Designer Secrets - The Gauge Swatch

The answer to Mondays post question is that I knit the larger swatch and my friend J.J. knit the smaller one. We took a class together and were working on swatches when J.J. looked over at my work and asked why I wasn't doing the same sample that she was? I said "I am". 

That's when I really learned how much gauge can vary between knitters. It's rare to sit with someone else and knit the exact same thing on the same size needles and with the same yarn. Most of us rarely get to see the impact of gauge as it changes from one knitter to the next. We see our own gauge changing between needle size and yarn weight. Those of us who teach often see it if we have everyone working with the same sample yarn but that's rare as we normally tell students to bring scrap yarn and appropriate needles to work with. Even very experienced knitters are surprised when I show them these swatches.


Oh and by the way J.J. is not an especially tense person. I'm often asked that when I show these swatches.