Ready ● Set ● Knit: Get Acquainted Swatch

What you’ll do

You’ll knit a small swatch using one yarn and try a few stitch sizes to see how the fabric behaves on your machine.

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Steps

1. Choose one yarn
   Use a yarn you’re curious about or plan to knit with soon.

2. Set up for a simple knit
   Prepare your machine for a basic fabric (plain knitting or the stitch pattern you expect to use).

3. Cast on a small number of stitches
   Enough to form a narrow swatch that knits comfortably across the bed.

4. Begin knitting at a moderate stitch size
   Start somewhere in the middle of your machine’s stitch-size range.

5. Knit a short section
   Knit long enough to see how the fabric forms and how it feels as you knit.

6. Mark the stitch size
   Use a method that makes sense to you so you can tell where this section begins and ends.

7. Change the stitch size
   Adjust the stitch size slightly tighter or looser.

8. Knit another short section
   Again, knit enough to compare feel and appearance.

9. Repeat as needed
   Try one or two more stitch sizes if you’d like, marking each change.

10. Remove the swatch from the machine
    Let the fabric relax and handle it off the machine.

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What to notice

• How the fabric feels in your hands

• How the yarn behaves as it knits

• Which stitch size you prefer for this yarn and fabric

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When you’re done

You’ve finished when you can point to one stitch size that feels right to you for this yarn.

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