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--></style></head><body lang=EN-US link="#0563C1" vlink="#954F72" style='word-wrap:break-word'><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>I’m not a great swatcher, but I make one to get gauge. I cast on 5 or 6 inches on the needles the pattern says and the number of stitches per inch it says, knit 3-5 inches, then measure while it’s still on the needles. If it’s not conclusive, I knit a bit more and measure again. When I’m satisfied with my measuring, I pull the swatch off the needles and measure again. If it’s still good, I unravel the swatch so I can use the yarn in my project.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>I’ve been measuring with the tactile tape measure for years, the one with the rivets at the inch and half-inch, but perhaps a ruler would be better. What do other people use? <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>Do other people swatch differently? I know I’m supposed to make a 4-inch square, bind off, and wash it before measuring, but it feels too much like wasting yarn, and my method has worked OK for years. But I’m open to change.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>Sighted people have nice tools to measure a swatch that are supposed to make it very easy, but, so far as I can tell, they just have printed numbers on a template, and that won’t work for me.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>Tracy<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p></div></body></html>