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“DO I HAVE TO SWATCH?” April 2013

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April 12, 2013 · by Glenna C · in Uncategorized · 48 Comments

  1 2 3 4 5 6
If you’re a knitter who knits sweaters or shawls, or other items intended to
fit either a large portion of your body, or to be worn over a portion of your 7 8 9 10 11 12 13
body in a very fitted manner (sweaters apply here, also knee socks or long
gloves), this means you’ve encountered the directive to pay attention to 14 15 16 17 18 19 20
gauge. Usually this means that before you start knitting the pattern, you’ll
need to make a gauge swatch. Or a tension square, depending on your lingo. 21 22 23 24 25 26 27

Much of the time, this step can deflate some of the New Project Joy we get 28 29 30  
from sitting down with a new pattern and a (possibly large, possibly
expensive) pile of yarn, possibly at the beginning of a shiny and bright day « Mar   May »
off, or at the beginning of a full hour of obligation-free time after dinner.
Maybe you envision casting on the project right then and there and
magically having half of the body of the sweater done before bedtime, I N 140 CHAR ACTER S OR LE SS

because man, this project is going to be so awesome. And then, perhaps, you
RT @WhoaInteresting: This
read the notation about pattern gauge or an accompanying note about the
need to work a gauge swatch just to be sure, and wonder out loud, “do I have bird just moved a brick.

to swatch?” Then opened a trash can.

Enough internet for today

https://t.co/F3hSe3q4v0

1 day ago

RT @JenAshleyWright: I just

want to vote for someone

time travelers don't have to

kill. 1 day ago

RT @daibyday: a CON govt in

#Ontario has cancelled a

$1 min wage increase cut

pharmacare for those under

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m… 1 day ago
Follow @GlennaKnits
 DR OPPI NG KNOWLE DGE, NOT
STI TCHE S

*So You've Discovered Sock

Knitting
*So You've Discovered Sweater
Knitting
*What To Do If You're Not
Getting Gauge
*If You Want To Up Your
Knitting Game
*9 Ways Stitch Markers Will
Change Your Life
*On Not Being A Beginner
Anymore
*Five Knitting Books I Hope
You Have On Your Shelf

TECHNI CAL TALK

*Picking up Stitches (for a

button-band, collar, or sock
heel flap)
*Cabling Without A Cable
Needle
*How To Read A Yarn Label
(Gauge swatches, above, from about 75% of the Urban Collection Vol 2. Some *Looping Along (A photo
for projects still to be revealed!) tutorial for the 'magic loop'
method)
Now, this is knitting world. In knitting world, no one really has to anything. *Cutting a Steek
If you truly have to do something, chances are you don’t really need to ask
yourself about whether you need to do it – you’ll just go ahead and do it. So MY KNI TTI NG PATTE RNS

it is with swatching. You might know exactly what gauge you will get with a
Find my patterns:
particular combination of needles and yarn, and you can skip swatching.
(So it is with me and Cascade 220 – I know that 4.5mm needles + Cascade
220 = 18 sts/4 ins, quite reliably. I’ve swatched enough times to confirm (Ravelry requires membership
that in the past, and I feel comfortable skipping the swatch, with that but is free to use).
knowledge in mind). On the other hand, (and more likely) you might not be
entirely sure of your gauge, and in this case your swatch will do much to Patternfish
inform the success of your project.

The truth is, you could skip the swatching step and see how it all turns out,
provided you are willing to live with the consequences – and those
consequences could very well reveal themselves in the form of a sweater
that does not fit you the way you intended. However, the more I knit (and
design), the more I am personally in favour of swatching. You get a lot of
information out of those little squares, and if you keep them around after
you finish the project, you can still have access to that information later. I
have started tagging my swatches with the needle size I used to work it up,
and that helps me out if I want to use that same yarn again another time.
(Swatches from my Northside Pullover, in Tanis Fiber Arts Green Label Aran,
in ‘olive’.)

I have now come to look at swatches as end results in themselves. It’s okay
if I don’t turn the swatch into something else later on (though you could, if
you wanted – patchwork quilts out of many swatches, mini change purses
out of single swatches folded over and sewn up along the sides, and so
forth), because it has done its job just being a swatch. Swatches will tell you
your gauge, give you a sense of how the yarn feels in your hands, how
pleasurable (or not) it is to work with, how nicely (or not) a variegated
colour looks in knitted fabric as compared to the skein, how well the yarn
drapes (or doesn’t) when worked at that gauge, and can help you to knit
both a stockinette swatch and a pattern swatch (like in the Northside
pullover swatches, above). If you’ve got a pattern that tells you both a
stockinette gauge and a pattern gauge, that’s something worth paying
attention to.

