Archive of Thread: Y another Swatching Question Back

2 years ago
I have been watching the swatching video. I may be knit picking, no pun intended, but I am confused. 

In the video it says to manually stitch a contrasting color stitch at each end of the swatching width. We have also been told 1 stitch makes a big difference. Doesn't that manual stitch at each end add a row to to stitches 20 and 40 the swatch area? Actually it would be 2 at each end because you do the same thing after 40 rows. 

Stitches 20 and 40 would have 42 rows, not 40. Is that going to make a difference? 

Thank you. Sometimes, I over-think and may be doing that with this, but we are told 1 stitches makes a difference. This is adding two rows at stitches 20 and 40. I just want to make sure I am understanding what I saw and heard in the video, Thank you.

2 years ago
I usually knit the stitch with the row, I don't knit it separately, but knit it in on either side so you are not counting those stitches, if you see what I mean... 😊 

2 years ago
Cynthia,
Measuring stitches:
You mark a single stitch on each side and measure BETWEEN them marked Stitches
 

Measuring rows.  I always recommend measuring from the purl side so it's more obvious what you are measuring

 

2 years ago
Thanks. I was asking how the manually stitched marker loop adding a row that stitch would affect it because it is always saidmthtbone stitchm so I assume 1 row, makes ambig difference. In your video for swatching younhabe manually stitched a loop of contrasting color on a needle before the first needle counted and the needle right the last needle stich counted. Then ypu stitched across everything in the next step. That would add an extea row to the two manually stitched needles. Then itmis also done at the end of the row counting. Thatbis another extra row added to,those two,needels, making 2 extra rows in those two needles.

I just wanted to make sure those 4 manually formed stitches, which add 2 extra rows to ecah needle, although they are before and after the clunted rows and stitches, was not going to,affect any measurements when everything is all said and done, because itmis stressed how 1 stitch and row makes a big diffefence.

I made the swatch and am hoping it does not make a difference. I placed it in a mesh bag and will wash and dry it when Imhabe a load that will be washed and dried the same way.

Between watching the video and doing it, I forget a lot what was in the video. I am more of a lear ing from a book thoe person, with videos as backup, so I am struggling a little bit, but I will get there.

Thanks, everyone.

2 years ago
you are not adding any extra rows.   You are just marking individual stitches to measure between.

After knitting the contrasting color row, set your row counter to 0.  Knit your 40/60 rows and knit 2 contrasting rows.

While you are knitting the 40/60 rows you mark the stitches .... but you aren't adding any extra rows.

2 years ago
Yes, you lay a contrast yarn over the stitch and knit it together with the stitch already in the needles.
You don't knit it through on its own. 
You also mark the stitch outside the needles 😊

2 years ago

I agree, Joy!  No matter what method you use, the idea is to mark outside the needles you want to measure.  That prevents you from having to count stitches.  In this drawing, you'd be measuring over 6 stitches... between the yellow markers.

IMHO there is nothing worse than counting stitches.  mark between a set number of stitches and measure.  I do this even when hand knitting.

2 years ago
I really believe you are over-thinking this, Cynthia.  One stitch may make a lot of difference if you are measuring width but your gauge swatch will have 60 rows between the bottom and top marker rows and the fact that you have, in effect, created an extra row in just 2 stitch columns in a swatch with 50 or 60 stitch columns really is going to make a negligible difference.

But try this:  make one swatch exactly as you've been told, then knit another swatch where you mark the stitches by knitting off with a contrast yarn, then put those 2 needles to hold and knit one row, before returning the needles to WP and completing the swatch.  That way you will not have added any extra row.  I'm sure if you measure the length of each swatch between the marker rows - making 3 or 4 measurements across the swatch, taking the average if there is a variance - you will get the same result with each. But you could always use the second method if you choose.

Jenny