Lucy Neatby - Tradewind Knitwear Designs - Tension Swatches and Labels

Tradewind Knitwear Designs by Lucy Neatby

Tension Swatches and Labels

Organization and I are not best acquainted. I fully expected a lightning strike as I wrote the word, but so far so good. I have taken to recording all my tension swatches in a little black book, a page for each needle size.

When I knit a swatch and am taking the measurements, I record the stitches and rows over 4", then st per inch and rows per inch, and the ratio of stitch height / stitch width, not to mention the name of the yarn and any other significant details!

I find it very handy as means of comparing yarns and looking for potential substitutes, as it is much easier than ferreting through the ever-growing pile of swatches. I also know if I have already done a swatch of the yarn I want on that particular needle size - saves duplication of effort.

Labels - for those that don't label their swatches, pop out to a stationery shop and invest in a pack of labels with strings. I really enjoy swatches these days, and they have become a resource. Now I know what needle size I was using and what I discovered whilst working the swatch. I can also find the pattern or book reference again by recording them, too. Keep plenty of tags in a little bag in your knitting basket and don't bind off a swatch until you have written and attached the labels!

I hope all this doesn't sound too virtuous, but it is a way of being long term lazy!

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