Hello, I have just finished knitting one of my sample (I still have one to knit) and the dimensions are 9x10cm when it should be a 10x10cm square. I don’t think it is too much out of proportion as the pattern I am following makes diamond shapes and I believe it may look nicer after blocking. I am enclosing a picture. What do you reckon? Also, what do you do with your sample? Do you unknit them or make something out of them? Thank you for your help and advice! Celine
Knitting a sample
Beautiful stitch pattern! What are you going to be making using it?
Yes, wetting and blocking this lacy swatch will probably expand the pattern and bring out the diamond shapes even more. Technically you should measure across the middle of the swatch so that you exclude the stitches toward the edges. You could measure the middle 5cm and double the number to get a better idea of gauge both before and after blocking.
I save swatches until the project if finished just in case I might need the yarn. This swatch is so lovely you might well consider making it part of a larger project with other swatches.
Pretty lace!
I keep my swatches during the project and sometimes I need to use them again to work out some stitches or try out a certain decrease or something. Some of them are well used and ended up quite long .
I often think a little bag (just for phone and bank card) would be nice to match a summer top or sweater but never made one.
I don’t have enough swatches to make anything. I’ve seen photos of blankets and colourful granny square type cardigans which look great.
Thank you for you advice, it is really helpful
I am attaching a picture of the summer top I am planning to make.
So far, I have only made one of the sample and I have another one to make. When keeping a sample while working through you project, do you keep it on a safety pin or do you usually just close it and cut the yarn?
Thank you for your lovely ideas about using the sample to make a smaller bag I may use this idea when I get more samples if not, just save the yarn in case I run out as you suggested.
I think I will need to focus as it is easy to make a mistake (I had to unknit my sample a few times already ).
Beautiful top!
For a lace design like this I would bind off loosely and wet and block. It’s difficult to measure gauge in lace because it is so stretchy but try to block it as you would like the finished top to look. In other words don’t stretch to the extreme just to get gauge.
You might also check the gauge on the suggested yarn for this pattern if there is a yarn suggestion. See what it knits in stockinette in case that may help. It’s so much easier to measure gauge in stockinette rather than lace.
I have done all of these. Sometimes holding the stitches on a length of spare yarn because I needed jy stitch holders for a project. Some times I bind off then realise I need to try something out in which case I “pick up and knit” near the bind off, I prefer this to starting a new sample because I don’t have to cast on again, I have a larger bit of fabric to work with and can get to the actual stitch I want to try almost immediately.
Nice top you’ve chosen. It will be lovely in the deep red colour.
I make cat toys with them. Make an envelope of the sample, then stuff with Catnip and cotton batton in old nylons I have cut. I sell them at market, give as gifts….