Swatching does take up yarn, though, so there’s no way around that.

Committing to swatching means being willing to buy a little bit of extra
yarn for the project, or otherwise be willing to rip out the swatch to put
back into the project if you haven’t got the extra to begin with. Or, you could
even just buy one ball of yarn up front, swatch it up, and then go back for
the project’s worth of yarn (or not) if you’ve decided you like it well enough
(or not) to commit to it for a whole sweater.
Are you a swatcher? What’s something you’ve learned from a swatch
lately?

Have a great weekend, knitter friends!

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 In "sweaters"

48 comments

Louise · April 12, 2013 - 12:18 pm ·

I had a great swatch the other day when I prepared to make

men’s socks. Since I’d heard that in-the-round swatches may

come out differently than flat swatches, I cylindrically knit up a

2″ length, with moss stitch 1/2″ at either end, resulting in an

interesting bracelet!

Cyd · April 12, 2013 - 12:22 pm ·

Thanks for such a sensible look at the process of swatching. I love

swatching now, sort of like tasting the stew before I put it on the

table, we get acquainted, chat a bit, and then proceed. I keep the

swatches and they’re especially handy if I want to shop for

something to go with the new sweater or whatever, just take the

swatch along for the ride!

soknitsome · April 12, 2013 - 12:31 pm ·

Yes definitely! It’s better to be safe than sorry. But I don’t keep

my tension squares – I always end up using that ball too.

Emma in France · April 12, 2013 - 1:08 pm ·

Privacy & Cookies: This site uses cookies. By continuing to use this website, you agree to their use.
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HKnits · April 12, 2013 - 1:17 pm ·

Im new to the swatching bit but I just don’t like it. LOL. I

attempted to knit a gauge swatch on one set of needles then

switch to one size smaller needle and then one more smaller size

needles (something I saw on a Jimmybeanswool youtube video),

but all of my needle changes came out to 18 stitches. Then I

started one in the round and I still got 18 stitches. I needed 21

stitches and thought “sure, I can sub in that stash of worsted

Caron yarn, why the heck not…I’ll just use smaller needles” SMH!!
 thanks for your post, I like your style of writing.

Caitlyn · April 12, 2013 - 2:24 pm ·

I’m a bit embarrassed to admit that although I’ve committed

myself to swatching for any project that requires shaping, it

hasn’t done much good because I seem to have a complete

inability to measure swatches or use the measurements properly.

I’ve tried washing swatches, avoiding stretching them while I

measure, and so on. I can only conclude that when it comes time

to write up modifications/schematics, I’m not accounting

enough for the fit of the garment. I think I read recently that, just

as a looser sweater or heavier yarn can sag under gravity, a

sweater with zero ease or less, because of its pulling-inward-ness,

is also pulling upward, which means that the row gauge of the

swatch may not be the functional row gauge of the sweater. I like

snug sweaters, and look terrible in short ones, so I want to avoid

this kind of bad fit, and a swatch doesn’t seem to help enough.

Now, if someone could come up with guidelines to determine

what relationship there is between ease and length, I would

probably die of gratitude. I know it very likely varies based on

amount of (negative) ease, yarn weight, and stitch gauge, but

how much? Any advice?

lollyknits · April 12, 2013 - 2:29 pm ·

I always swatch, and I think part of the fun of swatching is

getting to gripe about it with other knitters

anniebanannie4 · April 12, 2013 - 2:33 pm ·

I am fairly new to knitting. Well knitting “proper” things. Will

definitely be taking up swatching!

Claudia · April 12, 2013 - 2:48 pm ·

I am definitely a swatcher; especially when I’m knitting a

sweater. And I block the swatch to be sure I’m on gauge. For

certain shawls and scarfs I’ll knit a swatch when I’m not sure

how much yarn I will have or to see the way the pattern looks. I

have quite a collection of interesting swatches-maybe I’ll frame

them.
allnightknits · April 12, 2013 - 2:51 pm ·

I was never a swatcher until a hand injury that left me arthritic,

now it seems I have to change needles sizes on every pattern I do!

The great thing about swatches though is you can make them

into baby doll blankets, so I never feel wasteful. Framing them

sounds like a great idea too though!

Nita · April 12, 2013 - 3:55 pm ·

OMG, it never occured to me to KEEP the swatch for future

reference. Eee Gads, what a lot of work I could have saved myself!

Lol!

