What's on my hook: swatching

Neither of these ended up being my final swatch.

I would have thought that I've made enough granny squares in my life that I don't need to swatch before beginning a granny-themed pattern proposal, but it turns out I do. The difference between those two squares shows why. I made both with worsted weight yarn, and both are about 4" square. But the gray swatch on the left was done with a J (6mm) hook, while the green square on the right was done with a K (6.5mm) hook. Nearly the same size, but one less round, uses less yarn, and will give the finished product a very different look--more open and "holey." Whether this is a good thing or a bad thing depends on what I want to achieve. Thus the swatching. From the swatch I can also calculate the size of the finished product and the total amount of yarn it will use. It almost makes up for the tedium of making a square, measuring it, making another square with a different hook, ripping out the first one, re-doing it in a different yarn, re-measuring... et cetera.

All of these granny squares are towards another pattern proposal, this time for a yarn company. I can't share further details or photos (most publishers prefer the patterns they publish to not have been plastered all over the internet beforehand, understandably), but so far it's going well. The swatch I'll be submitting is turning out to be gigantic, but such is life with a motif-based afghan, I suppose.

And now it's back to work! Taking a break from crocheting in order to type is probably not an orthopedist-approved action, but at least it's different repetitive motion, right?