It's not like you have to worry about gauge with a scarf, anyway!

And my dirty little secret is that I hate to swatch. So I don't. But because I've been knitting since I was about six, I know how my stitches are compared to most folks. I can look at a pattern and just by seeing the yarn recommended, needle size and cast on amount I can tell from there whether I'll be on their gauge or need to go up or down a needle size.

I'm a renegade!

I never tell this to newbies by the way.