Sue · April 12, 2013 - 4:00 pm ·

I am unequivocally not a swatcher. I know I should be. I have

made entire projects that were the wrong size because i did not

swatch. Wasted countless hours and frogged numerous projects

but I just seem to have this biologic aversion to swatching. I try, I

really do. I buy extra yarn and tell myself I am going to swatch

before I start the project, but then I look at the pattern to find out

the gauge and see the pictures of what I am about to knit and,

well, I just cannot help myself… I jump right in! For instance,

today, I just started the Jackson Creek Cardigan. My yarn came

yesterday in the mail, I’m using Fibra Natura Oak (60%

superwash merino, 20% Linen, 20% silk) and I LOVE this stuff. It

has the tiniest of halos, just wonderful…and I told myself last

night I would swatch…But sure enough…once again…here I sit

with half a cuff on the needles already. I told myself I’ll use the

sleeve as a gauge swatch. Once I get the first few inches I can

measure the gauge. I tried, I really tried…but this pattern is just

so darned beautiful…I couldn’t stop myself! I’m keeping my

fingers crossed that the gauge will turn out correct once I have

enough of the sleeve knitted to check it.

Michelle · April 12, 2013 - 4:14 pm ·

Oh, I HATE swatching. I almost never do it. It’s the knitter

version of Russian Roulette.

bjmonitas · April 12, 2013 - 4:55 pm ·

 I think its worth a try. For socks I do not swatch a pattern, but I

certainly do swatch for bigger projects. Kindest bjmonitas

Kingshearte · April 12, 2013 - 5:28 pm ·

I don’t with socks, but for things like sweaters, absolutely. And I

always used to fret about “wasting” that yarn, but then I

remembered that I can totally still rip it out and use it if I need to.

This realization has gotten me willing to knit bigger swatches

than the dinky things I used to do, too, so I think that’s good.

There’s no question, though, that it does delay the fun of starting

a project for real.

lanita · April 12, 2013 - 5:50 pm ·

I’ve just gotten into the idea of swatching and it’s not as bad as I

remember from about seven years ago. It’s been fun to play with

the yarn before having to commit to anything.

feelgoodknitting · April 12, 2013 - 6:35 pm ·

I still hate swatching, but it is a necessary evil if you want your

sweaters to fit. Even more so if you’re writing your own pattern.

Karina · April 12, 2013 - 9:05 pm ·

I find that I enjoy swatching most of the time. I don’t do it for all

my projects, but I improvise enough designs that it is often

necessary so I know how many sts to cast on. It is also an

opportunity for me to ‘start’ my project before I have the time or

energy to look at the pattern closely or do my figuring – a head

start, if you will. I usually manage to pick the right needle size

the first time, so for me a swatch is more for the calculations I

need to do.

Anastasia E White · April 12, 2013 - 9:22 pm ·

Great post! I was just logging on to do a very similar post but you

said it all. Swatching is your friend. Learn to love it and you can

learn a lot about how your FO will turn out.

Denise Billeck Clendening · April 12, 2013 - 9:32 pm ·

 My first ever comment…..I have been knitting for over 50 years

and have never swatched. I’ve never seemed to have a problem

with garments fitting properly but in recent years, with the aid

of blogs like yours and other tv and internet articles I have

learned how much I never knew about knitting. I plan to do a

swatch to see if it has any impact on my end results. Thanks for

all the interesting musings.

Dorothée Draft · April 13, 2013 - 3:23 am ·

I NEVER make this test knit. Poor girl I am, sometimes I have very

bad surprise…

Jeanette · April 13, 2013 - 8:32 am ·

I started knitting many years ago and then got away from it for a

long while until I started knitting socks last Fall. I never did

swatches and did end up with a few things that just didn’t fit.

When I started doing socks I also started knitting swatches and

so far all the socks I have made for my grandkids have fit

perfectly. I do sometimes have a problem counting the exact

number of stitches. I keep all the gauge and yarn info in a little

book so I only knit a swatch if I change the needle size or type of

yarn. I wish I had knit these little bits years ago. It makes all the

difference in the finished product.

Nancy · April 13, 2013 - 9:51 am ·

Yes! I’m a swatcher. I label my swatches with date, yarn, needle

size/type & project, then store them in 3 ring binders, using

either baseball card or cd clear pocket pages. A bit obsessive,

maybe, but the system works for me. I even framed a particularly

pretty little one for myself just because I like the design so much.

gmaellenscraftycorner · April 13, 2013 - 9:53 am ·

Reblogged this on G-Ma Ellen's Crochet Corner and commented:

This is a fantastic blog post. I like getting another’s perspective

on the subject of swatching. Oh, and don’t forget to scroll down

and read all the comments. I got a few chuckles, but also some

other great insights as well!

danadoodle · April 13, 2013 - 10:04 am ·

I am definitely a swatcher. The more I learn about designing the

more I am pro swatching. Although for personal projects I tend to

only swatch for sweaters. Shawls will pretty much always fit,

socks are pretty obvious very quickly if it’s not going to work out.

