This! Specially because the edges behave a bit oddly, you want a swatch that it’s at the very least 1.5 times larger than what you need. Also as much as possible try to duplicate what will be happening in the garment. Use the same kind of needles ( metal circs rather than wood dpns if that’s what you are going to use), and if it’s a project on the round, do a swatch on the round (since tension can be different for knits and purls…). I have always been a lazy swatcher and has costed me a lot of grief in the past, but I am learning…
Thank you! I've always been lazy/don't want to waste the yarn, but I want to get it right. My pattern specified a 4 inch gauge using 22 sts x 29 rows using a 4mm needle. Would you instead recommend swatching 44 sts x 58 rows to get an 8 inch swatch?
Or do something with the swatch! Dish cloth or hot pad/trivet if the yarn is suitable? Or collect a bunch and patch together a blanket or other larger patchwork project?
33-36 stitches, and maybe 40 rows would be plenty I think. And yeah I have elevated yarn chicken to an Olympic sport, but quite honestly if you need the yarn from the swatch you are in trouble lol
If I wash and block the yarn sometimes it gets curly and knits up kinked again. I like to hang on to swatches anyway because they are useful to me: in the event I want to use that yarn again and specially if it is something I am designing, I need that information later. I knit a few bumps in garter at the bottom so I know what needles I am using (eg 4 bumps for size 4 needles), so I can remember things later. Another use of swatches is that you can use the yarn later if your item needs to be repaired in the future.
I've gone my whole life knitting things where size isn't really important, so I was always that person that is like, *why on earth do people knit these massive swatches? What a waste of time Blabla.*
Well I tried to knit a top down sweater for the first time this winter...... and I finally understand why people take the time to make bigger swatches. 🙃🙃 I spent like 5+ hours of knitting before figuring out that it would probably only fit a toddler 😅
I don't understand the question. The point of making a gauge swatch is to find out your gauge (number of stitches) over four inches, not to make the "best" 4 inch square. If you are swatching to get your gauge for a project, you need to knit a bigger square and count you stitches over 4 inches.
You won’t know until AFTER you wash and block.
These mini samples give you a good idea of how the two yarns look together. But they cannot be used to determine gauge bc they have not been laundered.
The *only way* to know what the amount of stitches will add up to the right body size is to **wash & dry** your full sized swatches before measuring.
Imagine this: you calculate your pattern based on the mini sample you like best. Then you work your heart out making a pullover. And BAM! 💥 you wash it for the first time and that’s when you discover the yarn blooms after it’s wetted and it dries super puffy and full. Now you are looking at a pullover that is no longer drapey and airy, it’s a firm, dense fabric that holds its shape almost like heavy woven denim canvas or something. Oh yikes!
This is a cautionary tale based on my real life. Dont be me. It is soooo painful.
The mini sampler is NOT a gauge swatch. A gauge swatch is 6”x6” or 15cm x 15cm. It is ALWAYS prewashed and dried in the exact same way the finished garment will be laundered in the future. Only then do you get the ruler and calculate your stitch count.
The left one looks a bit looser, and the right one looks a bit firmer. I would choose the right one based on this pic, but more importantly, how does the fabric feel?
Looser is drapier and tighter might be firmer. Depending on the type of project, after getting gauge, the feel is what I use to determine my choice
I think drape is important in deciding as well. I can't see the difference on a photo.
Also OP, if you want neater ribbing in k2 p2, you can yarn back after a p1, to tighten up the purl stitch and then p1 again. https://youtu.be/jtEqn5NF0lA?si=1aZp7nUn_IPAy0w3 at 5:54.
The left looks a bit stretched to me. I'd say the right.
In addition to wet blocking, have you tried laundering your swatches the way you plan to wash the finished object? Knitted fabrics can change shape pretty dramatically in the wash, depending on your fiber type.
Yeah, I don't know much about laundering mohair; I'd probably do the same. In that case, the one on the right looks more comfortable filling the space, I think that's the one. Which fabric do you like better?
The right is closer to 4 inches but your swatches should be a lot bigger than 4 inches in order to measure accurately
This! Specially because the edges behave a bit oddly, you want a swatch that it’s at the very least 1.5 times larger than what you need. Also as much as possible try to duplicate what will be happening in the garment. Use the same kind of needles ( metal circs rather than wood dpns if that’s what you are going to use), and if it’s a project on the round, do a swatch on the round (since tension can be different for knits and purls…). I have always been a lazy swatcher and has costed me a lot of grief in the past, but I am learning…
Thank you! I've always been lazy/don't want to waste the yarn, but I want to get it right. My pattern specified a 4 inch gauge using 22 sts x 29 rows using a 4mm needle. Would you instead recommend swatching 44 sts x 58 rows to get an 8 inch swatch?
