-Down Mittens for my friend with 1/2″ of positive ease so her fingers would have wiggle room.

As you can see, ease comes into play with most anything you’re going to knit or crochet. It’s an important concept to get your mind around, but once you do you’ll be much happier with your finished project.

Tags: tips
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Gauge

January 28, 2013 in miscellaneous, Tips, Uncategorized

This morning on our Facebook wall I posted a tip about gauge.

If you are getting more stitches than required you should go UP a needle size. If you are getting fewer stitches than required you should go DOWN a needle size.

While that’s technically correct, it confused a lot of people and enough people cried foul that I started second guessing myself. I decided to delete the post and try again with different wording.

Pattern gauge is 20 sts=4″
1) Your gauge is 22 sts=4″. Your sts are too small and you have too many sts per inch. You have to go UP a needle size to make bigger sts and get fewer sts per inch.
2) Your gauge is 18 sts=4″. Your sts are too big and you have too few sts per inch. You have to go DOWN a needle size to make smaller sts and get more sts per inch.

People understood that, but the mention of gauge opened a flood gate of questions (and suggestions). So I thought a blog post was in order to answer some of them.

Gauge IS Your Friend

If only people would realize how important gauge is! It can mean a whole difference in size from what you really want to fit!–Sharon S

Gauge is the number of stitches and rows per inch based on the size of your knit or crochet stitch.

Gauge can be the difference between a finished project fitting you or needing to be passed on to a larger or smaller relative or friend.

At some point every knitter and crocheter has had the excitement of finishing a project turn quickly to heartbreak when it doesn’t fit.

Gauge is an important aspect to a happy finished project, and yet it eludes some experienced stitchers and baffles new ones.

There are many things to know and remember about gauge, but there are two important ones with which I think you should start.

1) The needle size in the pattern is just a suggestion and you are free to change it. If the pattern calls for US8 needles and you have to use a US7 (or US6!) to get gauge that is OK.

2) If you want your finished project to have a fighting chance of matching the finished project in the pattern you should really try to get gauge.

Measuring Gauge

(This picture is of my Simple Tank from the Spring 2012 issue of Debbie Bliss magazine. Learn more about it in this blog post.)

Gauge is usually given in a pattern over a 4″ by 4″ square, but you should make your swatch larger than that.

Thank you! Also, cast on at least FIVE inches’ worth of stitches, so the edges and curl do not affect the middle stitches you should be measuring.–Amy K

The swatch needs to be wider than 4″ and at least 5″ in length. Sometimes the pattern will say after blocking as well. Move stitches to a waste yarn to measure or block then measure.–Diana H

It is important to measure over a larger section because you are less likely to cheat on your counting. If you measure 1″ worth of stitches you might ignore a partial stitch, but if you measure over 2″ or the full 4″ those partial stitches will be accounted for. As Diana suggests, your swatch should either be large enough that you aren’t measuring next to the needles, which can distort the fabric, or you should move the stitches to a piece of waste yarn.

I took a sweater design class with Shirley Paden and she suggested making an 8″ by 8″ swatch. She said we handle a small piece of fabric differently than we do a large piece and it can influence our gauge. Of course, we all choked at her suggestion because most people don’t like knitting a 4″ swatch! But when you’re designing a sweater from scratch an accurate gauge is very important.

I find I even have to be careful of my swatch. When I’m working with a new pattern or a new yarn my gauge be get off as I become more familiar with the project and my stitches become more relaxed.–Marsha S

Aside from how we hold the fabric, a larger swatch will allow you to become familiar with the stitch pattern and start relaxing as you work, which can change your gauge. Some people even suggest remeasuring your gauge after you’ve knit your project for awhile to ensure you are still accurate!

I measured. Now what?

As I said, the needle size in the pattern is just a suggestion and you can change needles. All knitters and crocheters are different. You might get gauge on a US8 needle while I get gauge on a US7 needle. As long as our gauges match the suggested gauge in the pattern we should both end up with a sweater that fits.

I read a rule of thumb somewhere that most people get a half a stitch for each needle size. So if you are getting 4 stitches per inch and you want 5 sts per inch you’ll have to go down 2 needle sizes. Test it for yourself, it could speed up your swatching in the future.

If you are using a number of different needle sizes attempting to get the pattern gauge you should not just switch seamlessly from one to the next. The different gauges in the fabric will pull on each other and make your measurements inaccurate.

Instead you should either start with a fresh piece of yarn or work a drop stitch row at the needle change. On the first row wrap the yarn twice, on the next row knit across and drop the second wrap. The slack from the dropped wrap will prevent pulling.

