Swatching 101 AND 201
Most knitters have been through "Swatching 101", but many still don't see the point of swatching on most projects, as their swatches are rarely accurate enough to be useful. "Swatching 201" aims to remedy that by explaining some of the whys and wherefores of various aspects of swatching. But first, the refresher course and intro for new knitters:
Swatch: A small piece of knitting created for the express purpose of measuring to determine the gauge obtained with a specific combination of needles and yarn
Gauge: The number of stitches or rows in a specified portion of a knitted (or crocheted) piece. Commonly called "tension" outside the US.
You create a swatch before you start on your full-sized piece so that you can check your stitch and row gauges, and avoid ending up with, for example, a doll sweater that can stand up on its own, or a whale-sized poncho that looks like lace despite being made with bulky yarn. Well, technically, you do. Many knitters avoid swatching because this shorthand description leaves out a lot of what I consider to be key concepts. So, we move on to:
First, let's start by dispelling some common misconceptions:
When you knit, you are basically tying one huge knot with the yarn. Unless you felt the project, that yarn will be free to scoot around after you knit the piece, and the idea is for your swatch to help you make something that will be the right size and shape to start with and that will stay that way for the life of the garment. Yes, many knitters are middle-of-the road and will usually get the ball band gauge on the recommended needles, but what if the designer of a piece you want to make is not one of them? What if the design intentionally calls for a tighter or looser gauge than is generally recommended for the yarn? What if you're making a substitution? Then, even these "perfect" knitters should swatch, and it is a good habit to get into for everyone.
Tip 1: If you cannot obtain both stitch and row gauge, try to split the difference between the two. If you have too many rows per inch, try to get slightly too few stitches per inch. You can block the piece later to pull the extra yarn from contributing to width to contributing to height.
Tip 2: If you are working in a pattern with a known height/width ratio (for example, stockinette is about 3:4), and the gauge requested on a pattern is significantly off from that ratio, try to find out if the designer took it into account that the fabric will likely shift with time. Some patterns and yarns will deviate from the default values (for example, silk and cotton will tend towards longer, thinner stitches), and if the pattern was designed to accommodate that, you need to take it into account in any substitutions.
Tip 3: Always do your swatch on exactly the needles you plan to use for your project. Yes, this may mean doing a four-inch square on sixty-inch circulars, but it will be a more accurate swatch than if you use more "reasonable" needles.
Tip 4: If your piece will be worked in the round, work your swatch in the round (or work a "round" cheater's swatch, as described below), and vice versa. Most people knit and purl at slightly different tensions, and the effect adds up over time. If you work a flat swatch for a piece worked in the round, your row gauge, especially, is almost guaraneed to be different.
Tip 5: Check your gauge again once you are a little way into your project. Depending on the pattern, sometimes all you can really check is your row gauge, but it's better than nothing. Your gauge may change once you are working with more stitches on the needles, and it's better to notice this early on in the project.
And a tip I picked up somewhere: If you are making something that comes in pieces all constructed the same way, like a sweater, just start making the smallest piece, such as a sleeve. If the gauge is wrong, it was a swatch, and you learned something. If the gauge is right, you're already underway!
This is the way I swatch, with all of my hatred for wasted time and effort. I believe it is a good balance between accuracy and effort. Keep the tips above in mind when working this type of swatch.
You need to know your desired gauge to set up this swatch- if you are just trying to see how the yarn works up, I recommend trying for the ball band gauge. If you are supposed to swatch with a pattern other than stockinette, just replace the stockinette portion with the pattern.
Flat Stockinette Version:
If you are feeling motivated, you can wash and block your swatch before you measure it, but unless you have reason to believe it will change significantly with blocking, you don't absolutely have to. If you do this, you won't be able to use the yarn again in your finished piece.
Also, as you can fudge slightly on row gauge, if you want, you can work only half the length (2 inches), and as long as you are on track for a nice proportionate row gauge, call it good and just check again on your actual piece. This is one reason this is a Cheater's swatch.
Round Stockinette Version:
The downside of swatching in the round is that you need to work twice as many stitches (or steek the work- yikes!) in order to get the same size measurable swatch you would get working flat. This method saves time and effort by only properly working half the "tube". This is the main reason this is a Cheater's swatch.
This ends up looking much like the flat version, but it is worked all as "right side" rows. You should work the swatch with whatever needles you plan to use on your actual piece, whether it be DPNs or a circular needle. You can work the all-garter rows at the beginning and end flat, if you like, but work the main body of the swatch "round".
How to work "round": If you have ever made I-Cord, you have already basically done this- just don't pull the yarn tight when you switch sides. When you reach the end of a row, instead of turning your work and knitting back, drape the yarn loosely across the back of the work (I wrap it a few times around my finger so I don't accidentally pull it tight), scoot the work to the other end of your needle, and begin again at the right end on the same side.
The first few stitches will get horribly wonky when worked this way, but those are your garter stitches, so you wouldn't be measuring them anyway. Just pull the floats snug to hold the stitches tighter once you get the first couple of stitches done on each row so that the looseness doesn't make it into the body of the swatch, and it's nothing to worry about. If it bothers you, add a bit more width to the garter stitch edge by casting on more than 10 extra stitches and working more than a 4-stitch border.
