Figuring out the sizing of the body
Is it still a swatch if you did a giant swatch?
Tip: pay attention to purpose when choosing material!
Tip: There are two chart types
RS (right side) in stockinette have the cute little arrow.
WS (wrong side) in stockinette has the "ugly" purl bumps.
It is the first thing you must learn to "read" in your knitting. You can see I "misread" my piece, and flipped RS/WS halfway through the swatch. The portion furthest from the needle is WS.
Charts are either written to show RS and WS or assume that all WS are purl to make stockinette and show RS in the chart. For beginners, if the pattern is SIMPLE, written patterns are definitely easier than charts if only for this reason.