Back completed!

I feel so way behind from all of you speedy knitters in this KAL. But when you get going with the parts of this sweater, it seems to knit up pretty fast. Here is the finished back of my Colchique. The ribbing on the top part was completed on the tram while getting to and from work this week- not the ultimate traveling project, sizewise, but what the heck. I love the colour. The yarn is fine, it's been a while since I've used Garnstudios' Karisma. Not overly thrilling, but just fine for this type of sweater, I think.

Finally on track!

Yesterday I finally got the finest yarn I could afford (I really wanted a merino blend, but I got a nice enough superwash wool instead) and got down to business, probably just in time to watch you all finish. I'm starting to realize that I will have to make it longer than what the pattern suggests, since I'm too tall for regular sizes, but that won't be a problem. What bothers me a bit is that I don't have the right gauge, heightwise. In stockinette, which I think would be equal to a stretched godron, I get about 26 instead of the 32 recommended. It's not a problem now, and I think the pt fantasie will be OK, but what happens when I get to the raglan shaping? Is there anyone else who shares my problem?

I think I've got it...

I think I have some clues about the translation below:

First it's just to seam the longer side of the sleeve to the back.

Then you sew the collar with the points arrière on the right side of the work, as in the picture here on the right (from a French knitting magazine).

Then it says to sew the button allowance piece to the front and collar, inverting the seam, so it won't show when you wear the flap down.

Then the tricky part with another color and everything: First you knit one row from the right side and then some rows of stockinette in another color, and then you iron them, for blocking. You knit in another color just so you easily can frog and get an unfinished row for the points arrière.

Voilà!

Final Bits of Pattern, Poorly Translated!

GREEN = HELP!

BUTTON ALLOWANCE

Cast on 7 stitches on a US 5 needle, knit in godron stitch (see stitches used). Place 3 three-row buttonholes 3 stitches from the edge of the work, the first one after 5.5 cm, and the following ones spaced 1) 5.5cm 2) 6cm 3) 6.5cm 4) 7cm 5) 7.5cm. Knit until piece measures 1) 35cm 2) 36cm 3) 37cm 4) 38cm 5) 39cm and cast off loosely.

COLLAR

Cast on 1)2)3) 80 st 4)5) 85 st on US 4 needles. Knit in godron stitch for 15 cm.

I have no idea what this next bit is supposed to mean, although I assume it has something to do with how the collar will be attached... via live stitches, I assume:

Puis faire 1 row endroit sur l'endroit [Then do one row on the right side] et quelques rangs de jersey d'un autre coloris [and some rows of stockinette of another color?], repasser ces rangs de jersey. Il suffira au moment du montage de les detricoter pour retrouver le coloris de base.

Help!

ASSEMBLY

(again, this needs a second eye!)

See the finishing methods on pages 2 and 3. (can someone who has the magazine and knows something about finishing techniques take this one? i am totally ignorant of proper finishing, and I imagine all it will take is looking at the diagram and saying "hey that's mattress stitch!" or something...)

The longer side of the sleeves will be attached at the raglan line to the back. [Attach the right sleeve to the front and back [i presume] but leave the left front seam undone.]

Seam the collar, stitch by stitch, to the back of stitches (?) on the right side of the work??
Seam the button allowance piece alongside the left sleeve and the collar, inverting the seam for the other side? Seam the sides and the sleeves with an invisible seam. Reinforce the buttonholes and sew the buttons on.

* * * * * * * *

For my part, I think I'm pretty much done with all the knitting for the sweater, except setting the collar piece up for finishing. As is obvious from the above, I have no idea what I'm supposed to do there. Anyway, as soon as that's figured out, I'll be blocking all my pieces and seaming up!

Just started!

Here is a really lousy picture of my just-started Colchique. I did the ribbing, which I found to be very "un-rhythmic", and finished the first "cotes fantaisie". Then I see that I have missed one purl stitch in the ribbing... Frog and start over. Oh, the joys of knitting! Anyway, I know I will love this sweater, so I am not put down that easy.

Collar Modification - What do you think?

Hi all,
One last comment for the day... I'm thinking of modifying the collar so that it buttons up all the way rather than leaving the collar button-free and only able to be worn down. That way Colchique could be worn as a turtleneck. Anybody else thinking of doing it this way? What would the drawbacks be? (other than the visual effect of having buttonholes on the edge of the flap when worn down) :-) j

added note to sleeve translation

If you look at the first Colchique Irlandais that Colombette finished with the French KAL it seems evident that the # of rows in the godron stitch in the upper sleeve match the number of rows in the bodice. So, if you changed the # of rows on the back and front for any reason, gauge, length, whatever, you may want to look at adjusting the rows on the upper sleeve to match.

Upper Arm Translation

So last time, we left our hero stranded au bout de the lower arm. Now, moving on...

Square Triangle --> Continue in fantasy stitch no. 1 for 14 cm.

