Lesson 1: Section 1: "Nothing I Knit Fits!" ... Consider This:
Knitting
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Swatch
At the risk of sounding like a broken record “Swatching is NOT optional”.
If you are working with the same yarn every time and you have an accurate gauge swatch you won’t be surprised by the size of a finished piece.
BUT .. one thing to consider is “drop”. Knitters often will knit a 6” square for a gauge swatch. We then knit a garment back that is 23” long. We put in on our body and we’re surprised that it’s too long. Maybe it hugs around the body because the weight of the yarn is narrowing the garment piece.
Knit large swatches, let them hang AND measure them hanging. This is especially true for lace and some openwork stitch patterns. (You aren't wasting yarn ... how much yarn will be wasted on a sweater that doesn't fit and won't be worn?)
We will talk more about swatching and gauge and offer some practice exercises further along in the course.Up on the 'ol soapbox!
Knit in one stitch pattern until you gain experience and confidence
As tempting as it is, don’t play with stitch patterning until you establish a good fit for you.
For example, tuck and lace knit up very differently than stockinette. They will hang on the body differently as well, affecting fit. Once you find a pattern that you love, it may not “translate” well to a different stitch pattern. Think of denim and knit fabric. You probably wouldn’t sew a t-shirt with bottom-weight denim.
Yes, as knitters we can successfully substitute stitch patterns, but until you establish YOUR fit style, you will be frustrated. Unlike fabric, when we start out we don’t have yards of fabric to touch, feel and observe the drape. It’s not until we’ve used the yarn and stitch pattern for a while that we can KNOW the end result BEFORE knitting.
