This is a refreshing look at swatching. It reminds me of artists working in series, doing several riffs of a theme. In the end one has several to choose from for the best.
It is so fun to read from an aficionado in a world of civilians.
I don't think one needs to choose at all. Does an artist think every sketch should lead to something gallery-worthy? (except Picasso. He probably did think every sketch was a gem.) If I learn something from the swatch, or even if it just gave me pleasure to make it, that is enough. The swatch can be an end in itself, even if it doesn't lead to a "real" project and just ends up tossed in a basket with all the other swatches.
I have, in the past hated it; I'm not great at getting gauge in most cases so I tend to choose projects where gauge doesn't matter. I just found a great tee I want to make though, and I am committing to swatching. Pattern calls for worsted weight cotton but people are knitting this on size 5 and 6. I may have to drop to a dk weight; I'm a loose knitter.
Remember that the needle size in a pattern is only a place to start—it's the needle size the designer used. But maybe the designer is a very tight knitter and you're a loose knitter. Gauge is a very individual thing. You should use whatever needle size enables you to match the pattern gauge. And If you prefer working with a slightly lighter weight yarn, if you can produce a fabric which matches the pattern gauge, and if you think the fabric will work well for the project you're making, there is no reason not to make the switch.
If you don't match the pattern gauge, you could consider altering the pattern to match your gauge. I don't know what pattern you're making, but that's what I did for my Waffle Pullover in progress.
This is helpful; thank you. What made me consider dropping to another weight yarn is this: my current project uses dk yarn and recommends a size six needle (as does the label on the yarn ball), but this yarn really is darn close to worsted, and when I swatched, the size six created a stiffer, non-drapey fabric. This is for a baby blanket and I want it to drape, so I ended going up one size for the fabric I wanted, knowing that drape is more important than finished size.
I now have a blanket that is five inches wider than the listed measurements., even before blocking. Not a problem for this, but I know I knit loosely so I can see having to make complicated needle AND yarn weight adjustments for a garment that should fit.
I'm making the Lakewood Tee (https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/lakewood-tee), because I absolutely love the short row shaping of the yoke. I haven't swatched at all yet, but in this case I'm fully committed to thoughtful swatching for as long as it takes
That is a pretty design! And I can see why you want to avoid a stiff fabric for this one. The gauge this pattern specifies is on the loose side for a worsted weight yarn (15.5 stitches and 24 rows = 4 inches), probably for exactly the purpose of producing a drapes fabric.
If you're using a 100% cotton yarn, be sure to wash and dry your swatch the same way you intend to wash the finished garment. Cotton yarns are notorious for firming up and shrinking a bit, so base your choice of needle size on the gauge of the washed swatch.
Great article! I, too, like to pay attention to those passing thoughts, and I always appreciate your yarn reviews.
Sort of interesting story about Barbara Walker (which you, no doubt already know): I recently re-purchased (don't ask) her "Mosaic Knitting," and I was struck by how un-cute some of those motifs are (by which I do NOT mean un-beautiful). Spike-like features are common, as are suggestions of menacing faces. I didn't remember this from the first time I bought the book, so I did some research and found that she has studied mythical symbolism in some depth! I love when I learn that stuff.
She designed a tarot deck too. I'm shaking the money tree. :)
Barbara Walker was a remarkable polymath, and as much revered in the world of feminine mysticism as she is in the world of knitting. I have her 1983 book The Women's Encyclopedia of Myths and Secrets. It's full of fascinating information.
The longer I knit (20 years now) the more inclined I am to swatch, even for top down garments. I have a tank top on the needles and another one planned. They must fit ME in the neck, shoulders, and armholes and not the mythical standard size person the pattern will fit. Therefore, swatch I must. And it is a pleasant, low investment diversion to the project on the needles.
As for the wine, oh I do miss it. But my first question was not whether I liked it but how many sips I could have before the migraine started (usually 2). Now it's a rare, rare treat usually reserved for a couple sips with Christmas dinner.
