I have just started knitting today!
I am wondering if it is important to knit a gauge swatch? I am attempting a scarf.
Welcome to the addiction!
For a scarf, not very important. For anything fitted, very!
If you want your finished product to be the exact size of the pattern’s measurements, then you need to have the same gauge, or stitches per inch. I agree that for a scarf it’s not that critical, unless the size of the scarf is critical to you.
For future reference, though, you can measure the gauge of your scarf after you’ve done a few inches just to get a feel for if your gauge is tighter or looser than the pattern’s.