A Swatching We Will Go!

An update on my swatches for the Cobblestone and Neckdown Hooded tunic sweaters......plus a look at my former Clapotis in its present incarnation.

First, the swatches for the Cobblestone sweaters I have planned. On the left is the yarn from my stash for CD's Cobblestone. It is cold where he goes to college~~much colder than it is here. The yarn is Bartlett Yarns Fisherman and is quite rustic and warm. I'm intending his version as almost an outer layer for him or a very warm inner layer on those really cold, windy days. On the right is a smallish swatch using the Beaverslide in Prairie Aster that arrived on my doorstep yesterday. This version is for me and will be quite warm and snuggly. This yarn feels rustic, but there is definitely an underlying softness that I could feel trying to come out as I worked up this swatch this morning. I'm very interested to see how it washes up. Both swatches were done on size 8 needles and are exactly the same width~~18 stitches = 4 inches as called for in the pattern. So for now I am bang on gauge. Final gauge to be determined after I wash them today.

Next up is the swatch for The Teen's Neckdown Hooded Tunic in Valley Yarns Berkshire. Now this is an interesting yarn. Take a look at the end of the yarn~~it's almost like roving. I had to knit this on a size 10 needle to get the required gauge of 16 stitches = 4 inches. The Teen loves the yarn and the feel of the swatch. Again, this is going to make a thick sweater which will be almost outer wear for her. She pretty much lives in hoodies in the winter anyway, so this is a good fit for her. I'm concerned about how much this yarn will pill, also, it is not a superwash, so I will have to care for it and emphasize that it does not get thrown in the wash.

If you notice knots in the ends of yarn on my swatches, this is my way of keeping track of the size needle used for the swatch. Ten knots for a size 10 needle, for example.

Last night I ripped out the Clapotis and cast on Obstacles (Hypoteneuse will likely be knit up in Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sport Watercolor I have). This is the result through the first 16 row repeat. I like the way the pattern breaks up the tendency of the colors to pool a bit on this size needle. I'm using a size 9 needle for this yarn after trying an 8 and finding it too tight for a wrap. So, that's where I stand right now. I may post some items on my Destashing page, but will post here if /when I do so.