Row 400: the swatch lied

Hobby Corner ยท Knitting

Decorative picture of circles, squares and triangles in flat colours

The swatch said 20 stitches to 10 cm. The scarf has not agreed with the swatch once. Swatches are optimistic, the way restaurant menus are.

A mistake of 5% is invisible on a swatch. On a scarf for a neck of 240 cm it is 12 cm, and a giraffe will notice.

How to make a swatch you can trust

  1. Knit it bigger than you think you need, at least 15 cm square.
  2. Wash and dry it the way you will wash the finished thing.
  3. Measure in the middle, away from the edges.
  4. Count again after it has rested for a day.