Maybe it’s just me and old age setting in, but I’ve got a number of swatches that I have kept…without labeling them. If I look up on my notes on Ravelry or my bullet journal, I’ve got a fair chance of recalling what yarn it was and even its colourway. But not the size needle I knitted it with, nor – more importantly – whether this swatch has been blocked or not. And let’s face it, I’m not very consistent with my note-taking. I’ve been known to scribble a little something on any odd bit of paper (the margin of a newspaper, a used envelope, etc) and then not remembering to note this information down where I am the most likely to find it afterwards.
Same goes for when I am swatching to learn something new. I’ll try out a stitch pattern and not bother to note down where I found it. Or swatch parts of pattern to add some modifications. And then I don’t remember what I was doing. Knitting is a hobby. Weeks can pass before I take up a WIP again. A am always so sure I will remember or manage to decipher the weird columns of numbers I noted down on my bullet journal (which one is the right one?).
But this is over. It’s 2024 and a new me, a new me that is henceforth labeling her swatches. To make it easier, I bought some ready-made swatch tags at hobbii. Unfortunately, you can’t buy these there anymore, unless you’re become a member. But there’s plenty of knitters selling swatch labels to download. I also found some ready made dainty gauge swatch knitting cards here, I browsed Amazon to no avail. Once I run out of my Hobbii cardboad ones, I’ll be making some homemade ones.
What I suggest you include on your tension/gauge swatch labels :
- brand ;
- yarn name;
- exact fibre content;
- If it’s wool or a wool blend, whether or not the wool is superwash;
- Size of hook or needle used;
- Gauge before blocking (this gauge is what is called the raw gauge);
- Gauge after blocking;
- Colour name;
- Dye lot
What I suggest you include on your modifications/knitwear design swatches:
- brand and yarn name
- techniques used (if relevant)
- name of stitch pattern – if relevant (be sure to include who is naming the pattern stitch so – include name of designer, youtuber or book writer, etc; stitch pattern name are not standardised, which can be misleading. )
- tutorial reference (if relevant)
- purpose of this particular swatch
- description of what you are modifying
Sideline: Keep all your swatches, even the mysterious ones! They will come in handy when you want to learn something new. More on this very soon.
Do you label your swatches ? If so, what do you note down on your labels ?
Unsolicited Knitting Advice 