Swatch this.

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Originally uploaded by spinknit

I can barely stand swatching, and I have been in awe of those who do it.. Designers mostly. They work away on pattern swatches, and come up with piles of (sometimes significantly large) works of art. The end result? Not much of anything 'useful'.

Aside from design necessity, swatching is a waste of knitting time.

My best idea has almost always been: swatch something that will cover my thumbnail, and do a calculation on approximately 4 stitches. OR. Just knit.. and we'll call the garment a 'swatch'. If it doesn't fit, then it would become a Christmas gift; am I wrong?

Until yesterday.

I am hatching a plan that has so far included spending one entire day searching for an out of print book. FINDING the book for a sinfully small amount of money (YA!). Also finding one at the local library, which is great, because I can study the pattern and start planning for the yarn before MY ACTUAL BOOK shows up.

So there I was at the store yesterday, and I found several possibilities. Two shades of Eco wool, in DK weight. The clay colour would be perfect, but the garment will eventually end up with Nini, and I think her Greek colouring and 'clay' don't go together. The ecru is nice, but would it show the stitch patterns well enough? I have a couple shades of Sheep 3. I'd like something heathered, but not scratchy.. so maybe there's something at Rhinebeck that will call my name. And then this... I don't think it's actually perfect, but it is beautiful. It's Sirdar Baby Bamboo.

I sat down with it late yesterday afternoon, and started to knit.. a swatch, and somehow I caught the disease. Swatch-itis. I know this is going to cause me to buy 52 single skeins of yarn so that I can swatch swatch swatch swatch.

And it's going to be so.much.fun. Maybe incurable.