I Hate To Swatch

I hate to swatch. For you non-knitters out there, the swatch is a small square sample, knit to experience the yarn, with all of it's inherent qualities. You do this prior to putting all the effort into knitting a large expensive project that may not work out. You do this to see how the yarn behaves.

There is a website called Knitters Review, written by Clara Parkes. I have her listed as a favorite. I have been reading her advice for years. Teaching in a yarn store meant more to me than reaching out to people that need to learn to knit. It also met one of my needs. To know and feel all the new yarn I could get my hands on and knit it up for a sample or for myself. We share this love of yarn of every type.

Clara Parkes makes a living reviewing yarn and swatching it. She washes it and test drives it around the block. She is my phantom swatcher. Thank you Clara. I swatch no more. She has written a great book. It may be the Bible of yarn. I bought it and read it and was delighted to find patterns in there. I was not expecting them in this textbook. I knit the scarf on page 215. The Scaruffle. A great way to practice short rows with no pressure. Check it out. The Knitter's Book Of Yarn.

Turns out that Clara is a kind and thoughtful woman. So many knitters are, you know. I had gone to her shopping site and ordered a shirt, some note cards and enclosure cards. The shirt was sold out due to an inventory glitch. Through a series of emails and a lovely note we worked things out to complete satisfaction. Love the stationary by the way...