Swatching is one of those things that a lot of people don't do, even though they should. Swatching is basically the flossing of the knitting world. (And not just because those of us who do it regularly can be incredibly sanctimonious about it.)
I don't always swatch. If I have a pretty good idea what the yarn is going to do, I don't bother. But I accept the fact that I may have to rip back and re-knit it, if the gauge turns out wrong. I am familiar enough with my regular yarns (like Cascade 220) that I can predict fairly well what they are going to do, even if I'm doing something new-to-me with them. But you should be clear with yourself between "what I am pretty sure is going to happen" and "what I want to happen and if I think it will happen it probably will."
This is a lesson that applies to other aspects of life, as well.
When you swatch a new yarn, it is critical that you wash it the same way you plan to wash the finished garment. If it's a machine-washable yarn and you're making a baby sweater as a gift, then be sure to toss that swatch into the laundry.
You could hand-wash it, but that's not how it's going to be treated. Better run that sucker through the dryer with your other laundry, too, because I can pretty much guarantee that the new mother is not going to lay it out and pat it gently into shape and wait for it to dry.
I often find my biggest surprises after washing. A lot of yarns feel stiff in hand, which can trick you into knitting them at too loose a gauge. After the sizing washes off, the swatch collapses into a loose puddle (this is politely known as "drape") and you discover that you really want to go down a needle size.
Swatching: it matters!
Image courtesy Flickr/amazing_podgirl
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