Swatches : creative every darn day!

I have always loved old swatch books---both books of handpainted fabric designs or real fabric swatches---they draw me in like a magnet. Lately I have been knitting swatches---some of these swatches I'm using as squares in a project, and some I just make to try out a new stitch. I'm decided to knit 1 (one!--at least one, maybe more more) swatch a week and blog it here...

Most books on knitting discuss the importance of knitting a swatch to check one's gauge before starting a project--- ideally knit in the stitch pattern used in the garment. I suppose if I was more organized I would record the yarn, needle size and other info on each swatch and then keep all this in one notebook--so far, this has not happened. In knitting--as with most art I create--I am much more into the process than the finished project...or in record keeping of any sort.

Here is an "all over cable" knit swatch--I used some left over variegated colored yarn.


and here is a slip stitch pattern I made up--the dark grey verticle lines are made from slipping a stitch, and the dark grey horizontal lines are made by purling....I think this would make an interesting sweater---with the right colors...maybe a pale variegated with a dark color for the squares? the greys here aren't very exciting, but one can see the pattern easily with them.

and lastly--in the center here--a "slip stitch herringbone" pattern---this one sure needs contrasting colors.



So anyhow, the long term plan is to put these all into my own handmade swatch book...even if all I put in is a photo of the swatch (because I used the "swatch" in a project.)