Tag Archives: swatch

Yes, Swatches Lie…Well Maybe….

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Yes, swatches lie. Well that is a bit harsh…really they can be a bit misleading.

To start with there is the famous question, “Do I need to make a swatch?” Well only if you want to ensure that you meet the gauge of the pattern. Gauge helps to ensure that the pattern comes out the same size, but it also ensures that your fabric has the same drape as that of the original design. If this is important to you, then yes, you need to swatch.

That being said there are some road blocks that stop many people from making a swatch.

First there is no actual directions for making a swatch, the gauge lists the number of stitches and rows that fit the given measurements, but that is where the information ends. If you are a new crocheter this can be a bit difficult to decipher, as you need to read and understand your pattern and then make assumptions from this.

One of the ways to make these assumptions is simply to make a chain longer than the given measurement for the gauge. By a rule of thumb add make the swatch at least 40% bigger than is measured, so if it states 4” (10cm), make a swatch of 5 ½” (14 cm). This is so you can take the measurement from of the stitches and rows without using the edges of the swatch, as the edges can distort the measurement.

If the gauge gives a stitch pattern, work this in rows until the rows measure larger than the given measurement. However this is only step one.

The next step to ensure you are getting an accurate measurement is to block your swatch. Essentially you want to treat your wash as you would the finished item, so if it is hand washed then hand wash, if it is machine wash then machine wash, and let dry.

Now you can take the measurement and to ensure that you meet gauge, to proceed with your pattern. If you need to adjust your hook size to obtain gauge you will need to repeat the process in a new hook size and repeat.

However here is the honesty, very few of us go through these steps. I know when I get my yarn I want to dive right in and get to creating, but sometimes I do have to pay the price for this. I may need to rip back and rework if things are not coming out as expected.

So how can I find a happy medium between creating a swatch and just enjoying my crochet? My tip is to check my work regularly. I may block an item before I head to bed, after a day of stitching, and check my gauge in the morning. If it is on course I feel free to continue onward, if it is a bit off it is a day to rip back and begin anew. This may be a bit of a gamble in losing a day’s worth of work, but it keeps me enjoying my stitching while still being happy with the outcome.

Crazy Afghans

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ScannedImageMy 9 year old daughter has taken up sewing, and recently I showed her how to make a crazy quilt by simply putting scrap fabrics together and sewing them upon each other and stitching them together. This gave me an idea, could you create a crazy afghan?

So I have begun grabbing swatches from my stack. I have quite a pile of swatches, as essentially my work as a designer requires me to understand what the yarn will do, and create new ideas with it, so I make a lot of different sized crochet fabric pieces. They are not all square, but most at least have a couple of straight edges. I just started to single crochet the pieces together, and have found that it is quite therapeutic, and relaxing. I am not worried about creating something perfectly square, I can always add stitches to uneven areas to make it more usable, and adding an edging on anything makes it looks like you intended to it.

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Random swatches coming together

I don’t know where this afghan will end up. Maybe I will add it to my automobile “emergency kit”, this is a “kit” that I have modified over the years and it is not for your typical emergencies, it is for those last minute opportunities. Having a throw in the car makes it easy to stay warm when someone else in the vehicle likes the air conditioning colder then I prefer. It is a pillow for long road trips, as well as being perfect for a spur of the moment picnic. It also has practical use, living in a region that can get a sudden mountain snow storm, you may be stuck in your car at some point was you await safer driving conditions.

I have been finding this project more enjoyable then I thought I would and may have to create a crazy handbag in the same fashion…oh, the ideas….

Nothing Ever Stays the Same

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ScannedImageI usually see an image of what I want a particular yarn to be, by simply holding it and letting my mind wander, but that is where things actually become difficult. Now I need to play, okay, it is swatching, but I have never been good at creating swatches, I want to get on to making something not just make squares of stitching.

However, I usually need to figure out how to get my image translated into an actual creation, and that often means finding the stitch patterns that will accomplish this.DSCF0868.1

Sometimes I get into the process and realize that I like something else better, and either re-create my idea or create something completely new. Okay, this happens in many aspects of life; from everything like what to have for dinner of what I am wearing to that holiday party. Ideas constantly evolve. This is my reminder that nothing is a constant; the only thing that I can accurately predict is that everything will always change. I will admit, this keeps me from getting too attached to any one idea for very long, and I hope helps keep my work fresh. One can hope at least.