Swatching: The HOW

 There are two schools of thought about how to swatch.

School 1  Chain or cast on 4 inches of stitches.  Crochet or knit using the stitch pattern in the gauge of the pattern.  Work four inches of length.  Bind off or Fasten off.  Do you get the same number of stitches and rows as the pattern says you should?  No?  Change the size of the tool.  Too many stitches for the four inches? Increase the size of the tool.  Too few stitches for the four inches?  Decrease the size of the tool.

School 2 Chain or cast on at least 6 inches of stitches.  Using the stitch pattern listed in the gauge section of the pattern, work 6 inches or more of length.  Bind off or fasten off.  Now measure the center 4 inches in both directions.  Use pins to show where the center 4 inches are.  Too many? Too few?  Increase or decrease the size of the tool and try again.

Wash and block your swatch and remeasure the gauge.  Has the gauge changed?  Re swatch. 

OR

Make multiple swatches and on the first row make a different stitch for the number of the tool size.  So if you are using a 4 mm hook, do four stitches different on r 1.  If you are using a US 7 needle purl 7 stitches.  Or write on the swatch with a sharpie or embroider with a different color.

Now the analysis.

School 1 works very much to the skills of the experienced.  Edge stitches are notorious for being oversized in the beginner stitching.  Or for being missing altogether.  This form of swatch is looking for very even sttiches to form very even rows so that you get an accurate gauge.

School 2 works for every one but is a good friend to the beginner stitcher.  In this form of swatching, you measure the center four inches in each direction.  This is where the most even stitching is located. The edges can be wonky.  The chain edge or the  bind off edge can be tight and it won't affect gauge.  That is not to say you can keep it for the project you are swatching for, but it won't affect the stitch count.

So which way should you swatch?  Depends.  The larger swatch will work for everyone one of every skill level.  But before you hold your swatch to being accurate after stitching, wash and block the swatches.  Washing might not be completely necessary but saturation is.  Spraying and steaming will be helpful for blocking once the object is done but that isn't how you are going to clean it.  How will full saturation affect the yarn?  Does the ball band say it's machine washable?  How does full saturation and agitation affect the yarn?  Is it hang dry?  Lay fliat and dry?  Machine dry?  How do these affect the yarn and the swatch?  Be careful that you don't toss your non superwash wool into the washer and dryer.  They will felt and shrink.  

Swatching: the why

A few years ago, I shared trunkfuls of ideas for what you can use swatches for, or granny squares/motif squares.  Sweaters, blankets, and pillows, oh my.  Some projects look great with a broad spectrum of colors.  Others will be better with the components being all the same color or range of colors or the same pattern.

But let's examine why we might want to swatch.  I'll go over how to swatch later.

We would want to swatch if fit mattered.  It would be nice if something you are making for a gift would fit the recipient, wouldn't it? So, swatching to be sure your stitching is the same as the pattern is important.  You might need to work many swatches with different sizes and different types of material of hook or needle to get the gauge.

We would want to swatch to see how our yarn choice reacts to the blocking process.  Blocking is part of the cleaning process.  Soak the swatch in a rinse-free wool wash.  Drain and start by patting it into shape. OR better still, treat the swatch the way you will be treating the finished garment or item.   Has it grown? Which way did it grow?  Did it shrink?  Which way?  Now you have to go back to trying a different size tool or a different material.  Will it work with all patterns?  

Personally, and I advise this to many, I think a very patterned yarn hides the beautiful stitchwork I have done.  Is the yarn highly textured?  Is it really fuzzy?  This can hide my beautiful stitchwork also.

New and Exciting Things Are Happening

 Next year, I will be participating in more historical events for knit history and crochet history.  Most of these events require period costuming so I will be working on that. 

Next year, I will be a project leader for the local 4-H.  I will teach knitting to the children and teens who want to learn.  More information is needed for me.  But for now, I think I have completed all the training, clearances, and forms.

Next year, the knitting guild and the crochet guild I belong to will be teaching knitting and crocheting to the Kimmerlings Grange.  We will be worked into their schedule of events.

But the newest news is that we have a wedding coming up in our family.  My younger son is getting married next month.  And then to our surprise, a grand nephew has gotten engaged.