Sandi's Wise Swatch
Thank you for the hilarious comments, and all the helpful suggestions, that were in the comments on Wednesday's post about the fate of the Bonsai Tunic.
I did not realize that the resolution of a problematic UFO would be
considered a "cliffhanger," but I should have realized that rescuing a
sweater from the frog pile is one of every knitter's
most...uh...breath-taking...adventures.
(By the way, because so many have asked the same question...to
"frog" a project means to "rip it, rip it, rip it." Say that out loud
to yourself and you'll hear froggie sounds, see?)
Fortunately for me, no frogging was necessary on my Bonsai. I came
perilously close...but was saved by my swatch. Really. I made a little
photo portrait of it above, resting on top of Norah Gaughan's original
garment, with a little butterfly to set it off, just to show my
appreciation.
So let us once again consider the lowly swatch. We grumble and moan
about knitting it, we wonder if we can get away with knitting one that
is five stitches wide and five rows long, we resent it because we feel
that it takes time away from our "real knitting." However, every now
and then, the Swatch proves its worth.
Norah Gaughan's original Bonsai Tunic
In
this case, I was totally puzzled by how my Bonsai came out after I
blocked it: too large, gauge way off, with an extremely drapey fabric
(this would have been truly lovely for a shawl, but wasn't what I
needed for the Bonsai). I got a little sidetracked by the whole
switching-needle sizes issue, but that did not fully explain the
problem.
You see: My swatch fabric did not look like the fabric of my
finished garment. The swatch held its shape; it was firm; it was also
delightfully soft with a bit of lovely "crunch," and had a nice sheen
to it. My garment was more flowing, less crunchy, less firm. Same yarn.
Same exact knitting needles. Same knitter.
As a reality check, I examined Norah's original sample Bonsai, which
I was fortunate enough to have around the office. The texture and
appearance of her garment matched that of my swatch. In contrast, her
finished Bonsai and my finished Bonsai looked like they were made out
of two different yarns. They weren't. Different colors, yes. Different
yarns, no.
The key to this mystery was: How did my swatch differ from my finished Bonsai?
Blocking Tutorial (Part One and Part Two)
When
I got the lovely bamboo yarn for the Bonsai, I dutifully sat down to
swatch. I will admit that the swatching was accompanied by some
impatient growling, some toe-tapping, perhaps even some
less-than-knitterly utterances. I persevered, because I had never knit
with a bamboo ribbon yarn before, and I wasn't sure which type of
needles (wood, metal, plastic) would give me the best gauge results. I
will further admit that I was such a Bad Swatcher that I did not follow
my own swatch guidelines. What I did right: The swatch is done in three sections, each section knitted on a different size needle (set off by garter ridges). What I did wrong: Each section is barely 2" long— not enough to get an accurate gauge measurement. Bad me.
Nonetheless, I do get points for this next bit. Once I bound off, I
proceeded to do what I always do with my swatches: I washed the swatch
just as I would the finished garment. I do this so that if there are
going to be any issues with shrinking, stretching, or fading, the
swatch and I can have it out right then and there, and come to an
understanding before an entire garment is produced. I washed the swatch
the way I wash all my handknits: Fill the bathroom sink with lukewarm
water, dash in a bit of no-rinse soap, let the item soak for a while,
then rinse in cool water, and lay flat to dry. for this particular
swatch, I also added a final bit of steam at the very end with my steam
iron.
Anyone see where this is going yet?
Let's fast forward to the pieces of my finished Bonsai. I decided to use them for my blocking tutorial (Part One and Part Two),
so I pinned them out on my fabulous blocking board, sprayed them until
they were damp, and let them air-dry. I seamed up the whole thing...and
found myself with a flowing Bonsai Tent (as seen in Wednesday's post).
Ta-Da! A Bonsai To Be Proud Of
The difference
was that I soaked, rinsed, dried, and steamed the swatch, whereas I
only sprayed the finished garment until damp and let it air-dry.
Soaking the swatch allowed the water to completely permeate the bamboo
fibers; after drying, the steaming applied just a bit of heat to set
the stitches in place. My finished garment had not had the benefit of
the full-on water-and-steam treatment.
Talk about an "A-HA!" moment. I popped my Bonsai into a sinkful of
water, dried it, applied the tiniest bit of steam, and voila: my Bonsai
is adorable.
Following your suggestions in several of the comments, I also sewed
up the V-neck a bit (1.5" [3.8 cm]), which was the final finishing
touch to customize this pretty top to my particular curves.
So I take it back. My swatch did not lie. It was telling me the truth the entire time, and I just wasn't paying attention.
The Swatch is good. The Swatch is wise. Listen to the Swatch.
Sandi Wiseheart is the editor of Knitting Daily.
What's on Sandi's needles? First of all: I believe that the
Bonsai no longer counts as a UFO, so my UFO count is now down to 17.
The pullover for my husband is nearing the armholes, and I think I need
to work on a certain pair of lace socks.