Tag Archives: swatching

Failed Swatch: Rock It Tee

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I had a successful swatch yesterday. But today is not as lucky. Swatching for my Rock It Tee was a total fail

I checked the pattern like 5 times and measured three different ways. I am just way to big at my gauge and needle size. And I can’t fathom going down to much smaller needles and knitting at that gauge. I am also not willing to do the math to pick a pattern size in this pattern to work up a garment that fits me.

I am going to take this swatch and do a Ravelry search to find something that works at this needle size and gauge. Going into the holidays, I don’t want to think that hard!

Happy Swatching!!

Swatching: Cozy Classic Raglan

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I am far enough along on my Round Yoke Pullover that I wanted to start swatching for a Cozy Classic Raglan.

Using my Nomad Yarns DK tweed, I was able to get pattern gauge with the recommended needles. I honestly did a little happy dance. I was swatching over the weekend as I recuperated from a nasty cold. I needed the win!

Now I just need to find more hours in the day to knit. I think this will be the carrot to keep plowing through my current sweater WIP!

Happy Knitting!!

Swatching Rainbow Radiate

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I have been excited about working my Synthe and I have had this thought for many years to make another Radiate. This time with a rainbow yoke. I wear my previous version a ton and would love to have more sweaters in my rotation.

I have several skeins of grey yarn that are rainbow speckles. I have two skeins of 316 Dye Studio House DK and four skeins of Wichita Woolery Tweed DK. They are different but close enough I can alternate skeins to make this work. And the kicker is a Hue Loco Phyllis DK in a rainbow sampler set to work the yoke.

I swatched in the round and cut my strings. After a bath and block I measured and I am bang on stitch gauge but my row gauge is off. I will have to adjust my project when I am working sections that are depended on length. I have more rows than the pattern, not unusual with Joji patterns as she is a loose knitter. I can deal with this as long as I pay attention and use measurements.

I can’t decide if I will start this one after or concurrently with Synthe. Do I need two sweaters?

Swatch Yes!

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I kind of forgot I had a swatch drying in the laundry room. And I grabbed it yesterday after folding a load of towels. Good news….I got stitch gauge!!

I am short a couple of rows on row gauge. This means I get to use the size/stitch count I want but I need to be careful on the parts that say “Knit to XX inch length”. Shall we take on odds on if I remember this whilst knitting?

Now I just need to plan my cast on…heheheheheh!

Happy Knitting!!

Synthe Swatching

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As I promised myself after finishing my huge crochet blanket, I want to start a sweater with some of the sweater lots I own!

The post Christmas germs finally got me so this swatching process is brought to you by cold medicine, duke snuggles and hiding in my guest room. I wound a skein of my Brooklyn Tweed Shelter and got started.

The Synthe sweater is worked in the round with a purl row breaking up the stockinette. So I decided to swatch the proper way….in the round. I knit my swatch and then moved the work around my circular needle to leave a span of yarn across the back. This means that I should get a truer picture of my pattern gauge in the round.

Once I had my swatch done, I gave it a good wash/rinse in the sink and then bravely cut the strings in the back to get a flat swatch. That was nerve wracking!! The tails are long enough and the yarn is “sticky” enough that they didn’t go anywhere.

The swatch is now pinned out and drying. Once it dries, which should be quick, I can then measure my gauge and determine how close I am to the pattern. I know what size I want to knit based on my bust measurement. I’m hoping I don’t have to adjust too far!

Happy Swatching!!

Swatching For Success

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I’m itching to start another sweater. Usually for my birthday I do a special cast on. But this year I was a proper good knitter and knitted gauge swatches on my birthday instead of plowing straight into a sweater.

And oh boy, am I glad I did! I had picked Mycroft by Isabell Kraemer (Rav link) and my sweater lot of Malabrigo Rios in Jupiter. The color isn’t good in this photo but the yarn is a great mix of reds, browns and oranges.

I started with the pattern called for US6s and knit a full sized swatch (bottom). I washed and dried it and carefully measured it and I had WAY to many stitches. Like 5 too man which would have made a way too small of a garment. So I then pulled out 7s and made another swatch, albeit a tid bit smaller than first, and dutifully washed and dried it. This time I got a lot closer to gauge but not exactly right on.

I like the fabric it created so I think I am going to keep this needle size and just do the pattern math. I may be safe to go up one pattern size with my gauge and get my desired finished garment. But I need to crunch the numbers first. Not as satisfying as knitting a cool sweater but I’m hoping to get a wearable sweater.

Happy Knitting!!

Swatching In Real Life

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My Weekender is dry and the cuffs finished and I have a huge FO Friday post ready for this week. But my garment mojo won’t be subdued. I had some DK yarn already skeined up from Treasure Goddess Yarns and Hedgehog Fibers to make the Radiate by Jojo Locatelli.

I decided not to tempt fate, so I made a swatch. I even made it proper sized! My four inch swatch worked over US 6s got me REALLY close to gauge. I’m one stitch too many but I adore the fabric feel. If I knit any looser then you will be able to see through the fabric. So I’m going to keep my needle size and go down a pattern size and accept a little less ease than it was designed for.

I’ll also have to watch my row gauge. I had easily two extra rows compared to pattern gauge. Radiate is a top down yoked sweater so I’ll need to try it on after I split for sleeves to see if it’s too deep across the chest and armpits. I am more than prepared that I will have to rip back to make it fit. But I’d rather have a well fitting sweater!

Happy Knitting!!