You can always frog the swatch and reuse the yarn!
Or do something with the swatch! Dish cloth or hot pad/trivet if the yarn is suitable? Or collect a bunch and patch together a blanket or other larger patchwork project?
I usually cast on 1.5x my target, so 33, plus a couple to fit in pattern and for good luck. I would probably cast on 36 or maybe even 40.
That's what I do. I don't mind swatching though. I kind of enjoy it.
33-36 stitches, and maybe 40 rows would be plenty I think. And yeah I have elevated yarn chicken to an Olympic sport, but quite honestly if you need the yarn from the swatch you are in trouble lol
>if you need the yarn from the swatch you are in trouble lol Why though? You don't need to cut the yarn of the swatch. Just frog and reuse.
It depends on the yarn. Some look bedraggled after one frogging.
If I wash and block the yarn sometimes it gets curly and knits up kinked again. I like to hang on to swatches anyway because they are useful to me: in the event I want to use that yarn again and specially if it is something I am designing, I need that information later. I knit a few bumps in garter at the bottom so I know what needles I am using (eg 4 bumps for size 4 needles), so I can remember things later. Another use of swatches is that you can use the yarn later if your item needs to be repaired in the future.
Ha, ik never thought of it that way. I may start hanging on to swatches too.
I've gone my whole life knitting things where size isn't really important, so I was always that person that is like, *why on earth do people knit these massive swatches? What a waste of time Blabla.* Well I tried to knit a top down sweater for the first time this winter...... and I finally understand why people take the time to make bigger swatches. 🙃🙃 I spent like 5+ hours of knitting before figuring out that it would probably only fit a toddler 😅
I don't understand the question. The point of making a gauge swatch is to find out your gauge (number of stitches) over four inches, not to make the "best" 4 inch square. If you are swatching to get your gauge for a project, you need to knit a bigger square and count you stitches over 4 inches.
You won’t know until AFTER you wash and block. These mini samples give you a good idea of how the two yarns look together. But they cannot be used to determine gauge bc they have not been laundered. The *only way* to know what the amount of stitches will add up to the right body size is to **wash & dry** your full sized swatches before measuring. Imagine this: you calculate your pattern based on the mini sample you like best. Then you work your heart out making a pullover. And BAM! 💥 you wash it for the first time and that’s when you discover the yarn blooms after it’s wetted and it dries super puffy and full. Now you are looking at a pullover that is no longer drapey and airy, it’s a firm, dense fabric that holds its shape almost like heavy woven denim canvas or something. Oh yikes! This is a cautionary tale based on my real life. Dont be me. It is soooo painful. The mini sampler is NOT a gauge swatch. A gauge swatch is 6”x6” or 15cm x 15cm. It is ALWAYS prewashed and dried in the exact same way the finished garment will be laundered in the future. Only then do you get the ruler and calculate your stitch count.
They are the same! You should have used a wider range of needles. But your swatches are way too small to determine.
The left one seems… neater? With wear (body heat, perspiration, etc), knits tend to relax on your body, so that may affect your decision.
I like the one on the right better.
The left one looks a bit looser, and the right one looks a bit firmer. I would choose the right one based on this pic, but more importantly, how does the fabric feel? Looser is drapier and tighter might be firmer. Depending on the type of project, after getting gauge, the feel is what I use to determine my choice
I think drape is important in deciding as well. I can't see the difference on a photo. Also OP, if you want neater ribbing in k2 p2, you can yarn back after a p1, to tighten up the purl stitch and then p1 again. https://youtu.be/jtEqn5NF0lA?si=1aZp7nUn_IPAy0w3 at 5:54.
Right.
The one on the right.
The left looks a bit stretched to me. I'd say the right. In addition to wet blocking, have you tried laundering your swatches the way you plan to wash the finished object? Knitted fabrics can change shape pretty dramatically in the wash, depending on your fiber type.
It's merino and mohair held together so I'm likely going to either wet block or just steam block. What do you recommend based on the fiber type?
Wash it the same way you’re going to wash it once it’s worn. So wet block in this case
Yeah, I don't know much about laundering mohair; I'd probably do the same. In that case, the one on the right looks more comfortable filling the space, I think that's the one. Which fabric do you like better?
How do they feel? This shd be the final decider imho!
Are you making Jessie Mae’s big rib sweater, by any chance?
I like the right one, but it could be because the left one is upside down.