Thank you so very much for explaining all this. Have *NEVER EVER" heard about how to make sure your gauge was "correct." This video really helped me with that. You also explained it in a way that beginners could learn how to easily work out a swatch. Thank you so much for sharing your techniques. 🥰

Thanks for the very clear explanation. I almost never knit a swatch for socks. That's because I try them on so often and because I don't care how many times I have to rip out and start again. It's all about the knitting! However, recently I did knit a swatch for socks I plan to knit for my granddaughter. I wanted to get a gauge for myself in the stockinet stitch and I wanted to get gauge and show her how the yarn would look in the two patterns she had selected. I did knit it in the round and then cut it down the middle to block. I always knit a swatch for larger projects both to get my gauge and to see if I actually like the pattern once it is knit and blocked. I have lots of fun with this doing baby blankets. Knitting candy!

Oh, and thanks for that trick in strandes colourwork fake round swatching, to knit the first and last few sts of the swatch with both yarns - I had developed quite serious hand and finger contortions tring to trap the first out-of-use yarn across\below\around the other yarn while making those looong floats on the wrong side.

And - to add a third positive comment: I once wanted to knit socks that have crocodile or alligator in their name and have a great patterned leg. The pattern involved quite a bit of stranding, lifting and slipping of stitches in multiple ways. After I managed to get through 2 pattern repeats (taking me the best part of an hour, 2 mugs of coffee and the result measuring less than an inch in height) I was like "thank you, but no thank you". To work a sock leg all around in this pattern (not very stretchy, so I would have had to work a 72 stitch leg) for several inches in height would have taken me ages and would not have been fun at all.

Great video! I taught myself to knit as an adult (have been crocheting since 9) and after making a sweater for my daughter that was 6 sizes too big, I stayed away from knitting garments. These days, I swatch when it matters, the full 4" x 4". A recent example, I was working a swatch in a strechy pattern; about 1.5" in the swatch was way too wide. But, by the time I got to 4", it tightenend up just right.

Thank you Roxanne, swatching is very new to me but you explaned it very well.

9:00 - finally, finally, finally I found this! At some point in my knitting life I changed my swatching approach - but I forgot where I got the inspiration from. It could well have been your video, Rox! I nowadays swatch like this (unless I have bulky or bigger yarn, which hardly ever happens): working 28sts in seed stitch for 4 rows, then 20 rows of 20 stockinette sts flanked by 4-stitch seed stitch borders, followed by another 4 rows of seed sts, binding off. I take measurements what height and length the 20 rows and 20 stitches give me before and after washing and blocking. I then end up with a hassle-free accurate gauge for 10cm after applying the rule of three; no estimates whether I am looking at 2\3 of a stitch or 3\4 etc - just nice maths; an accurate basis for calculating sweaters, hats and socks alike. I will only round up or down once I have converted all measurements and instructions into sts and rows ds. That is also the way I check gauge in progress - mark 20 sts in my project a few rows ounds below, measure it, calculate its 10cm equivalent, check against original before washing and blocking measurements.

I'm happy to have run across this video. Thanks again for the helpful information.

5:55 Yes! Lace is fun to just knit square, but figuring out how to shape it -- oh boy! It'll be a while before i try that again.

Thank you for the tip on knitting the two yarns together at the ends of the swatch, this will really help me with my swatches

When I was 8 I learned to make pompons with cardboard circles. Still doing it that way today. 😄

Thank you, I appreciate you sharing your expertise and I love your T-shirt! 😀

Love your t-shirts, thank you for your tutorials, very usefull

Love your T-shirt, been caught in one of those situations. Love your tutorials

Very helpful. Love the T-shirt. 🙏🏻❤️

So useful! I need this for a cable pattern ITR :)

I looove your Shirt! I never swatch ( sock knitter)

It would also depend on how a certain yarn behavea, and how much drop you would get especially with a longer garment or bulkier yarn, wouldn't it? So if you knit a long line cardigan how would you know the resulting gauge if the yarn is heavy and gauge influenced by the drop you would get from the weight? So many variables?

This not swatching when you know your natural gauge, I do this too. Like I know that my stockinette gauge on US 8 needles and worsted weight yarn is 5 sts/inch so if I'm knitting in stockinette on US 8, I can just take the desired measurement, multiply it by 5, and there's the number of stitches I need to do in stockinette. I also know that I get a row gauge that's very close to 5 rows/inch in stockinette on those same needles, but I generally just knit to measurement when it comes to rows, unless I'm wanting the last row of x number of repeats to be at a certain measurement, that's when I pay attention to my row gauge. But for something like ribbing or garter or stockinette or some other very simple stitch like that, I just knit to measurement regardless of what row count results.

Thank you so much! This is very helpful. Need to swatch that way!

Yes cool shirt ;-) I am a real swatcher as I spin my own yarn. Sometimes I don't make anything of my handspun yarn, but a swatch. You explained it very clearly. The only thing that puzzels me is the calculating at the end of the video. Can you please try to explain what you are trying to say with the calcs? I love to watch your video's. I like the way you explain things. It makes it all so much easier.

Like your explaining the gauge but still find it difficult

Yay! I hate swatching. I just want to get knitting 😝😂😂😂

Do I need to cut the back Loops for fake ITR swatch? Wondering if I can unravel and use again. Also, if I do have to cut them should I do that before or after I wash when I block the swatch? Ty for tutorial!

Very helpful, thanks.

I love swatching because that's where I "play" (design, colors, short rows, etc.). However, it is no use t me for "guaging" for size😭 because I cannot distinguish between stitches. I actually go blind after counting 2 to 4 stitches. Any tips for me to accurately distinguish (see) each individual stitch when counting. (I'll jump for joy if it works for me). Thanks for your tutorials--love them!

I have such trouble counting stitches across...my eyes bounce around. It's so hard for me. Do you have any tricks?

Why are you stretching the yarn across the back?

I don’t understand why you strand the yarn across the back at all. I am new, so . . . This might be advanced channel

When l someti@es have to swatch, l make this with the pattern l use and l messure time by time if it's ok what l chose! So l began with swatching every time but time after time l began to feel the yarn to know how it would "behave:)! Yes, l can say YES to all you told here, again, like always since l know and enjoy your videos! Thank you and, please, go on! Be blessed!

I don’t understand

Thanks, good info.

😀

Do you always swatch in the stitch called for in the pattern?

I understand why we swatch, but I do not understand why you do not just turn the work, it would be so much more simple. If you cut all those strands, it is a terrific waste of yarn. I have some VERY EXPENSIVE sock yarn and am not about to waste an inch. Thank you for all these great videos. I have learned a lot already. Bless you.