BellaOnline Forums Hobbies and Crafts Knitting What makes a swatch

Yesterday I was asking about Sullivan Yarns out of Australia. The funny thing about this pattern was the gauge of 19st=1in on size 5's. Seeing as I couldn't find any yarn with that particular gauge, I took the suggestion to create a swatch with different yarns I already have in my stash.

I noticed that the gauge didn't say anything about using stockinette stitch for a sample. So I knitted up a swatch using the pattern stitch for the body of the sweater and came out exactly at the right gauge. Turns out the yarn is DK (at least my swatch was). I thought that yarn was going to be too heavy, but the "hand" of the knitting felt nice.

Anyway, back to my topic. What makes a swatch? Am I correct to use the pattern stitch if it doesn't specify stockinette stitch? I have seen patterns specify the gauge is using the pattern, this one didn't do that either. It simply said, 19sts to 10cm (4in) using 3.75mm needles. Or is it assumed that one uses the stockinette stitch no matter what?

I believe it is generally stockinette stitch, but in the book When Bad Things Happen to Good Knitters (p. 9) the authors suggest that the swatch should always be in the stitch pattern. I suspect and I could be wrong that the swatch on the yarn package is generally stockinette, but the swatch in a pattern in stockinette.

I'm glad the yarn and needles worked out, should be a lovely sweater. Can/will you post pictures as you work on it?

hi Marge, you might like to look up Elizabeth Zimmermann's book "Knitter's Almanac" about this issue - she discusses it in the chapter about the Aran sweater.

I'm always studying stitch gauges in patterns to see if I can substitute with something in my outsized stash, and 9 times out of 10 if the garment is in a stitch other than stocking stitch the gauge given is for the pattern stitch. This unless you know the yarn in question can make substitution (if necessary) difficult.

I happen to think that garment designers should give both the stocking stitch gauge AND the pattern stitch gauge (and the standard gauge in stocking stitch if a gauge other than standard has been used) but that's just my opinion. Obviously this doesn't matter so much in a lace stole or shawl, but it is crucial in obtaining the correct fit for the garment when the original yarn used is no longer available.

How about we start a BellaOnline collection of related yarn and pattern gauges? I have all the Barbara Walker collections and several Harmony collections and the leftovers from a sweater could easily be converted to a number of pretty dishcloths in different stitch patterns for this purpose! And my knitting usually (though not always) comes out at about the tension stated on the ball band.

I will be happy to post pictures of the progress! I need to get this thing done before the baby goes to college, LOL!

Good luck with the knitting, Rinda!

I will definitely check it out and also Vogue Knitting handbook.