I'm only telling you this...

because I know you’re really interested and you’ll learn something that you may use…Here’s my first swatch for ‘TGW cardi’.  My yarn is very fine – they don’t call it lace weight for nothing! I do believe it is like what they used for Shetland lace shawls and apparently the value of the shawl was judged by being able to draw the shawl through one’s wedding ring – a small bit of trivia from my trip to Scotland many years ago! Anyway, it is 2 ply alpaca, 437 yds/50g ball – I’m using the blue because it’s a leftover and I don’t want to waste any of the real colour because this type of swatching can eat up a fair amount of yarn before you get to where you want.
I mentioned that I was going to try longstitch for the front because I want a two=sided fabric so it will be finished automatically if/when the front folds back – a full needle rib could work but it may be too stretchy and the longstitch will add some stability to the fabric, but with this fine yarn, should still have some softness and drape.
Now, don’t look at the cast-on, I just did a quick and easy zigzag, hang the comb and get right into it – no sense in wasting time because I’m not really sure of tension/stitch size at this point. I have used this yarn in 2 projects previously  -  Knitwords No 35, ‘Make Room for Baby’, a maternity sweater, was a single bed tuck stitch that I used the blue, at T7 because of the tuck and I didn’t want it to be too heavy – it was tucking 6 rows at one point – and in No 48, ‘Threeway’ which was a tuck rib  at T3/2 with a single bed tuck at T3.
Based on the above history, I’ve decided to try T4/4 for my longstitch trials. So, here’s what I do –make notes because you know you won’t remember or you’ll think you did but you won’t or you’ll second guess and not trust yourself anyway.
The first part, starting from the bottom, was T4/4, both beds knit to the left, rib bed only knits to the right and knit 20 rows. T10/10, cancel longstitch setting and knit a row as a marker. Now, set it so the main bed only knits  to the right and both beds knit to the left. Knit 20 rows or so. Now, transfer everything to main bed. T4, knit 20 rows.
I always do this on a ribbed swatch  (end with stockinette) because now it will be easy to look at when it’s off the machine and you’ll know which side is which – the stockinette is on the side away/purl side, on the machine.
 The T4 stockinette is pretty thin/flimsy so I added in a second strand and at T8, yarn doubled,  knit another 20 rows and then cast off – don’t just drop it off because now you can wash the swatch before really evaluating it to see where you need to make changes. At this point, the second longstitch  looks pretty good because the stockinette side/side away looks nice – maybe a bit of tension adjustment, but it feels about the same thickness as the double stranded stockinette at the top.

I’m going to wash this now  and let it dry overnight – I’m getting excited! TTYL!