I love how you are all so happy that Haley - and the rest of the Yarnia gang - got to see Taylor Swift. Kathleen totally wins Mum points for how stoked she was for her daughter!
My grandmother was an avid knitter who taught my mum who taught me. They didn't swatch so I didn't. After watching a lot of knitting podcasts I do now (occasionally) swatch. I don't worry about it too much for shawls or hats. Hats really are their own swatch and worst case scenario is that you have to rip it out ... or give the hat so someone else. I have swatched for colour combos. I did that on a mystery wrap knit along. It really helped. I had my colours picked out and it was great to try the patterns with the colours in different orders to see how they looked best. It also helped me see that I needed to add an off white occasionally to really make the colours and patterns pop.
I’m a pretty new knitter. So I have been encouraged to swatch since the beginning. It’s something I’m just naturally doing now. I’m sure it has saved me from a lot of disappointment . Love your podcast!!!
Thank you for another wonderful podcast! I love your tip about using yarn overs to document the needle size used for a swatch. I always swatch for sweaters. I border my swatch with stockinette so it will lay flat. Karin Patience
Great episode! Swooning over Kathleen’s granny square bags. ❤❤❤❤ So … I rarely swatch for gauge. As a “seasoned” continental knitter my gauge is typically spot on. I do, however, check my gauge often when knitting a sweater. I’m comfortable ripping back and/or starting over if the gauge is way off. That having been said I love to swatch when planning to hold 2 or more strands of different yarns together to see how they look. I go down that rabbit hole often as I am now combining different textures of yarns together more and more!
No, I am not a switcher. I have heard of podcasters who swatched and it still didn’t fit. I am knitting my first Ranunculus. I frogged a WIP and measured the piece to get an idea of gauge because it was the same needle. It is as far as I go in terms of swatching. I would not wash and try several needle size to see how I like the fabric. I am new to sweater knitting. I’ve knitted a few sweaters and so far I have been relatively lucky. 🫢 Thanks for sharing! Happy knitting! ❤
Great podcast! I definitely swatch because I’ve been burned by not swatching. I swatch in the round and make a bigger swatch as the ends stitches get wonky. You girls give such great tips. Thank you!
I swatch for sweaters…. I never used to like it but now that I’ve gathered a “collection” of swatches I like swatching lol! I picked up a cork board and a staple the yarn tag to the swatch and pin it to my cork board! So it’s almost like artwork on my wall 😅
Another great podcast! i swatch for garments but not for much else. It's been really helpful for sweaters I've knit and having them fit well. Had I not swatched they would not have fit at all.
Hi ladies! Elise is a Backyardigans aficionado and since I’m the remote controller I have become one too. Kathleen, I knew exactly which episode you were talking about when you sang “swatching, swatching, swatching…” In case it’s been bothering you, it’s The Quest for the Flying Rock. 😂
I enjoy when you guys podcast so much!!! I am a swatcher these days especially with colorwork. There's too many times I got going and didn't love my color choice or the yarn so I do it it to try it out. Otherwise I end up frogging and it's helped to turn that around. All the best to you! Kimberly
Another great episode ladies🥰Those granny square bags are gorgeous Kathleen..love them🤩I don’t swatch as I mostly knit hats, socks & scarves so I have no tips, but I’d definitely swatch if I were to knit a sweater☺️
I don’t typically swatch. When I started knitting tops I did do it, but my knitting is to release the stress of the day so I’m okay with ripping back if it doesn’t work out. I am periodically trying out the garment to make the necessary modifications as needed.
I am laughing, because throughout this podcast I have been swatching with the first of the four skeins of the magenta Noro Sonata I bought in store on Thursday so it is now in my house but in the podcast it’s between Kathleen and Jen’s heads (before Amanda leaves). I mostly swatch for sweaters, although I am winging it right now on my almost complete No Need to Panic summer sweater.
I always swatch unless I’m making a shawl or if I have already made a project with the same yarn and needle size. I test knit a lot and for those, I always swatch for sure.
I always swatch for sweaters. It's like a first date with your yarn! I too make yarn overs to mark needle sizes. I'm waiting for a set of bamboo Chicago's to make a silk summer sweater. Make your swatch at least 6 inches without a garter stitch border and bind off, cast on very loosely so it doesn't distort the stitches. I also measure over different areas of the swatch and then average it out.