Thank you for writing about swatching from a different angle.
I am so happy to hear that you take responsibility for getting the fit you want. As a designer, I have no choice but to rely on standard size charts. I cannot know every knitter or their specific measurements and proportions. One of the delights of knitting your own is the ability to customize a garment to get exactly the right fit for you. Yet so many knitters follow the instructions to the letter, and are then disappointed with the fit.
And I'm so sorry wine triggers migraines for you. I hope you've found other indulgences to which your body responds better.
Sandy, you are so right about patterns written to standard size charts, and I am grateful to designers who do that. I never grumble about the cost of a pattern (the smallest cost in knitting), as I can only imagine the work that goes into creating, grading, and publishing a pattern across 7 or 9 sizes.
If you have not done this before, perhaps you could educate us on the steps needed to produce a pattern as you did in the past about yarn. This might help those who complain about a $7-$10 pattern understand.
When I lived in San Francisco in the mid-80s (🙂), I knitted a sampler of stitch patterns from one of Walker’s books. I had a mess of yarn that I had bought in Ecuador while visiting my not-yet-husband who was in the Peace Corps there. We had gone to a market and I fell in love with a basket full of blue and red wool. It wasn’t until I got home and took a good look at the yarn that I realized the yarn was “thrums,” waste yarn from weaving. Aargh! I did knit a sweater with the yarn and, yes, painstakingly wove in all the many, many ends. I didn’t know it at the time that I was knitting a mosaic pattern, but I remember I really liked it. Only problem was that it was a bit snug and eventually I gave it to a friend. But I digress … The sampler was knit in all the same blue and red yarn, about 10-12 inches across, and for a long time, enjoyed status as a wall hanging. Although the sampler is different from swatching, it was (for me) a good visual reminder of how yarn responds differently with different patterns. I was never much of a swatcher in my early years, but I wish I had been. It would have saved me some headaches.
Still, thanks to your encouragement and especially your yarn reviews, I’m trying to be more conscientious these days. Although when it comes to shawls, I still often bypass the swatch … sort of. With one shawl I recently knitted, I frogged the first few inches of it several times, trying different needle sizes, until I found one that gave me the drape and density I wanted.
Have you read Lauren Groff’s book, Florida? I think she moved to Florida a few years after I did. She and her husband moved to Gainesville, which had been our first choice (my husband had gone to University of Florida for his undergraduate and wanted me to go there for my master’s in English, but UF didn’t offer me an assistantship whereas FSU did so we wound up in Tallahassee). Anyway, I read an essay by Groff about her move to Gainesville, and I felt an affinity with her and her feelings about it. So when Florida came out, I was eager to read it. To be honest, I was disappointed. I know it’s gotten rave reviews, but I didn’t think there was really much of Florida in it, at least not the Florida I’ve come to know these last 30+ years. Just interested in your opinion. It’s not the first time I haven’t liked a book that a lot of people loved 😉
You’ve read a lot of her work! I’ve only read Florida, and then two other essays. Yes, I know about The Lynx. I subscribe to the newsletter, and we visited the bookstore the last time we were in Gainesville. It’s very nice.
If you're interested in reading more of Groff, I think you'd enjoy Matrix. It's a historical novel set in 12th century England. Marie, a minor noblewoman, is cast out of the royal court and sent to become prioress of an impoverished abbey. Over the years, Marie builds the abbey into a center of female economic and political power. It's a feminist novel of struggle, triumph, and sisterhood.
I don't remember this book having graphic violence. It's been a couple of years since I read it though, so please don't hate me if my memory is faulty.
This is a refreshing look at swatching. It reminds me of artists working in series, doing several riffs of a theme. In the end one has several to choose from for the best.
It is so fun to read from an aficionado in a world of civilians.
I don't think one needs to choose at all. Does an artist think every sketch should lead to something gallery-worthy? (except Picasso. He probably did think every sketch was a gem.) If I learn something from the swatch, or even if it just gave me pleasure to make it, that is enough. The swatch can be an end in itself, even if it doesn't lead to a "real" project and just ends up tossed in a basket with all the other swatches.
