Swatching your Soundtrack

Ah swatching…I know you really just want to get started knitting your Soundtrack but I promise swatching is totally worth it! Here are some tips for swatching for the Soundtrack project:

Tip #1: Swatch in the round!

For the Top, the whole body is worked in the round (and so is the cowl) and so if you don’t do your gauge swatch in the round, you may wind up with a smaller or bigger circumference than you have hoped for. A lot of people tend to have a tighter gauge when they work in the round vs working flat (I do!). If you have never swatched in the round before, check out my video tutorial below:

And for a visual of how you work the stitch pattern, you can check out my page here.

Tip #2: Start and end your swatch with some ribbing (not worked in the round)

As you can see in the first image on this page, I started my swatch with some k2, p2 ribbing that was worked flat (so just back and forth). Once I had about .5-.75″ of ribbing, I then knit 2 rows in the round with the same color, and then I began the 6 rounds of stitch pattern in the round. I also ended my swatch with this ribbing. This just helps to prevent the swatch from curling too much on either end.

Tip #3: Measure your swatch before and after blocking

Because blocking can have a big impact on your gauge, it’s important to block your swatch. But make sure to measure your swatch before you block as well as after – this way you’ll know how much you can expect your fabric to grow! For more swatching basics, check out my tutorial here.