Circle --> When the work measures 35 cm you will have 1) 70 2) 78 3)88 4) 100 5) 110 stitches.

Continue in godron stitch. In the first row of godron, decrease 1) 14 2) 16 3) 18 4) 22 5) 20 stitches across the work. 1) 56 2) 62 3) 74 4) 82 5) 94 stitches remain.

Square --> At 11 cm (36 rows) of godron stitch, form the raglan. Bind off 3 stitches on each side of the work, turn the work and cast on 5 stitches at the edge (to form the area where buttons will be sewn) (jess' note: this will be on the left side of the work).

Then continue the raglan**:
On the right: bind off at the edge
On the left: decrease 5 stitches from the edge

On each side:
1) *4 rows up bind off 1 st, then every other row bind off 1 st over next 4 rows.* Repeat these 8 rows (* to *) 5 times total (40 rows worked). Next, bind off one st every other row 6 times (6 bound off over 12 rows). 52 rows worked.
2) *4 rows up, bind off 1 st, then every other row bind off 1 st over next 6 rows.* Repeat these 10 rows (* to *) 4 times. Next, bind off one st every other row 8 times (8 st bound off over 16 rows). 56 rows worked.
3) Every fourth row, bind off 1 st; do this twice (8 rows worked). Next, bind off 1 st every other row 26 times. (26 sts bound off over 52 rows). 60 rows worked.
4) Bind off 1 st every other row 31 times. (31 sts bound off over 62 rows).
5) *Bind off 2 sts at beginning of next two rows, then bind off 1 st three times every other row over next six rows.* Repeat these 8 rows (* to *) 4 times total (32 rows worked). Next, bind off 1 st every other row 17 times (17 sts bound off over 34 rows). 66 rows worked.

At ...
1) 28.5cm (90 rows)
2) 29.5cm (94 rows)
3) 30.5cm (98 rows)
4) 31.5cm (100 rows)
5) 32.5cm (104 rows)

... of godron bind off...
On the right: 1 stitch every other row
On the left: every other row:
1)2)3) 8 st, then 2 st, then 2 st, then 2 st. (0ver 8? rows)
4)5) 9 st, then 3 st, then 2 st, then 2 st. (over 8? rows)


** A note on modifications: the godron stitch portions on the sleeves, front, and back, are intended to match. So if you made any modifications to the length of the godron portion on the front and back pieces, you will want to make similar modifications here! (Thanks Marji!)

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

The right sleeve is very similar to the left, except easier since you don't have the button thingy. With that one, you pretty much bind off just like you did the front and back pieces, and do the final bind off like the left sleeve only in reverse (right is left and left is right). I finished my sleeves late last night, and am working on the button strip. For those who are getting there, here's a good description of how to do a three-row buttonhole.

On Yarn (again) and Size Conversion!

Yay! I finally ordered my yarn today! I got 15 balls of Goddess Emanuella in dark charcoal. I have some left over from a previous project, so I can cast on...but the sizing folks in Europe don't use inches, so what makes me think that I'd knit the size 36 because I have a 36" chest? I usually wear a 6 or an 8, so does that mean I'd knit a 40 or a 42? Here's a size conversion chart I found...I haven't cast on yet, but I only bought enough yarn for the 2nd size...I hope it's enough!

For those who are at least through the back or front - does it seem to be true to size or do we need to size up?

Working Translation: 10/18/2005

Okay gang, by popular demand, here is our translation in one place. A WARNING to those just starting - this is a working translation, and subject to revision. Your best bet is not to work from this alone, but to work from the French pattern using this as a guidepost. Any feedback / edits / suggestions are appreciated!

Colchique: Working Translation 10/18/2005

SIZES
(1) 4/6 (2) 8/10 (3) 12/14 (4) 16/18 (5) 20/22

YARN
...

NEEDLES
3.5mm / US 4

NOTIONS
2 stitch markers (?)
3 27mm buttons

STITCHES USED
- Cotes fantaisie (see diagram)
- Pt. fantaisie no. 1 and no.2 (see diagrams)
- "Godron stitch": 2 rows of reverse stockinette, 2 rows of stockinette; keep repeating these 4 rows
- Simple decreases 5 stitches from the edge: Proceed in pattern until 7 stitches remain, k2tog, k to end
- Double decreases 5 stitches from the edge: Proceed in pattern until 8 stitches remain, k3tog, k to end
- Stockinette stitch

GAUGE
Important: It is crucial that you choose a yarn that matches gauge (duh).
10 cm = 25 st. and 30 rows of pt. fantaisie no. 1 on US 4 needles
10 cm = 20 st. and 32 rows of Godron stretched length-wise on US 4 needles