I think of swatching as a yarn date!
Oh - I forgot to talk about swatching!
I have, in the past hated it; I'm not great at getting gauge in most cases so I tend to choose projects where gauge doesn't matter. I just found a great tee I want to make though, and I am committing to swatching. Pattern calls for worsted weight cotton but people are knitting this on size 5 and 6. I may have to drop to a dk weight; I'm a loose knitter.
Remember that the needle size in a pattern is only a place to start—it's the needle size the designer used. But maybe the designer is a very tight knitter and you're a loose knitter. Gauge is a very individual thing. You should use whatever needle size enables you to match the pattern gauge. And If you prefer working with a slightly lighter weight yarn, if you can produce a fabric which matches the pattern gauge, and if you think the fabric will work well for the project you're making, there is no reason not to make the switch.
If you don't match the pattern gauge, you could consider altering the pattern to match your gauge. I don't know what pattern you're making, but that's what I did for my Waffle Pullover in progress.
This is helpful; thank you. What made me consider dropping to another weight yarn is this: my current project uses dk yarn and recommends a size six needle (as does the label on the yarn ball), but this yarn really is darn close to worsted, and when I swatched, the size six created a stiffer, non-drapey fabric. This is for a baby blanket and I want it to drape, so I ended going up one size for the fabric I wanted, knowing that drape is more important than finished size.
I now have a blanket that is five inches wider than the listed measurements., even before blocking. Not a problem for this, but I know I knit loosely so I can see having to make complicated needle AND yarn weight adjustments for a garment that should fit.
I'm making the Lakewood Tee (https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/lakewood-tee), because I absolutely love the short row shaping of the yoke. I haven't swatched at all yet, but in this case I'm fully committed to thoughtful swatching for as long as it takes
That is a pretty design! And I can see why you want to avoid a stiff fabric for this one. The gauge this pattern specifies is on the loose side for a worsted weight yarn (15.5 stitches and 24 rows = 4 inches), probably for exactly the purpose of producing a drapes fabric.
If you're using a 100% cotton yarn, be sure to wash and dry your swatch the same way you intend to wash the finished garment. Cotton yarns are notorious for firming up and shrinking a bit, so base your choice of needle size on the gauge of the washed swatch.
Great article! I, too, like to pay attention to those passing thoughts, and I always appreciate your yarn reviews.
Sort of interesting story about Barbara Walker (which you, no doubt already know): I recently re-purchased (don't ask) her "Mosaic Knitting," and I was struck by how un-cute some of those motifs are (by which I do NOT mean un-beautiful). Spike-like features are common, as are suggestions of menacing faces. I didn't remember this from the first time I bought the book, so I did some research and found that she has studied mythical symbolism in some depth! I love when I learn that stuff.
She designed a tarot deck too. I'm shaking the money tree. :)
Thanks for your kind words.
Barbara Walker was a remarkable polymath, and as much revered in the world of feminine mysticism as she is in the world of knitting. I have her 1983 book The Women's Encyclopedia of Myths and Secrets. It's full of fascinating information.
The longer I knit (20 years now) the more inclined I am to swatch, even for top down garments. I have a tank top on the needles and another one planned. They must fit ME in the neck, shoulders, and armholes and not the mythical standard size person the pattern will fit. Therefore, swatch I must. And it is a pleasant, low investment diversion to the project on the needles.
As for the wine, oh I do miss it. But my first question was not whether I liked it but how many sips I could have before the migraine started (usually 2). Now it's a rare, rare treat usually reserved for a couple sips with Christmas dinner.
Thank you for writing about swatching from a different angle.
I am so happy to hear that you take responsibility for getting the fit you want. As a designer, I have no choice but to rely on standard size charts. I cannot know every knitter or their specific measurements and proportions. One of the delights of knitting your own is the ability to customize a garment to get exactly the right fit for you. Yet so many knitters follow the instructions to the letter, and are then disappointed with the fit.