I do tend to swatch for hats because they can be tricky

sometimes.

Joanne Perrow · April 13, 2013 - 11:45 am ·

I never swatch unless I am knitting a sweater and then I start

with the sleeves and use the sleeve as a swatch. I occasionally

have to rip out and adjust needle size but it feels like I am

accomplising something at the same time.

Elizabeth · April 13, 2013 - 5:36 pm ·

One thing you didn’t mention is the importance of wet blocking

the swatch. I have learned, through bitter experience, that that is

a vital step, especially where superwash yarns are concerned. I

always soak my swatch in a bowl of warm water, often still

attached to its ball (not in the wetl), and then lay it out to dry.

Another thing I do, when possible, is to use pocket linings or the

beginnings of sleeves as swatches. I knit a little, wet block the

start of my knitting, then carry on if I’m happy. It’s a shortcut

that can work for some designs. The more I design, the more I

rely on swatching.

Vi · April 13, 2013 - 6:18 pm ·

I definitely think swatching is important, but am too lazy to do it.

Thus, I tend to stick to projects that don’t require much

swatching

However, when I’m modifying patterns or creating my own,

swatching is a must. I seem to have a similar problem as another

commenter, though. My swatches never seem to help, possibly

because I don’t take the time to make a full swatch.

Laura s. · April 13, 2013 - 7:50 pm ·

I am definitely a “swatcher”. I don’t knit as much as you do, and I

don’t want to risk that basket full of beautiful yarn(not to say my

 time) because the little amount of time it takes to make a swatch.

I actually like to look back at those swatches as projects

completed , or I’m glad I didn’t waste my yarn and time on that.

Lynda Thompson · April 14, 2013 - 3:35 am ·

You mentioned that you might need extra yarn for your swatch

but I was told once that designers/pattern writers allow for the

swatch amount when they give the yarn requirements. This was

in the UK so I don’t know if that’s true worldwide but I’ve always

believed that to be the case (but I haven’t knitted enough whole

garments and done enough swatches to truly test the theory!).

Tara · April 14, 2013 - 6:13 am ·

I’ve never knit a swatch in my life and never had any problems,

but I thought I might start just as a nice reminder of all the

things I knit, even if the end product is given away.

Tara · April 14, 2013 - 6:14 am ·

I realise I’ve just jinxed my next project

iknitiatives · April 14, 2013 - 7:42 am ·

Love your commentary on swatching… It’s dreadful for me but a

necessary thing if you want some knits to fit just right! Your

swatches look great by the way!

Jackie · April 14, 2013 - 10:55 am ·

I spent years avoiding swatching, because it delayed the instant

gratification of casting on for a project.

As I’ve become a committed sweater knitter, I have accepted and

embraced swatching as critical to getting the finished result I

desire. Because nothing is worse than spending a month or so

knitting up $150 in yarn for a beautiful sweater that doesn’t

actually fit.

Serena O. · April 14, 2013 - 1:17 pm ·

It depends on the project as to wether I will swatch or not. As I am

primarily a sock knitter, and have knitted lots of socks, I have a

general idea of what a certain needle size and yarn will give me.
 Some times I do, and some times I will just use the first couple

inches of the sock as a gage swatch. I have learned that even

thought I may use the same needles and yarn a number of times,

that does not guarantee that I will always get the same gage. I

knit a pair of socks one year, and a year later knit the same socks

with the same needle size and came out with a completely

different gage. My knitting had loosened up quite a bit in a year. I

find that factors in life, like how stressful, or busy life is or isn’t

can definitely affect my knitting.

Great blog post on knitting. I know if I ever knit a sweater, I will

definitely knit a swatch. As much as I just want to get going, I

would hate to have to rip a lot out later.

Thanks

(Peacefulsea on ravelry)

Jo VanEvery (@JoVanEvery) · April 14, 2013 - 6:26 pm ·

I’m kind of hit and miss with swatching. I have been known to

start with a sleeve (especially a stockingnette sleeve like your

Dundurn) on the grounds that it counts as a swatch and I’m more

prepared to rip it out if the gauge is off.

I think the things a swatch can tell you are also the things that

put me off swatching. If I LOVE this yarn and have decided I love

this pattern I really don’t want to know that they aren’t going to

work. This sounds bizarre because rationally, it would be better to

know after knitting a 6″ square than a whole sweater. I’m not

always rational.

