There's a right way and a wrong way to swatch. In this video Lisa demystifies the whole process and runs through exactly why you should never skip the swatching stage. Once you get the hang of swatching for every project it will work wonders on all your future knits.
Welcome to Lesson Two
Swatching for Success
Swatching and Checking Gauge

The TIK Guide to Gauge
A quick reference to help you decide whether you need to go up, down, or stick to your needle size after checking your tension swatch.
Download it and keep it handy for future projects too. This tool is evergreen!