I’m a swatcher. I always swatch for sweaters/garments and I like to think of it as a fabric sample before starting the larger project. With sweaters I also block it and check gauge at different points. I also swatch for new to me sock yarn bases by knitting toe up and using the toe as the swatch. For hats, I just cast on and check gauge/measure the hat as I go. I don’t usually swatch for shawls unless I’m concerned about running out of yarn or watch to check color combinations
Hi Kathleen, Jenn and Amanda! Another enjoyable and informative episode! I swatch now due to taking a wonderful class at Yarnia with great teacher Saysha Greene! Thank you !! Happy Knitting! 🧶
I am not a consistent swatcher but I have started to swatch more often. Especially when knitting for others. I like to try the suggested needle size and then go up and down one size. Sometimes even two sizes. I like to see the difference in the fabric to decide which I like best.
I am a fairly new garment knitter and haven’t really swatched but can see the good in doing so. I am not a good mistake fixer and hate to take out my work so I may be a future searcher.
I am a beginner knitter and have not had the need or opportunity to swatch. I have only knitted more simple patterns - not garments. I do plan to attempt a sweater soon.
I am not a consistent swatcher. The process makes me anxious. I swatched in the past and still had to rip and go down a needle size and/or pattern size. I think swatching as in knitting is all about one’s state of mind as it can affect tension. With this said, I have no issue with frogging.😮😅😊
I don't swatch if I am making a blanket or shawl but if I am making a sweater or top I will. I make the swatch from the opposite side of the skein (i.e. pull from the outside) and don't cut the yarn so if I get to the end and still need yarn I unravel the swatch.
I swatch. Its finishing the sweater I don’t do. But i love swatching. I usually get gauge, in my beginning knitting my stitch size was all over the place, somehow I would get gauge. Now to finishing sweaters……….
I swatch, but sometimes swatches lie. I know I'm a loose knitter so I take the swatch data, my tendency to need to go down a needle size, and hope for the best!
I swatch for garments, but not for socks - I know my gauge on a variety of sock weight yarns - and sometimes for shawls if the designer mentions that yarn quantity allowances are tight. I suggest making a bigger swatch than you think you need to, blocking it as you would the FO, and not trying to adjust your tension as you knit it. Just relax and knit as you normally would.
I started to swatch (MOST OF THE TIME 😬) after 2 sweaters were not quite the fit I wanted but ugh I get frustrated because I just want to get on with it!
Kathleen and her Deschain 😍I might have to make one myself... I feel like we need to petition for a peek at everyone's queue. I think it would be amazing to see what you are all thinking about knitting, and you could return the favor by adding to our queues? Why do I get the feeling that Jen will pull out her summer sweater class and whatever the pattern is, it will be one that needs seaming, now that I've watched this episode? OK, not as a giveaway entry! But swatching... Jen completely turned me into a committed swatcher. My swatches now are a solid 5.5 to 6 inches wide and about as high. I have to say, I still don't always get the same gauge on the project, but I'm much closer, especially with the recent change in my gauge. And on a positive note, that gauge swatch is usually nice enough for TV knitting, as I don't have to look.
@@WendyBarron14 Right? I'm secretly looking at yarn options tonight, hopefully without my other projects noticing that I'm already thinking about cheating on them LOL
@Purlmonster - Deschain was a fun and easy knit, especially in Zooey! Also, you can always peek at our queues on Ravelry -- Amanda puts links to each of our Ravelry accounts to the show notes, so feel free to browse there! Yay for swatching!
When I first started knitting I couldn’t be bothered swatching. I just wanted to start right into my project. After a few failed projects that I didn’t understand what went wrong, I discovered how important it is to at least do a small swatch. Lol. I still dislike doing it. But I dislike making something that cost valuable time and money, and have it not be wearable and beautiful at the end.
I swatch, but only for garments. Everything else it either doesn’t matter that much or it’s a small project and I can just pull it out and restart if gauge is off. I do have one sweater I wanted to make but the yarn I wanted to use just wasn’t going to work, so now I just need to find something to do with it lol
I only swatch if I’m trying a new yarn, or if I’m testing color combos. I’ve been burned by not swatching, but I’ve also been burned by swatches that LIED!
@Meghan Harrell - sorry, no, those usually sell out within a few days of their arrival here. We do expect to have more before the end of the year -- we'll definitely discuss it when the time is right! 🧶
I think every swatcher has been burned by not swatching! I do swatch-for fabric, for colour, to learn a stitch pattern, to audition a yarn. My tip is to make a BIG swatch, because small swatches lie like dirty dirty liars. Seriously, six inches by six inches minimum, even 8 inches depending on the yarn and the purpose. Also, those garter edges make your swatch lie, so don't use them. Your swatch (at least for fabric/gauge) should look exactly like the fabric of your knitted item, and most of those don't have a garter border.
