Category: tips
swatching, tips for choosing tools
There are two parts to every swatch, ok, three. The yarn, the tool used to manipulate the yarn, and the individual doing the work. How do I choose the tool? Which knitting needles or hooks do I want to use for my swatches? The answer is (as always), it depends. When swatching for fun I…
knitting with kittens
It’s foster kitten season and that means I need to be good and take care of my tools and yarn. Why? Kittens are curious and like to test everything with their teeth and paws. They’re why I prefer interchangeable needles. It’s easier to replace the part(s) they taste tested. Kittens are why I have many…
swatch notes
Faster swatching with the knitting machine means I am taking more notes. While I write copiously in my notebooks, I am playing subtly with differences in gauge. It’s made me rethink how I record important information when all the swatches may look similar. Traditionally, I’ve marked the US needle size (because it’s easier than metric)…
notebook love
I’m working on the finishing touches for a few designs that I began a year ago. I’ve written before about how indispensable a notebook is. I want to reiterate that. It doesn’t matter if you use an inexpensive composition book, or a fancy $50 notebook, or something inbetween. It matters that you use something. And…
thoughts on an experiment
My love of swatching is well known. Once you know how a stitch may work in a yarn, what about the next step? I always want to know how practical is it for a particular application. There’s nothing more frustrating than spending hours on a project only to have it look or perform terrible after…
three tips to swatch without swatching
There are many reasons why we don’t swatch. While I recommend it in all situations, I recognize there are times when we’re nervous to do so for a range of reasons. Perhaps a fiber is difficult to work with making ripping back a challenge. Maybe the yardage is tight for the project and you’d like…