Spring OWL - Rule Changes

The new rules for OWLs this term haven't been up more than a couple days and I'm already annoyed. Not with the new rules but the reactions the rules are getting. The two new rules are

1) Swatching is mandatory.

2) 50% by June 30th.

It used to be 33% by the end of month two and I have reached the 33% but never finished. So I'm a little worried but not too much. I'm absolutely in love with the sweater I'll be making. What I don't like is how everyone is bitching about how they have to swatch. Swatching doesn't always have to mean to get the correct gauge. I swatched last term for my bat shawl because I wanted to see how the yarn would work out to be. That's what I think swatching is really all about. I don't do it much - just for my larger projects.

But I still think people should realize that the OWL examiners aren't out to make things harder - they want to see us succeed.