When you are done you should have a nice normal-looking piece of knitting on the front, and a bunch of loose floats across the back that look terrible. That is the other half of the "tube", which you don't need anyway, so why bother knitting it?
It is my hope that now that you know more about swatching, you can see why swatches sometimes "lie", how to keep them truthful, and are more inclined to swatch voluntarily. Yes, it is kind of boring. Yes, it is less exciting than just casting on your newest project. Yes, it means doing knitting you are probably going to just salvage for the yarn five minutes after you finish. But let me tell you, there is very little as satisfying in knitting as having every piece you make come out the exact size you wanted it to on the first try, because you got all the gauge mistakes out of the way on a tiny little scrap of knitting you weren't emotionally invested in.
Swatching 101- The Basics
Swatch: A small piece of knitting created for the express purpose of measuring to determine the gauge obtained with a specific combination of needles and yarn
Gauge: The number of stitches or rows in a specified portion of a knitted (or crocheted) piece. Commonly called "tension" outside the US.
You create a swatch before you start on your full-sized piece so that you can check your stitch and row gauges, and avoid ending up with, for example, a doll sweater that can stand up on its own, or a whale-sized poncho that looks like lace despite being made with bulky yarn. Well, technically, you do. Many knitters avoid swatching because this shorthand description leaves out a lot of what I consider to be key concepts. So, we move on to:
Swatching 201- Comprehensive
First, let's start by dispelling some common misconceptions:
- "I need to use the same size needles as the designer/ball band/my knitting friend."
This is the most common misconception I see, and it drives me nuts. Um, no, no you don't. The important thing with knitting is to get the fabric you want, and knitters work at an amazing range of different gauges. There are tight knitters and loose knitters and everything in between. I am a tight knitter. What I get with a particular yarn on size 7 needles can and has required size 0 needles for others. This does not mean either of us is "doing it wrong", it just means we're at opposite ends of the tightness spectrum.
Until you determine where you tend to be on the tightness spectrum, and where you are relative to your favorite designers, consider the recommended needles a suggestion, a starting place. If your first swatch does not result in the desired gauge, it's not a big deal, you just need to move up or down until you get there - "Only stitch gauge is important, don't worry about row gauge."
I know where this one comes from; if your piece is the correct width, you can always adjust the number of rows to make it the right length. If you are fairly close, this works, but if you are severely off row gauge, it can lead to a piece that looks perfect when you make it, and terrible over time, and I suspect this has resulted in more knitting disasters than any other swatching misconception.
Because the width and length of each stitch come from the same bit of yarn, and each stitch pattern has an "ideal" proportion that it will tend towards, if you are significantly off on your row gauge, as the piece ages, it will gradually change shape to match that proportion, distorting your overall piece. More on how to deal with this below. - "As long as you can get gauge, the yarn will work."
I'm not sure where this one comes from, but it usually goes away after a disaster or two. It seems self-evident, but in the heat of the moment, many knitters will choose yarn far heavier or lighter than that called for in a particular pattern. When this leads to the inevitable bulletproof sock or lacey winter sweater, the mournful cry of "But... I got gauge!" rises to the heavens.
This is where the weight, needles, and gauge listed on the ball band of your yarn becomes relevant. If the pattern calls for a yarn that is expected to knit up to 5 stitches per inch on size 7 needles, and you substitute a yarn that is expected to knit up to 2 stitches per inch on size 11 needles, you are in for a rather solid piece of knitted fabric, and this is no fault of the design, the yarn, or the needles- it was just a bad combination. Likewise, if you try to knit a pattern intended for worsted weight yarn with sock yarn, it is going to come out lacey and floppy, even if your gauge was perfect.
When you knit, you are basically tying one huge knot with the yarn. Unless you felt the project, that yarn will be free to scoot around after you knit the piece, and the idea is for your swatch to help you make something that will be the right size and shape to start with and that will stay that way for the life of the garment. Yes, many knitters are middle-of-the road and will usually get the ball band gauge on the recommended needles, but what if the designer of a piece you want to make is not one of them? What if the design intentionally calls for a tighter or looser gauge than is generally recommended for the yarn? What if you're making a substitution? Then, even these "perfect" knitters should swatch, and it is a good habit to get into for everyone.
Tip 1: If you cannot obtain both stitch and row gauge, try to split the difference between the two. If you have too many rows per inch, try to get slightly too few stitches per inch. You can block the piece later to pull the extra yarn from contributing to width to contributing to height.
Tip 2: If you are working in a pattern with a known height/width ratio (for example, stockinette is about 3:4), and the gauge requested on a pattern is significantly off from that ratio, try to find out if the designer took it into account that the fabric will likely shift with time. Some patterns and yarns will deviate from the default values (for example, silk and cotton will tend towards longer, thinner stitches), and if the pattern was designed to accommodate that, you need to take it into account in any substitutions.