Amanda here, I'll respond to this in a serious way--as a Southerner who now lives in New Jersey, what you're observing is a linguistic style known as "cooperative overlapping", common in certain regions and ethnic groups (one being New York City). Interruptions signal active listening and often agreement with the original speaker. It's always interesting to me to learn about how to communicate effectively in different cultures! Want to learn more? Check out this article which has a good overview of cooperative overlapping: www.inc.com/jessica-stillman/conversation-style-interruption-cooperative-overlapping.html
I love how you are all so happy that Haley - and the rest of the Yarnia gang - got to see Taylor Swift. Kathleen totally wins Mum points for how stoked she was for her daughter!
My grandmother was an avid knitter who taught my mum who taught me. They didn't swatch so I didn't. After watching a lot of knitting podcasts I do now (occasionally) swatch. I don't worry about it too much for shawls or hats. Hats really are their own swatch and worst case scenario is that you have to rip it out ... or give the hat so someone else. I have swatched for colour combos. I did that on a mystery wrap knit along. It really helped. I had my colours picked out and it was great to try the patterns with the colours in different orders to see how they looked best. It also helped me see that I needed to add an off white occasionally to really make the colours and patterns pop.
I finally became a swatcher when someone suggested I swatch before I'm ready to knit the garment. That way I'm not rushed.
I’m a pretty new knitter. So I have been encouraged to swatch since the beginning. It’s something I’m just naturally doing now. I’m sure it has saved me from a lot of disappointment . Love your podcast!!!
Thank you!
Thank you for another wonderful podcast! I love your tip about using yarn overs to document the needle size used for a swatch. I always swatch for sweaters. I border my swatch with stockinette so it will lay flat. Karin Patience
Great episode! Swooning over Kathleen’s granny square bags. ❤❤❤❤ So … I rarely swatch for gauge. As a “seasoned” continental knitter my gauge is typically spot on. I do, however, check my gauge often when knitting a sweater. I’m comfortable ripping back and/or starting over if the gauge is way off. That having been said I love to swatch when planning to hold 2 or more strands of different yarns together to see how they look. I go down that rabbit hole often as I am now combining different textures of yarns together more and more!
No, I am not a switcher. I have heard of podcasters who swatched and it still didn’t fit.
I am knitting my first Ranunculus. I frogged a WIP and measured the piece to get an idea of gauge because it was the same needle. It is as far as I go in terms of swatching. I would not wash and try several needle size to see how I like the fabric.
I am new to sweater knitting. I’ve knitted a few sweaters and so far I have been relatively lucky. 🫢
Thanks for sharing! Happy knitting! ❤
Great podcast! I definitely swatch because I’ve been burned by not swatching. I swatch in the round and make a bigger swatch as the ends stitches get wonky. You girls give such great tips. Thank you!
Love that!
I love all your makes! I love the crochet bag. I swatch if it’s a garment. Scarves and shawls not so much. 🌸💕
I swatch for sweaters…. I never used to like it but now that I’ve gathered a “collection” of swatches I like swatching lol! I picked up a cork board and a staple the yarn tag to the swatch and pin it to my cork board! So it’s almost like artwork on my wall 😅
@Erin Chafe - love this so much, I think I'm going to start doing that! ~K
Another great podcast! i swatch for garments but not for much else. It's been really helpful for sweaters I've knit and having them fit well. Had I not swatched they would not have fit at all.
Hi ladies! Elise is a Backyardigans aficionado and since I’m the remote controller I have become one too. Kathleen, I knew exactly which episode you were talking about when you sang “swatching, swatching, swatching…” In case it’s been bothering you, it’s The Quest for the Flying Rock. 😂
Thank you, Vivian! 🧡🧶🧡
I swatch because that’s what I was taught to do MANY years ago!
I enjoy when you guys podcast so much!!! I am a swatcher these days especially with colorwork. There's too many times I got going and didn't love my color choice or the yarn so I do it it to try it out. Otherwise I end up frogging and it's helped to turn that around. All the best to you! Kimberly
Hi Kimberly! Trying out color combos is an excellent reason to swatch!
Another great episode ladies🥰Those granny square bags are gorgeous Kathleen..love them🤩I don’t swatch as I mostly knit hats, socks & scarves so I have no tips, but I’d definitely swatch if I were to knit a sweater☺️
Thank you so much!