I do often swatch stash yarn though with the goal of figuring out

what gauge gives me a fabric I like in that yarn. I then use that

information to search for a suitable pattern. For some reason

swatching BEFORE I’ve picked a pattern is much less stressful for

me. And the advanced pattern search on Ravelry means I’m likely

to find something I like that works.

Which reveals another issue: I don’t like the idea that I have to hit

a very specific gauge. And sometimes when I swatch, if I’m close

enough I’ll fudge something like the size I knit in the hopes that

that will work out and allow me to knit this sweater with this

yarn.
smashleestitches · April 14, 2013 - 11:23 pm ·

Love this!!!!

I was pretty big on NOT swatching but, over the years I have knit I

have seen its benefits. I “almost” enjoy it now but, I am far from

saying that its my favourite part of my knitting.

One thing that helped me get into the habit of swatching was

knitting my way through a stitchonary. Not only am I learning

alot of cool techniques but, it got me use to knitting just a tiny bit

to see how a yarn and/or pattern will turn out. I am sewing every

swatch into a massive blanket so, in the end I’ll have a pretty big

reminder to swatch and I’ll have a pretty cool blanket to snuggle

up in!

Alicia · April 15, 2013 - 11:24 am ·

How do you store your swatches? Are they all just thrown in a box

somewhere? That’s what I struggle with, little bits of knitting

floating around all over the place!

felice rhiannon · April 15, 2013 - 11:44 am ·

I swatch all the time because I knit VERY loosely. I often have to

go down 2mm in needle size and end up knitting on what look

like toothpicks! however, I’m a really relaxed knitter! I’ve given

up on knitting anything fitted and have taken to creating

garments out of rectangles and squares…a cardigan, a sleeveless

slip over sweater, and am currently working on switching to

make a waistcoat whose back is stockinet re stitch and the two

front panels in a lace pattern…two different swatches!

jody · April 15, 2013 - 12:18 pm ·

You are such a great teacher! I need help with not knitting, but

my WordPress account! Any suggestions?

best,

Jody

Cassy · April 16, 2013 - 12:55 pm ·

Great post. I mostly err on the side of swatching. I’ve even taken

to wet-blocking some swatches lately for sweaters. For socks I

don’t bother because I usually go toe-up and am familiar with a

 variety of sock yarns and how they knit up on different needles. I

would swatch for a shawl if I felt I might run out of yarn. For

baby sweaters, I just check after a couple of inches and if I have

to rip, so be it. For adult-sized sweaters, you’d better believe I’m

swatching. That’s waaaaaaaaay too much time invested to cast

on and hope it comes out correctly.

victoria · April 17, 2013 - 11:40 am ·

I love to swatch because then I get to test things like the button

band, how many stitches to pick up for the placket, the cast off

and other finishing elements.

FanofStuff (@FanofStuffZylo) · April 18, 2013 - 11:24 pm ·

I am also in the ‘hate swatching’ camp. I’m the slowest knitter

ever, so taking a week to knit a swatch before I can even start a

project is daunting. However, I don’t want to knit a sweater that

can fit a whale either. The worst part, and the one I can’t bring

myself to do most of the time, is wash it to see what happens.

This is probably why I knit scarves and shawls almost exclusively.

What are those paper bits on your swatches? Are they notes?

Woolly thinking: Personality analysis through knitting | After the kids leave · April 26,
2013 - 12:04 am ·

[…] “Do I have to swatch?” (crazyknittinglady.wordpress.com) […]

Schlaepfer Myra · May 5, 2013 - 10:23 am ·

I swatch with every yarn for to decide which stitch and/ or

pattern or technique I’m going to use, what it looks and feel like.

Of course to messure it is very helpful orientation, although I

rarely follow a pattern, it helps me to create the form of the piece

I’m working on.

Anthea Winterburn · May 21, 2013 - 3:11 am ·

I am not good at making swatches but I have to agree with

everything you say; it is basically best practice. I think that

possibly the ‘problem’ with knitting is that we can create

something satisfactory if we pick up needles and yarn but to

make something really good, it is necessary to follow a process

properly, I feel.
When row gauge matters | Knitting to Stay Sane · June 5, 2013 - 12:00 pm ·

[…] talked about swatches before around here. Swatches can be

really useful pieces of knitting, especially once you get into […]

When row gauge matters | Mary Lampley - A Friend to Knit With · June 7, 2013 - 10:30 am
·

[…] talked about swatches before around here. Swatches can be

really useful pieces of knitting, especially once you get into […]

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