Gauge swatches aren't usually something I do. It's not because I think of them as a waste of time, but more of a waste a yarn. Which, I grant you, is silly thinking - a gauge swatch doesn't use much yarn, especially when you compare it to the amount of yarn a garment uses.
I've done some swatches for my next garment project, however. The cold weather has hit and I'm missing having a larger project on my needles. I want something warm and snuggly to knit, and also wear. If this is Autumn I'm certainly going to fully feel winter!
So after much pattern searching on Ravelry, I came across the
Carbeth Cardigan. It was just what I was after - a cardigan with buttons that can be fully closed, has full-length sleeves and is short enough to be worn with skirts and dresses. I find it exceptionally difficult to get cardigans with full-length sleeves that are suitable for wearing with dresses in the shop, so I'm quite happy to knit one myself.
A pattern I considered knitting first was
Yama by Renee Callaghan, but it's got quite an open neck and lacks buttons to close it with. In this climate, if the air is chilly enough for me to wear wool, then an open-necked cardigan isn't really going to be suitable.
Another box that the Carbeth ticked was the one of speed (touchwood - I haven't actually cast it on yet!). Not only is it knit in DK weight (8ply) yarn, it's knit using two strands at once. If I don't encounter any problems, I should have this cardigan finished and ready to wear in time for Knitfest Maleny!
Anyway, so began the swatching. As the pattern uses two strands of yarn at once, I realised that I could have fun picking two different colours. I didn't have to just use the one colour of yarn - I could blend some together and have fun with different effects!
