Swatching
I have noticed a lot of questions lately regarding swatching. Do you need to do it? How to swatch properly? How to swatch on the round?
So- I thought maybe a quick guide would be a good thing.
When you read a pattern it gives you a good guide to swatching. I am working on the Eyelet Chemise for IK Summer 2006. The gauge given for the Euroflax in the pattern is 23 stitches in 33 rows= 4" in st st on size 3 needles.
I am subbing Allhemp3 sportweight for the Euroflax, with a gauge given of 28 st & 38 rows = 4 in on size 3's. Since I am a) subbing, and b) subbing a yarn that has a different gauge listed, I am swatching. Generally, I don't swatch. but since I am subbing and altering the pattern to be a bit longer, it is more important that I hit the listed gauge with this project.
For the swatch I cast on 40 stitches on size 3 needles. Why? To correctly measure my swatch, I need more stitches than the gauge suggests. Since this is a st st swatch, it will curl. Casting on more stitches means that I can have a garter border, and still have enough stitches to measure correctly.
So- I co 40 sts. Knit a few rows- I like 5- then begin the swatch. I leave a row of 5 garter sts at the beginning and end of each row to prevent curling and make measuring easier. For the st st center, I am to knit at least 5 inches, so i get a good measurement in a few places of my average st per inch. This also means that I have a few rows of leeway for measuring the row gauge.
Surprisingly, I hit gauge. I'm good to go.
For swatching in the round there are a few ways to go. The easiest is to co however many stitches on a circular or dpn, and knit the first row. When you get to the end, pull a length of yarn over, and start from the beginning, just as you would to knit in the round. Continue this, leaving a garter border- again, it prevents curling, until you can get a good measurement. Way is to knit a tube on dpns. As long as you can get a good 4 inch measurement, or are willing to do the math from one inch of a tube, you can get a good idea of you gauge in the round.
Gauge does change from flat to circular knitting, but that does not mean that your gauge will change from straight to circular needles if you are knitting flat. A good gauge swatch can really give you a good idea of how a finished product will behave when washed, showing how much shrinkage will occur, how the fiber felts, or blooms, or grows.
Having said that, I do find that the more i use a specific yarn or fiber, the better I am at knowing if I will hit gauge for a pattern with a specified needle. I don't always swatch, but for the big things, fitted things, I do.
I hope this helps. I had planned to include photos, but apprently my 6 year old camera is taking an extended break.
So- I thought maybe a quick guide would be a good thing.
When you read a pattern it gives you a good guide to swatching. I am working on the Eyelet Chemise for IK Summer 2006. The gauge given for the Euroflax in the pattern is 23 stitches in 33 rows= 4" in st st on size 3 needles.
I am subbing Allhemp3 sportweight for the Euroflax, with a gauge given of 28 st & 38 rows = 4 in on size 3's. Since I am a) subbing, and b) subbing a yarn that has a different gauge listed, I am swatching. Generally, I don't swatch. but since I am subbing and altering the pattern to be a bit longer, it is more important that I hit the listed gauge with this project.
For the swatch I cast on 40 stitches on size 3 needles. Why? To correctly measure my swatch, I need more stitches than the gauge suggests. Since this is a st st swatch, it will curl. Casting on more stitches means that I can have a garter border, and still have enough stitches to measure correctly.
So- I co 40 sts. Knit a few rows- I like 5- then begin the swatch. I leave a row of 5 garter sts at the beginning and end of each row to prevent curling and make measuring easier. For the st st center, I am to knit at least 5 inches, so i get a good measurement in a few places of my average st per inch. This also means that I have a few rows of leeway for measuring the row gauge.
Surprisingly, I hit gauge. I'm good to go.
For swatching in the round there are a few ways to go. The easiest is to co however many stitches on a circular or dpn, and knit the first row. When you get to the end, pull a length of yarn over, and start from the beginning, just as you would to knit in the round. Continue this, leaving a garter border- again, it prevents curling, until you can get a good measurement. Way is to knit a tube on dpns. As long as you can get a good 4 inch measurement, or are willing to do the math from one inch of a tube, you can get a good idea of you gauge in the round.
Gauge does change from flat to circular knitting, but that does not mean that your gauge will change from straight to circular needles if you are knitting flat. A good gauge swatch can really give you a good idea of how a finished product will behave when washed, showing how much shrinkage will occur, how the fiber felts, or blooms, or grows.
Having said that, I do find that the more i use a specific yarn or fiber, the better I am at knowing if I will hit gauge for a pattern with a specified needle. I don't always swatch, but for the big things, fitted things, I do.
I hope this helps. I had planned to include photos, but apprently my 6 year old camera is taking an extended break.