This is for those who bake bread and knit. Do you know the windowpane test? It helps you figure out if you have sufficiently kneaded your bread. If you can see through your dough, like a windowpane, then you are ready to go. Well, ready to proof the dough for an hour or more. Baking, like knitting, takes patience, and lots of time.
So I've been thinking about this windowpane test, and if it is something I need to apply to my knitting as well. Does holding my knit project up to the light, like I would my dough, tell me if my knitting is ready? Well, not exactly, but it can give me a hint as to whether or not I will enjoy the finished hand knit item or not.
I think it can depend greatly on the yarn, needle, and project at hand. The project in the image above is a stranded color knit, in the round. It will be cardigan when completed. When I was going through the stages of gauge swatches for the project, I used the windowpane test, in addition to measuring the amount of stitches per inch. Why? You may ask. Well, I find that how the fabric looks once its come together in rows of stitches—how it feels, sits, moves—is just as important as the number of stitches per inch.
I wanted to make sure that if I was choosing a different needle size than the pattern called for, I was going to still like the results of the finished item. At first when I saw how much light came through the fabric, I was nervous. Would it be too open? Would I lose the structure, and beauty of the design? After much thought, and gazing at the swatch, I believe I ended up with the right choice. Although, I have not finished this project yet, I am please with how the WIP (work in progress) is coming along.
Have you experienced this before, in your baking or knitting?