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July 13, 2020 3 min read
At the shop, I say “You’ll have to swatch it and see,“ at least fifty times a day. That guidance is always met with a groan or at least a heavy sigh. Knitters hate to swatch. I get it. We want get started NOW, because the project is going to take a while, and swatching feels like a waste of precious knitting time.
Casting on a big project without swatching is like marrying someone we met at the bar last night. It might work out great, but maybe not, and it could be a while before we figure out that it was a horrible mistake. By then, we’ve already invested so much time and energy that we’re tempted to just soldier on and hope it gets better and turns out okay. It doesn’t. As painful as it is, just cut your losses and head to the frog pond – Rip it, rip it, rip it.
Love it or hate it, swatching is important, and here are five things to help you do it better, if not actually enjoy it.
As you swatch, relax and be yourself. If you’re a tight or loose knitter, it’s tempting to tell ourselves that we can change. We can’t. We are who we are as knitters, and the way we knit is just right for us. Rather than vowing that you’ll loosen/tighten up, relax and knit your swatch naturally, wherever you plan to knit your project. If that’s on the sofa in front of the tv, that’s where you should knit your swatch. A comfortably knit swatch is a much better indicator of your actual gauge than one done on your best behavior. Plus it’s more fun.
Does that make swatching any more palatable? I hope so! Looking foward to seeing you in the shop soon! You are always welcome here.
Warmly,
Ellen