Measure Twice, Knit Once

Swatching for my new project. What is it gonna be? Tell you later.. :P

Speaking of swatching, I cannot even begin to tell you how important it is. Learnt my lesson the hard way. Wanna hear my grandmother story? Here goes...

When I first started knitting/crocheting, the too eager me was excited to start on my tablecloth. Bought the yarn and needle and started the project. I put in a good few weeks till completion and to my horror, when I drape it on the table, it couldn't even cover the top of the table even after much stretching. It was then that I realise had I do a swatch, none of this would have happened

Swatches are more important in some project than others. If you are making shawls and stoles, swatch is less important as compared to garments like hats, gloves and tops. Your fitting will be off if you don't do a swatch for those...All effort wasted then.

To summarize, we need to do a swatch because each and every one of us have a different knitting/crocheting tension. The swatch will also let you know about the yarn behavior (eg. if it will stretch, or shrink when washed) and if your choosen yarn is indeed suitable for your project pattern. It will save you alot of heartache in the long run when you have a piece that fits and flatters you.

So there you go, always do a swatch for your new project to avoide disappointment. It pays to measure twice, knit once