Tip 3: Always do your swatch on exactly the needles you plan to use for your project. Yes, this may mean doing a four-inch square on sixty-inch circulars, but it will be a more accurate swatch than if you use more "reasonable" needles.
Tip 4: If your piece will be worked in the round, work your swatch in the round (or work a "round" cheater's swatch, as described below), and vice versa. Most people knit and purl at slightly different tensions, and the effect adds up over time. If you work a flat swatch for a piece worked in the round, your row gauge, especially, is almost guaraneed to be different.
Tip 5: Check your gauge again once you are a little way into your project. Depending on the pattern, sometimes all you can really check is your row gauge, but it's better than nothing. Your gauge may change once you are working with more stitches on the needles, and it's better to notice this early on in the project.
And a tip I picked up somewhere: If you are making something that comes in pieces all constructed the same way, like a sweater, just start making the smallest piece, such as a sleeve. If the gauge is wrong, it was a swatch, and you learned something. If the gauge is right, you're already underway!
The Cheater's Swatch
This is the way I swatch, with all of my hatred for wasted time and effort. I believe it is a good balance between accuracy and effort. Keep the tips above in mind when working this type of swatch.
You need to know your desired gauge to set up this swatch- if you are just trying to see how the yarn works up, I recommend trying for the ball band gauge. If you are supposed to swatch with a pattern other than stockinette, just replace the stockinette portion with the pattern.
Flat Stockinette Version:
- Cast on your desired number of Stitches Per Inch (SPI) x 4 + 10.
- Work 4 rows in Garter Stitch (all knit).
- Work 4 inches in this pattern: Odd rows K4, Purl Many, K4, Even Rows Knit Across. This creates a Stockinette center portion with a Garter edge.
- Work 4 rows in Garter Stitch (all knit) and bind off.
If you are feeling motivated, you can wash and block your swatch before you measure it, but unless you have reason to believe it will change significantly with blocking, you don't absolutely have to. If you do this, you won't be able to use the yarn again in your finished piece.
Also, as you can fudge slightly on row gauge, if you want, you can work only half the length (2 inches), and as long as you are on track for a nice proportionate row gauge, call it good and just check again on your actual piece. This is one reason this is a Cheater's swatch.
Round Stockinette Version:
The downside of swatching in the round is that you need to work twice as many stitches (or steek the work- yikes!) in order to get the same size measurable swatch you would get working flat. This method saves time and effort by only properly working half the "tube". This is the main reason this is a Cheater's swatch.
This ends up looking much like the flat version, but it is worked all as "right side" rows. You should work the swatch with whatever needles you plan to use on your actual piece, whether it be DPNs or a circular needle. You can work the all-garter rows at the beginning and end flat, if you like, but work the main body of the swatch "round".
How to work "round": If you have ever made I-Cord, you have already basically done this- just don't pull the yarn tight when you switch sides. When you reach the end of a row, instead of turning your work and knitting back, drape the yarn loosely across the back of the work (I wrap it a few times around my finger so I don't accidentally pull it tight), scoot the work to the other end of your needle, and begin again at the right end on the same side.
The first few stitches will get horribly wonky when worked this way, but those are your garter stitches, so you wouldn't be measuring them anyway. Just pull the floats snug to hold the stitches tighter once you get the first couple of stitches done on each row so that the looseness doesn't make it into the body of the swatch, and it's nothing to worry about. If it bothers you, add a bit more width to the garter stitch edge by casting on more than 10 extra stitches and working more than a 4-stitch border.
When you are done you should have a nice normal-looking piece of knitting on the front, and a bunch of loose floats across the back that look terrible. That is the other half of the "tube", which you don't need anyway, so why bother knitting it?
- Cast on your desired number of Stitches Per Inch (SPI) x 4 + 10.
- Work 4 rows in Garter Stitch, flat (all knit)
- Work 4 inches "round" in this pattern: Odd rows Purl 4, Knit Many, Purl 4, Even Rows Knit Across. This creates a Stockinette center portion with a Garter edge.
- Work 4 rows in Garter Stitch, flat (all knit) and bind off.
Final Words
It is my hope that now that you know more about swatching, you can see why swatches sometimes "lie", how to keep them truthful, and are more inclined to swatch voluntarily. Yes, it is kind of boring. Yes, it is less exciting than just casting on your newest project. Yes, it means doing knitting you are probably going to just salvage for the yarn five minutes after you finish. But let me tell you, there is very little as satisfying in knitting as having every piece you make come out the exact size you wanted it to on the first try, because you got all the gauge mistakes out of the way on a tiny little scrap of knitting you weren't emotionally invested in.
posted by Firefairy at
1:30 PM
2 Comments:
After reading this I can see the wisdom in not ignoring row gauge entirely. I am still annoyed that my extra repeat has been my own demise in the game of hat assassination. That is how I usually learn the most important lessons - the hard way.
i'm gonna start with the sleeves from now on. when the project has sleeves, that is. and hat attack has taught me to double and triple swatch! when you get gauge, try one needle either side of that size, just to make sure.
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