And I'm so sorry wine triggers migraines for you. I hope you've found other indulgences to which your body responds better.
Sandy, you are so right about patterns written to standard size charts, and I am grateful to designers who do that. I never grumble about the cost of a pattern (the smallest cost in knitting), as I can only imagine the work that goes into creating, grading, and publishing a pattern across 7 or 9 sizes.
If you have not done this before, perhaps you could educate us on the steps needed to produce a pattern as you did in the past about yarn. This might help those who complain about a $7-$10 pattern understand.
I actual did write about this. Take a look at this post, published exactly a year ago today. https://open.substack.com/pub/sandirosner/p/commissioned-designs-vs-independent?r=4ooj6&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=false
When I lived in San Francisco in the mid-80s (🙂), I knitted a sampler of stitch patterns from one of Walker’s books. I had a mess of yarn that I had bought in Ecuador while visiting my not-yet-husband who was in the Peace Corps there. We had gone to a market and I fell in love with a basket full of blue and red wool. It wasn’t until I got home and took a good look at the yarn that I realized the yarn was “thrums,” waste yarn from weaving. Aargh! I did knit a sweater with the yarn and, yes, painstakingly wove in all the many, many ends. I didn’t know it at the time that I was knitting a mosaic pattern, but I remember I really liked it. Only problem was that it was a bit snug and eventually I gave it to a friend. But I digress … The sampler was knit in all the same blue and red yarn, about 10-12 inches across, and for a long time, enjoyed status as a wall hanging. Although the sampler is different from swatching, it was (for me) a good visual reminder of how yarn responds differently with different patterns. I was never much of a swatcher in my early years, but I wish I had been. It would have saved me some headaches.
Still, thanks to your encouragement and especially your yarn reviews, I’m trying to be more conscientious these days. Although when it comes to shawls, I still often bypass the swatch … sort of. With one shawl I recently knitted, I frogged the first few inches of it several times, trying different needle sizes, until I found one that gave me the drape and density I wanted.
Have you read Lauren Groff’s book, Florida? I think she moved to Florida a few years after I did. She and her husband moved to Gainesville, which had been our first choice (my husband had gone to University of Florida for his undergraduate and wanted me to go there for my master’s in English, but UF didn’t offer me an assistantship whereas FSU did so we wound up in Tallahassee). Anyway, I read an essay by Groff about her move to Gainesville, and I felt an affinity with her and her feelings about it. So when Florida came out, I was eager to read it. To be honest, I was disappointed. I know it’s gotten rave reviews, but I didn’t think there was really much of Florida in it, at least not the Florida I’ve come to know these last 30+ years. Just interested in your opinion. It’s not the first time I haven’t liked a book that a lot of people loved 😉
I haven't read Florida, but I loved Fates and Furies, Arcadia, Matrix, and The Vaster Wilds. She has a new short story collection coming out soon.
Did you know she owns a bookstore in Gainsville called The Lynx?
You’ve read a lot of her work! I’ve only read Florida, and then two other essays. Yes, I know about The Lynx. I subscribe to the newsletter, and we visited the bookstore the last time we were in Gainesville. It’s very nice.
If you're interested in reading more of Groff, I think you'd enjoy Matrix. It's a historical novel set in 12th century England. Marie, a minor noblewoman, is cast out of the royal court and sent to become prioress of an impoverished abbey. Over the years, Marie builds the abbey into a center of female economic and political power. It's a feminist novel of struggle, triumph, and sisterhood.
Thank your for the recommendation! I'll put it on my list (and, of course, since the protagonist is named Marie ;-)).
Be sure to let me know what you think!
Oof, I never read fiction but that sounds like a book I would love. Is there any graphic violence? I would have to pass if there is.
I don't remember this book having graphic violence. It's been a couple of years since I read it though, so please don't hate me if my memory is faulty.
I crochet and after several misfits I started swatching. So good and I love the idea of swatching to,learn about the yarn and new stitches. Thank you
You're very welcome.