What happens if you can get the width in the swatch but not the length. That happens a lot and it doesn’t make any sense.–Paola

Getting width but not length does happen a lot and it goes back to every knitter being different. Generally, it’s more important to get the proper stitch gauge because you can more easily fudge the row gauge. If your stitch gauge is off you’ll have to start rewriting the pattern. If you row gauge is off it’s just a matter of working more or fewer rows to get the proper length.

The variables of gauge are why it’s a good idea to buy an extra ball of yarn so you don’t have to worry as much about running out of yarn.

How does this work if you want to do a pattern where the yarn is a worsted/aran (20 sts over 4″ using USA 6), but the gauge the pattern gets is 24sts over 4″ using a USA 4. Could I get away with using a dk weight yarn, or should I stick with the aran? Thanks in advance–Henrietta

Substituting a DK yarn for an Aran yarn is not advisable or should be approached with extreme caution.

There are many factors that can cause the pattern gauge to be different from the ball band gauge.

1) A textured stitch can created a denser gauge than the ball band, for instance, cables draw in while other stitch patterns can spread out. This is why it’s important to work the swatch in the stitch pattern being used in the garment.

2) The designer might have intentionally been using the yarn at a tighter or looser gauge than the ball band gauge. Socks are knit at a dense gauge for durability. Mittens might be worked at a tight gauge to keep out the wind. A scarf or cowl might be worked at a loose gauge to give the fabric drape.

3) Just because you can get gauge doesn’t mean the yarn “works.” When I was learning to knit I tried to substitute a silk yarn for a mohair yarn in a pullover pattern. Isn’t of getting the loose, airy garment in the magazine I ended up with a skintight monstrosity.

If you find that you just can’t get gauge take the approach of many of our fans who said, “The finished project will fit someone!” or check out “The Knitting Architect” on our main website. It walks you through the basics of knitting math and might give you the guidance you need to fudge the pattern to your gauge.

Swatch Uses

Ah, the classic dilemma of what to do with the swatch once you’ve measured your gauge.

The answer is: whatever you want.

Swatches make good pockets. Check ahead if your pattern calls for one. Also, it’s good to save your gauge with the journal of your pattern. That way you can use it in the future if you get a hole.–Lora

Many people suggest saving it in a note book with a record of the needle size and the ball band. This can be a handy reference if you are planning to use the yarn frequently. Although many things can influence your gauge it will speed the process up if you have notes to consult. As Lora suggests, you can also use the swatch for darning in the future.

Other people rip it out and use it in their project. I admit I fall into this camp, although I usually save the swatch until the end. I couldn’t tell you why. I just do. Keep in mind the yarn you used in the swatch will be a little crimped, especially if you washed it, and could behave a little differently than the fresh yarn.

If you don’t want to save it or use it in the project you can do stuff with it depending on the size.

You can make it into a cup cozy or maybe fingerless mitts. You can sew a bunch of swatches together and make a patchwork blanket. You can toss it on the table and call it a coaster. Get creative!

Gauge? We don’t need no stinking gauge.

There are some people who through caution to the wind and ignore gauge.

If you do a lot of gift or charity knitting and crocheting this works because you’ll find someone the garment will fit.

Gauge isn’t a critical for items like scarves and blankets because fit doesn’t matter. Just be prepared for your finished project to be bigger or smaller than expected and perhaps to use more or less yarn.

Here is an example of what can happen when you ignore gauge even on something that doesn’t need to fit like a shawl.

Over the summer I knit the Color Affection shawl. I thought to myself, “It’s just a garter stitch shawl. How important can a gauge swatch be?” And plunged to knitting with the recommended needle size.

It was a fun pattern and I loved how the colors of my Ella Rae Lace Merino yarn were looking together.

I’d read comments on Ravelry about how big the finished shawl is. Therefore I was very surprised when I finished my cast off and it was too large for a scarf and too small for a shawl.

It was a very strange in between size. I knew that blocking wouldn’t make it much bigger. I finally measured my gauge and discovered I had 24 sts to 4″ rather than the recommended 18 sts to 4″.

That’s a big difference!

To make it the proper size I would have to go up three needle sizes to a US 9.

I quickly adapted to the size. I don’t really try to wear it like a shawl over my shoulders. Instead I wear it looped around my neck like a big snuggly cowl.

As they say, the finished project will fit someone!

