This “pattern” consists of a set of stitches designed to help the knitter analyze a new-to-them yarn and figure out what that yarn’s strength and weaknesses might be. I developed it for a series on my YouTube channel that I call Swatch Lab. Over the years there have been requests from viewers to be able to have the pattern for this swatch so that they could have conversations with their own yarn and here it finally is.

It begins with a lace pattern called Madeira Cascade that features a combination of lace and biased fabric so that you can see how your particular yarn likes those features.

You will move on to a wee chunk of stockinette, if you are swatching a single ply take a moment and compare the left and right sides of individual stitches, most likely it will look a little weird.

After that comes the combo panel where you have cables (both 1/1 and 2/2) running up the left side of a simple moss stitch chunk so that you can see if texture is your yarn’s favorite thing as well as how it performs in cables.

You’ll wrap the swatch up with a true mesh lace with yarn overs and decreases on both sides. You won’t be able to get an idea of how the yarn is doing here until you block your swatch.

And yes, you really need to block your swatch because that’s yet another element of evaluation for the yarn. How well does it block? It’s the end game for your conversation with your yarn.

If you would like to hear more about this swatch and how to use it to analyze your yarn check out this video on Watch Barbara Knit (including a blocking tutorial): https://youtu.be/DBSmplbjLK4

Stitches Used: knit, purl, s1-k2tog-psso, ssk, YO, 1/1 FC, 1/1 BC, 2/2 FC

Materials:
You will need the yarn you want to evaluate and a needle of the appropriate size to work that yarn and a cable needle if you use one.

Instructions are both fully charted and fully written out.