Making Swatches Bigger (so you can make bunnies)

Need coaxing to make a good-sized swatch?

The article To Swatch or Not gives you lots of reasons to swatch. But don't be duped into a false sense of security by thinking a tiny swatch is better than no swatch at all.

Best practices in knitting encourage making a good-sized test swatch (at least 6 inches minimum in length and width) to use to check and adjust the results against the planned or envisioned results in the finished project. A too-small swatch can be about as bad as no swatch at all, since there is a high probability of giving inaccurate gauge measurements and/or not be representative of the fabrics final feel and drape.

Need motivation to make bigger swatches? This fun idea came in from Bonnie of Maryland:

… [The Knitted Bunny is] at the top of my queue for my nephew's child due in June. I'll use the swatch from the baby blanket I have queued and top the package with the bunny. Cute!

From now on, I think a lot of my swatches will be bigger so I can turn them into bunnies.

What a great idea. It makes me want to start a swatch for a baby blanket right now!make

Do you have a Knitting Tip about a HeartStrings pattern you'd like to share? Please email me and I'd be delighted to feature it.

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