Gettin' Made: Dirty Little Crafting Secrets

Ok it's time to 'fess up. I'm afraid you might think less of me, but here goes.

When I'm knitting, I almost never do a swatch to measure my gauge before I start a project.

If you're not a knitter, let me cue you in. A swatch gauge is an important part of starting a project--it helps you figure out if your garment will turn out the right size in the end. If you're knitting too loosely or tightly, knitting a swatch gauge will point that out and help you compensate for it from the start so the finished project turns out right.

A dog sweater I knitted last year. And no, I didn't do a swatch gauge when I knit it.

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I've been knitting avidly for about five years now, and have completed hats, sweaters, scarves, blankets... the list goes on. I've done a gauge swatch I think about twice ever. (Once for that sweater, and once for a baby blanket.)

(I almost never wash my brand new fabric before sewing with it. I'm just impatient is all!)

So let's all share--what's the skeleton in your crafting process closet?