5 Things I Learned From Making My Tonquin Wrap KAL Swatch
I’m excited about the Tonquin Wrap Knit-Along! If you haven’t signed up yet, it’s not too late to join in the fun and get your free pattern. We’re casting on on September 26, 2022, but you can get your pattern anytime until November 7. You, too, can have a cozy new wrap just in time for colder weather.
Above: Swatch and supplies for Sandi’s Tonquin Wrap, featured in our upcoming KAL!
My role in this KAL (knit-along) is to be the scout: to ride ahead, mark the trail, and find the trouble spots before the rest of the party arrives. I have my yarn (Plymouth Yarn’s Homestead), I’ve wound it into balls, and I’ve made a generously sized swatch. A swatch can do so much more than just confirm your gauge. Here are 5 things I learned from making my swatch that might be helpful to you (especially if you’re a card-carrying member of the I Never Swatch Club).
What I Learned From My Swatch
1. My Gauge Is Right
I am using the recommended yarn and I knit my swatch with a size US 9 (5.5mm) needle, the size recommended in the pattern. Surprisingly, my gauge matches the pattern specification! I say surprisingly because I tend to be a tight knitter, and I was prepared to go up to a size US 10 (6mm) needle.
Even more important, I like the fabric at this gauge. It is thick and wooly, but supple enough that it will drape nicely around my shoulders.
2. My Choice of Tools Is Right
I knit my swatch with a Clover Takumi Bamboo circular needle, 24″ long. This needle works well with this yarn. The stitches slide easily, the points don’t split the yarn, and it all feels good in my hands.
I’m using a 5″ wood double-pointed needle as my cable needle. I’ll also be using a variety of stitch markers for this project.
3. Stitch Markers Will Make This a Simpler Knit
The stitch pattern for this wrap is quite simple: 10-stitch panels of garter stitch alternating with 10-stitch ribbed cables. Placing a stitch marker on my needle every 10 stitches will mean no counting while working each row.
I’m going to use a brightly colored removable marker to indicate the right side of the shawl. This stitch pattern is reversible, so it’s not easy to tell by looking when you’re working an odd-numbered “right side” row as opposed to an even-numbered “wrong-side” row. My pink plastic marker will mark the right side.
Finally, I’ll use coil-less safety pins to help my count my rows. I’ve been knitting long enough to know that I cannot be trusted to click a row counter or check off a chart at the end of each row. What I will do is place regular landmarks to mark my progress. I’ll place a silver pin on every 10th garter stitch ridge (every 20 rows). When I complete a 58-row repeat of the chart, I’ll use a gold pin to mark the end of the repeat and start over with my silver pins every 10th ridge.
4. I Want to Change the Edge
The original design has a collar added along one edge and fringe on the other. I love the collar, but fringe isn’t my style.
I like the look of a chain selvedge edge on garter stitch. I think it looks neater than a garter stitch edge. I want to use the same selvedge stitch on both sides, so I don’t have to keep track of which is which. I’ll slip the first stitch of every row purlwise with yarn in front. This will give me a clean edge where the fringe would have been and will create a tidy chain on the inside when I pick up stitches for the collar.
5. Blocking is Essential For This Project
There is a significant difference in row gauge between the garter stitch and the ribbed cables. You can see in the photo of the swatch above that the cable panel is pushing out at the top and bottom. The garter stitch wants to pull up. And that photo was taken after the swatch was blocked. Before blocking, the cables looked a little puckery because of the row gauge difference.
Having a ribbed cable on both sides of the garter stitch panel will help keep the garter stitch extended. A nice wet blocking will help these two stitch patterns settle in and become good neighbors, adapting to each other’s quirks. The garter stitch panels on each edge are still going to want to draw up a bit, and I’m OK with that.
Have you made your KAL swatch yet? If so, what lessons did you learn? Are you hoping reading this article will substitute for actually knitting the swatch? Get your free pattern, then meet us over in the KAL chat and let us know how you’re doing!
Sandi Rosner
Technical Content Editor, Yarn
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