do you rip out and use your gauge swatch?

[mcmrymoon]

i am so paranoid about running out of yarn that i don't do a gauge swatch always. then i thought - why don't i just use my swatch anyway. do you do this?

[nova22]

no, but that's only because I never do a gauge swatch.

[pageta]

When I do them (when I haven't used similar yarn before and it matters to me what size the garment turns out to be), I rip them out and use the yarn. Some of the wool ones I've done I've felted to see how well they did, so of course I couldn't re-use that yarn.

[rubidoux]

I almost always do a guage swatch and then rip it out. I'm also totally paranoid about running out. Right now I'm about 70% of the way through a soaker that is two-row stripes and I am so scared I'm going to run out. If I do run out, I'd have to buy two skeins, one in each color, in order to finish it the way I intended. That would make the yarn for this soaker like $23 so it's not gonna happen. Oh how I hope I make it!!!

J.

[hunnybumm]

I don't do a gauge swatch either. Are they really that important? I have only actually finished 3 hats and a soaker and they came out just fine in most reguards. A guess a gauge swatch is so that people who knit looser / tighter get the right number of stitches right?

I didn't know a gauge swtch existed untill I got my LTK pattern and I just skipped that part because I had no idea what it was.

[sntm]

I'm a new knitter and haven't finished any projects yet, but after doing a gauge swatch, couldn't imagine NOT doing one. I was supposed to be knitting 4 stiches/inch and was knitting 5 stitches/inch which would have made my son's sweater waaaayyyy too small. Have to go out and exchange my needles.

I'm leaving it for now, since I can always rip it out and use the yarn later if I am running low. My book suggested a crazy scarf or afghan of all gauge swatches, or use it as a pocket on the sweater.

[Novajet]

I don't rip mine out. My daughter uses them as Little People blankets. But, I'm a new knitter and have only completed a couple of projects.

[Throkmorton]

I keep my gauge swatches just in case I run out, I have often cut it too close and used them for seaming.

[nova22]

Originally Posted by Novajet

I don't rip mine out. My daughter uses them as Little People blankets. But, I'm a new knitter and have only completed a couple of projects.

That's a good idea! If I ever decide to start doing swatches I'll make them big enough for a doll blanket for my neices. Great tip.