help me swatchers, help help me swatchers
There are some things we all know we should do – flossing our teeth at least twice a day, weight-bearing exercise as we age – and swatching, if we knit. I confess that I have never swatched, and I know I should but I don’t quite get it.
I understand the need to make a swatch if I’m making a garment that needs to fit in a particular way. Scarves don’t have to be swatched, I get that. Sweaters do. Yep, I get it. I know how to change needles to get stitch gauge but I don’t know what to do if my row gauge is off, even if the stitch gauge is right. Basically I just kind of do a bit of ostrich-dealing, pretend I don’t know anything about row gauge, and sally forth. It hasn’t been a problem, since I’ve frogged every sweater I started.
This time, though, I want to really make a sweater. Finish it, block it, take it to the end and end up with something I love to wear. So I know I need to learn more about swatching. When I’ve got spilkes, or when I’m not going to get to use a new yarn for a while and I’m just dying to do more than touch it, I’ll cast on 20-30 stitches and just knit a few rows in stockinette, to try to get it out of my system. Hardly swatching, but still, it’s a little fun.
I couldn't leave that Rowan Felted Tweed alone....
But there’s another thing about swatching I really don’t understand. I’ll read people’s posts describing swatching all the new yarn they get. Or they’ll say things like “my binders full of swatches were taking over the library!” and I just don’t know what that means. Even if I pretend I know what it’s like to design a sweater, I can imagine making very specific swatches to figure out the yarn and needle combination to get drape; the yarn and needle combination for different weights of yarn if I want to provide alternatives; and the gauge issues for pattern knitting. I get that. Is there some other use for swatching that I just don’t understand? Swatchers? (and I’m serious: how do you change needle sizes to hit row gauge, when the stitch gauge is right?!)
Well I’m no expert but I make a swatch to check stitch and row gauge then call it a day. I don’t even bother to wash and block it like you’re supposed to…. I also rip the swatch out when I figure out what size needle to use. I first check stitch gauge and if that’s on then I don’t worry so much about row gauge. That is much easier to adjust. If this is for a top down sweater then just check as you go how it’s fitting
On her own blog, Laura just wrote a post titled..29 and holding
i always wondered – i assumed people ignored row gauge and just added however many rows they needed (or knit fewer, if that’s the case). i am just so timid, i want to gain more confidence in my knitting. it’s only knitting, for heaven’s sake.
I do not understand swatches either. You are not alone!!
On her own blog, Hayley – Ravelry -Aezoey just wrote a post titled..Today is "RUSH DAY" !!
I had a yarn owner and the first person who taught me to knit tell me that what mattered was the stitch gauge and that you were getting the right number of stitches on whatever needle got you those. The rows – forget – you’re going to be knitting until you get the number of inches that you want it to be…So it you want 30 inches from your neck to end of sweater – you knit til you get to 3o inches no matter how many rows that is!
On her own blog, Sara just wrote a post titled..Introducing…Colleen…
that’s makes sense! I just got it in my head that somehow I was supposed to hit stitch and row gauge and I had to figure out how to do it in one fell swoop. crazy.
Dedicated swatcher here.
Every once in a while (Ysolda’s Vine Yoke Cardi, for example), row gauge matters. But it usually doesn’t, so I just try to hit stitch gauge. Knit a big enough swatch that you can take an accurate measurement of 4″ in the center of the swatch (so I try to knit one that is at least 5.5 or 6″ wide) in several places for accuracy. Definitely block your swatch (unless you never plan to wash your finished sweater!).
Swatching can also tell you if you’re going to like the drape of the yarn on that size needle and for a particular garment. It can be disappointing to realize that your intended yarn+pattern combo isn’t going to work…but that of course is much better than figuring it out later!
Kelly, you totally convinced me. I really want to give myself the best chance of loving a sweater, so I’ll make a big swatch and wash it. Of course that makes perfect sense, and along the way perhaps I’ll learn patience.
But what do you do if row gauge also matters? How do you fix that, all in one needle choice?
You’ve just gotta pick the one that’s more important. On Vine Yoke, I had to go with row gauge. I was able to calculate that my stitch gauge would leave the sweater shorter than I wanted, so I added in some stitches to add length.
(Oh, and for what it’s worth, I also floss and do weight-bearing exercise…I’m headed to the gym right now!)
I can’t wait to help you on your sweater adventure!
Believe me – I’m going to be relying on your expertise when I hit a sticky spot! I feel lucky having someone to ask my questions. Maybe I’ll also be inspired to start weight-bearing exercise; I really need to do it. My daughter Marnie is a weightlifter and always tries to help encourage me.