Great name!😆
I don’t typically swatch. When I started knitting tops I did do it, but my knitting is to release the stress of the day so I’m okay with ripping back if it doesn’t work out. I am periodically trying out the garment to make the necessary modifications as needed.
I am laughing, because throughout this podcast I have been swatching with the first of the four skeins of the magenta Noro Sonata I bought in store on Thursday so it is now in my house but in the podcast it’s between Kathleen and Jen’s heads (before Amanda leaves).
I mostly swatch for sweaters, although I am winging it right now on my almost complete No Need to Panic summer sweater.
I swatch if I’m unfamiliar with a yarn. I really like a pattern where you use your swatch for pocket liners if it has pockets. ❤️💕
I love the Maema from Pip &Pin
I always swatch unless I’m making a shawl or if I have already made a project with the same yarn and needle size. I test knit a lot and for those, I always swatch for sure.
@Beth Arner - good idea!
Hello ladies. ❤
@Knit Happens With Pam - Hi Pam!
I always swatch for sweaters. It's like a first date with your yarn! I too make yarn overs to mark needle sizes. I'm waiting for a set of bamboo Chicago's to make a silk summer sweater. Make your swatch at least 6 inches without a garter stitch border and bind off, cast on very loosely so it doesn't distort the stitches. I also measure over different areas of the swatch and then average it out.
@Carole Perry - first date with your yarn - so perfect!!
I’m a swatcher. I always swatch for sweaters/garments and I like to think of it as a fabric sample before starting the larger project. With sweaters I also block it and check gauge at different points. I also swatch for new to me sock yarn bases by knitting toe up and using the toe as the swatch. For hats, I just cast on and check gauge/measure the hat as I go. I don’t usually swatch for shawls unless I’m concerned about running out of yarn or watch to check color combinations
Hi Kathleen, Jenn and Amanda! Another enjoyable and informative episode! I swatch now due to taking a wonderful class at Yarnia with great teacher Saysha Greene! Thank you !! Happy Knitting! 🧶
I am not a consistent swatcher but I have started to swatch more often. Especially when knitting for others. I like to try the suggested needle size and then go up and down one size. Sometimes even two sizes. I like to see the difference in the fabric to decide which I like best.
Thanks for sharing!!
I am a fairly new garment knitter and haven’t really swatched but can see the good in doing so. I am not a good mistake fixer and hate to take out my work so I may be a future searcher.
i swatch for garments …. not usually for hats, socks or shawls….yes, i have had to frog, but sometimes you just need to start!
Hi Michelle!
I have been converted to a swatcher thanks to all the sweater classes I took from Jen. =)
I don’t swatch because I generally forget to swatch. I’ve been burned before but I’m trying to get better.
I am a beginner knitter and have not had the need or opportunity to swatch. I have only knitted more simple patterns - not garments. I do plan to attempt a sweater soon.
I am not a consistent swatcher. The process makes me anxious. I swatched in the past and still had to rip and go down a needle size and/or pattern size. I think swatching as in knitting is all about one’s state of mind as it can affect tension. With this said, I have no issue with frogging.😮😅😊
I don't swatch if I am making a blanket or shawl but if I am making a sweater or top I will. I make the swatch from the opposite side of the skein (i.e. pull from the outside) and don't cut the yarn so if I get to the end and still need yarn I unravel the swatch.
I have yet to make a sweater, so no swatching so far. I am itching to cast on my first sweater and definitely see the benefit to swatching.
I swatch. Its finishing the sweater I don’t do. But i love swatching. I usually get gauge, in my beginning knitting my stitch size was all over the place, somehow I would get gauge. Now to finishing sweaters……….
I swatch, but sometimes swatches lie. I know I'm a loose knitter so I take the swatch data, my tendency to need to go down a needle size, and hope for the best!
I don't adore swatching but do it - unless I have made the item before with the same yarn ( or it is a hat or socks, scarf etc)
I swatch for garments, but not for socks - I know my gauge on a variety of sock weight yarns - and sometimes for shawls if the designer mentions that yarn quantity allowances are tight.
I suggest making a bigger swatch than you think you need to, blocking it as you would the FO, and not trying to adjust your tension as you knit it. Just relax and knit as you normally would.
I started to swatch (MOST OF THE TIME 😬) after 2 sweaters were not quite the fit I wanted but ugh I get frustrated because I just want to get on with it!
