Swatching is important... even when gauge isn't

A modern knitting post.

As my reward for finishing a couple of other projects, and in anticipation of attending NY Sheep and Wool ("Rhinebeck"), this past weekend I cast on to knit a wrap with some lovely gold alpaca yarn I bought last year at Sheep and Wool.  I particularly love doing shawls, scarves and wraps because "gauge (often) isn't important."  If gauge is 10 stitches an inch and you wind up with 11 -- that just means your piece will be a little smaller, for instance.

The importance of swatching, however, was brought home.  The pattern I am doing (Bay of Fundy scarf) doesn't even list a gauge, but the instructions do indicate that it knits up fairly dense and if using a different yarn (as I am), to use one needle larger than called for on the yarn band.  The pattern calls for 3.5 mm (U.S. 4), so I settled down with my U.S. 5 interchangeable tips on a cable and happily cast on.



The scarf (or wrap) has a beginning border of seed stitch, then a nice 8 row repeat.  After one repeat, however, I decided I was definitely not happy.  Far from knitting up tight, I was getting a very loose knit.  Since I want it to be a good dense fabric, I made the sad decision to rip out what I had (12 rows at 88 stitches was a good evening's work) and move back to the U.S. 4.

But this time I got smart, and knit a swatch. I don't have (or can't find) U.S. 4 tips for my interchangeable needle set, so I used two double points -- they're just long enough for a swatch.  Still not entirely happy, I decided to try a swatch at U.S. 3.  Winner.  Here are pictures of the two swatches, and one that I went back and did size U.S. 5, just for my readers:

All three

The original size 5

Size 4 -- a little better

Size 3.  That's more like it.  Nice dense fabric -- this will be a nice warm wrap.

Looking forward to getting started for real on this one.  The pattern is a nice 8 row repeat with just enough interest (the cable) to keep attention, but easy enough to work pretty quickly.  It should be a long wrap, since I have four 100 gram hanks all wound and waiting.

So, even when gauge isn't important, do a swatch, or three.  Much faster than doing the first dozen or more of the pattern rows and then deciding that you're not happy!