Learning to swatch

Last night was the municipal election results night. What better to do at the election party than to knit a needed swatch, finally, for a project you've been thinking about for weeks? After finishing the swatch I was less convinced than ever about the idea... I'm starting to think that I'll not let myself become excited about an idea before I've done at least some swatching to develop/research it. Finally I'm learning to appreciate swatching. It's actually fun to knit small pieces and you can stumble upon great ideas by testing whatever comes to mind. Is this swatch a successful one? I'm not sure if I like the way the holsters look, and the part that will not be visible when the cowl is buttoned up does not lie as flat as it should. 

The swatch is not finished since I want to try adding the buttons and button loops I would for the final cowl: I'll see if that changes the flatness problem. I'm still procrastinating on making the decision of whether to attach the holsters to the stockinette edges or not. It's not really visible in the picture but I tried both ways in this swatch. 

I've also begun knitting the 1st real test version of the cowl. I started with provisional cast-on with a circ instead of waste yarn. That was not a great decision since the circ kept hitting my thighs and was so stiff that knitting the following rows wasn't easy. With 160 stitches per row it does annoy you for a while. However, the edge that is made by knitting the live stitches together with the stitches left by the cast on is very beautiful to me, so I think that I'll keep the provisional cast on in the pattern but suggest using waste yarn. Also, I don't really like finishing, i.e. sewing, so I much prefer knitting the edge together over sewing it. Even if it took more time to knit it. I'll create a way to knit the neck edge together as well. 

This really is how far I can knit without making some decisions. The size of the cowl seems okay. Here it is around my neck yesterday: 

I'm working on this cowl more than anything to test writing a pattern. I imagine I'll move on to more interesting knitting and ideas rather soon. I'm dying to write about the possibilities I see in knitting and what I want to create... Well, actually I've got a more interesting version of this cowl planned, I'll first knit the 1st finished version and move on to that.