Tags: gauge, tips
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Thoughts on Swatching

July 10, 2012 in miscellaneous, Tips

This morning WEBS shared a tip on their blog about photocopying your swatch on graph paper so you don’t have to carry the physical swatch around.

The post has a picture showing the end result. It’s a pretty neat graphic that you can see on their website.

I thought it was a clever idea and immediately shared it on our own Facebook wall.

I don’t see the point in this and EVERY knitting related page I am a fan of is re-posting it!–Jennifer

It was interesting to see the responses from our fans who said they don’t get it.

Other people expressed the opinion that it seems unnecessary because they just write the information from their swatch down.

Maybe it’s an inside joke.–Leslie

The WEBS post gave only the briefest explanation about why their knitter photocopied her swatches, which might be contributing to the confusion.

Let me share some of my thoughts about the tip. Maybe you won’t agree, but it might also provide information you’ll find useful later on.

Swatching is the bane of many stitchers’ lives, but it is often a necessary first step if you want your project to come out correctly. Granted, if you are knitting or crocheting something that doesn’t need to fit, such as a scarf or a dishcloth, then you probably don’t need to swatch. But you’ve heard about, or even experienced, the sweater that took a month or more to make only to end up too big or too small for the intended recipient.

I had to go down a needle size to get the correct gauge for my Debbie Bliss Simple Tank.

For instance, by swatching I learned that I had to go down a needle size from the one recommended in the Simple Tank pattern from the Spring/Summer 2012 issue of Debbie Bliss magazine. If I hadn’t checked, my top would have ended up much too big.

Swatching could have helped avoid that. If your gauge matches the gauge in the pattern you have a much better chance of the finished project working out properly.

Swatches Are Your Stitching History

Now many stitchers (me included, if the truth is told) knit or crochet enough of a swatch with enough different sizes of hook or needles until they get the pattern gauge, then rip out that swatch and use it in the project. The organized ones might write down the information so the next time they use that yarn they won’t have to do as much swatching. The disorganized ones either try to remember or start from scratch.

Some people are fine with written notes, others need that extra memory jog of the actual swatch.

Those stitchers buy an extra ball of yarn for the express purpose of preserving their swatch in a journal. They’ll write notes on the journal page, or pin notes to the swatch, so the next time they use that yarn they have a record. They might keep a long, scarf like swatch of all the different size needles they used. Or they might wash and block the swatch, which gives a more accurate gauge but makes it hard to reuse the yarn.

Swatching the Cosimo Scarf helped me learn the pattern

Of course, in this modern era, you can also make notes about the swatch on your Ravelry project page, but stitches are tactile people and having a physical record in nice.

In either case, keeping a record of your experience with a certian yarn will allow you to start your project faster the next time you use it.

Project TBD

Now, that is all assuming you bought a pattern and the yarn it calls for. In that case you are attempting to get the gauge in the pattern so you can get on to making your project.

But what about the independent yarn in your stash? You know, that pretty, pretty yarn that you just had to buy even though you didn’t know what you were going to make with it.

When it comes time to use it you have some decisions to make.

Swatching Rinihue in single and double crocheted allowed me to see which I preferred.

Some people transport the yarn back to their local yarn store to begin the pattern hunt. That can be a lot of bulky stuff to carry around, especially if you are searching for multiple projects. Or what about those times you’re at your LYS, find a beautiful pattern, but can’t remember if you have yarn at home that will work?

This is the situation where the WEBS tip really comes into play.

When you first buy that pretty, must-own yarn go home and swatch with it. Use a few different size hooks or needles until you hit on a fabric that you find pleasant. Then write down what you did.

Now at this point you can either pop the swatch into your journal, write notes on a 3×5 index card, or use the WEBS tip and make a photocopy of the swatch then write the notes in the margin.

In the first method of the journal you’ll have a bulky item to bring to the LYS. In the other two methods you have a might lighter record to transport. You can even leave them in the car so that if you make an unplanned stop at the yarn store you have the information you need on hand.

A few sheets of paper are also easier to pack when you go on a trip. You never know when you’ll encounter a new yarn store and if you have some notes on hand it will make shopping easier.

How do you manage your swatches? Do you save them or reuse them?

The multi-colored red yarn in my crochet swatch is Araucania Rinihue, a 80%Wool, 20% Silk blend with approximately 208 yards per 100g.
The grey lace swatch is Louisa Harding Nerissa, a 100% Cotton yarn with approximately 98 yards per 50g. You can download the free Cosimo scarf pattern from our website.

Tags: swatches, tips
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