Kathleen and her Deschain 😍I might have to make one myself...
I feel like we need to petition for a peek at everyone's queue. I think it would be amazing to see what you are all thinking about knitting, and you could return the favor by adding to our queues?
Why do I get the feeling that Jen will pull out her summer sweater class and whatever the pattern is, it will be one that needs seaming, now that I've watched this episode?
OK, not as a giveaway entry! But swatching... Jen completely turned me into a committed swatcher. My swatches now are a solid 5.5 to 6 inches wide and about as high. I have to say, I still don't always get the same gauge on the project, but I'm much closer, especially with the recent change in my gauge. And on a positive note, that gauge swatch is usually nice enough for TV knitting, as I don't have to look.
I also love Kathleen's Deschain and want one for meeeeee.
@@WendyBarron14 Right? I'm secretly looking at yarn options tonight, hopefully without my other projects noticing that I'm already thinking about cheating on them LOL
@Purlmonster - Deschain was a fun and easy knit, especially in Zooey! Also, you can always peek at our queues on Ravelry -- Amanda puts links to each of our Ravelry accounts to the show notes, so feel free to browse there! Yay for swatching!
@@ChroniclesofYarnia Well, that means I have to go and check what you have left of Zooey LOL Thank you!
I'll definitely go check out your queues
@@purlmonster - that is a great suggestion - maybe toward year-end we can all spiff up our queues and do an episode focused on that!
When I first started knitting I couldn’t be bothered swatching. I just wanted to start right into my project. After a few failed projects that I didn’t understand what went wrong, I discovered how important it is to at least do a small swatch. Lol. I still dislike doing it. But I dislike making something that cost valuable time and money, and have it not be wearable and beautiful at the end.
Melody - so well said!
I swatch, but only for garments. Everything else it either doesn’t matter that much or it’s a small project and I can just pull it out and restart if gauge is off. I do have one sweater I wanted to make but the yarn I wanted to use just wasn’t going to work, so now I just need to find something to do with it lol
@Nathan L - you know we can sympathize with that!
I only swatch if I’m trying a new yarn, or if I’m testing color combos. I’ve been burned by not swatching, but I’ve also been burned by swatches that LIED!
I usually swatch, depending on the project, but my swatch is not up to par with a true swatch. Mine is definitely smaller. 😊
Jen, would you suggest some places to buy dresses that are good to wear under sweaters. Thank you.
Jen has gotten nice dresses from LinenBees on Etsy!
I am a swatcher! I don't want to, but my daughter always says "Did you swatch Mom?" So when she asks I can say yes!
Joan - love that! 😂
Not a swatcher. I'm too impatient and I just want to jump into my projects! I've been burned and still haven't learned my lesson lol
Do y’all still have the orange black purl magic bags? I need one in my life 🧡🧡🧡
@Meghan Harrell - sorry, no, those usually sell out within a few days of their arrival here. We do expect to have more before the end of the year -- we'll definitely discuss it when the time is right! 🧶
I think every swatcher has been burned by not swatching! I do swatch-for fabric, for colour, to learn a stitch pattern, to audition a yarn. My tip is to make a BIG swatch, because small swatches lie like dirty dirty liars. Seriously, six inches by six inches minimum, even 8 inches depending on the yarn and the purpose. Also, those garter edges make your swatch lie, so don't use them. Your swatch (at least for fabric/gauge) should look exactly like the fabric of your knitted item, and most of those don't have a garter border.
@Wendy Barron - all good points!
I’ve tried swatching and still am always off. I’d rather not swatch and live on the edge!😅😅😅
Although I do swatch for sweaters I find that they sometimes lie! 🤦♀️
Hi Karen - That's true, but when that happens I tend to think it would be even worse without swatching... 😁~K🧶
I really try to like your podcast over and over but you all talk over each other and whine so much it’s annoying. Is it a Jersey thang?
@Oodles - one one of us is from Jersey originally, so not really sure! We get it -- we're not everyone's cup of tea, and that's ok. 😊
Amanda here, I'll respond to this in a serious way--as a Southerner who now lives in New Jersey, what you're observing is a linguistic style known as "cooperative overlapping", common in certain regions and ethnic groups (one being New York City). Interruptions signal active listening and often agreement with the original speaker. It's always interesting to me to learn about how to communicate effectively in different cultures! Want to learn more? Check out this article which has a good overview of cooperative overlapping: www.inc.com/jessica-stillman/conversation-style-interruption-cooperative-overlapping.html