BACK
X --> Cast on 1) 104 2) 108 3)120 4) 132 5) 144 stitches. With US 4 needles, knit in "cotes fantaisie" (see diagram), starting with the 1) 3rd 2) first 3) 9th 4) 3rd 5) 11th stitch on the diagram. Work in cotes fantaisie for 12 cm. One of the sections of 4 stitches in stockinette will be at the center of your work.

triangle --> Continue in point fantaisie no. 1 (see diagram) for 14 cm. You will repeat those 16 rows twice, then complete the first 10 rows once.

square triangle --> When the work has reached 26 cm. total, continue in godron stitch... on your first row decrease 1)22 2)20 3)24 4)28 5)28 stitches evenly across the work. 1) 82 2) 88 3) 96 4) 104 5) 116 stitches remain.

square --> Complete 11cm (36 rows) of godron. Form the raglan: bind off 3 stitches on each side of the work (??), then:

sz1) *4 rows up, bind off 1 stitch, two rows up bind off 1 stitch, and another two rows up bind off 1 stitch.* Repeat these rows (* to *) 5 times. (I think this has to mean 5 repeats total, not 1 + 5 repeats, because of the way the numbers work out later, see below) Then, bind off one stitch every other row 9 times (9 bound off over 18 rows).

sz2) *4 rows up, bind off 1 stitch, then bind off 1 stitch every other row over next 6 rows.* Repeat these 10 rows (* to *) 5 times. Then bind off one stitch every other row 11 times.

sz3) Bind off one stitch on the 4th row and 1 stitch on the 8th row. Then bind off one stitch every other row 29 times (29 stitches bound off over 58 rows).

sz4) Bind off one stitch every other row 34 times (34 bound off over 68 rows).

sz5) err, not sure on this one, but I think it's like this:

Row 1: work even
Row 2: bind off 2 stitches each side
Row 3: work even
Row 4: bind off 1 stitches each side
Row 5: work even
Row 6: bind off 1 stitches each side
Row 7: work even
Row 8: bind off 1 stitches each side

Repeat rows 1-8 4 times, then bind off one stitch every other row 20 times. (20 stitches bound off over 40 rows).

Meanwhile, at ...

1) 29 cm (92 rows) 2) 30 cm (96 rows) 3) 31 cm (100 rows) 4) 32 cm (102 rows) 5) 33 cm (106 rows) of godron stitch, form the neckline by binding off the 1)2)3) 12 4)5) 14 center stitches. Then continue one side at a time, binding off the side of the neckline 4 stitches every other row 2 times.

FRONT:

Knit as for back until you have reached the end of the “point fantaisie no. 1" section (work measures 26 cm).

Square triangle:
Continue in Godron stitch and “point fantaisie no. 2” (see diagram) as follows: On the first row, knit across 1) 43 2) 45 3) 51 4) 57 5) 63 sts while decreasing 1) 11 2) 10 3) 12 4) 14 5) 14 sts evenly across these sts, then proceed in “point fantaisie no. 2” for the next 18 sts, then knit across remaining 1) 43 2) 45 3) 51 4) 57 5) 63 while again decreasing 1) 11 2) 10 3) 12 4) 14 5) 14 sts. At this point you will have 1) 82 2) 88 3) 96) 4) 104 5) 116 sts.

Square:
Continue in Godron stitch for 11 cm (36 rows), then bind off 3 sts on each side, then:
1) *4 rows up bind off 1 st, then every other row bind off 1 st over next 4 rows.* Repeat these 8 rows (* to *) 5 times total (40 rows worked). Next, bind off one st every other row 6 times (6 bound off over 12 rows). 52 rows worked.
2) *4 rows up bind off 1 stitch, then every other row bind off 1 st over next 6 rows.* Repeat these 10 rows (* to *) 4 times total (40 rows worked). Next, bind off one st every other row 8 times (8 sts bound off over 16 rows). 56 rows worked.
3) Every fourth row, bind off 1 st; do this twice (8 rows worked). Next, bind off 1 st every other row 26 times. (26 sts bound off over 52 rows). 60 rows worked.
4) Bind off 1 st every other row 31 times. (31 sts bound off over 62 rows).
5) *Bind off 2 sts at beginning of next two rows, then bind off 1 st three times every other row over next six rows.* Repeat these 8 rows (* to *) 4 times total (32 rows worked). Next, bind off 1 st every other row 17 times (17 sts bound off over 34 rows). 66 rows worked.

At this point the Godron stitch section should measure 1) 25 cm (80 rows); 2) 26 cm (84 rows); 3) 27 cm (88 rows); 4) 28 cm (90 rows); 5) 29 cm (94 rows). To form the neckline bind off the center 1)2)3) 10 sts 4)5) 12 sts. Continue knitting one side at a time, binding off at the neckline edge every other row, first binding off 4 sts, next 3 sts, next 2 sts, and lastly, one st.

The Godron stitch section should now measure 1) 28.5 cm (90 rows) 2) 29.5 cm (94 rows) 3) 30.5 cm (98 rows) 4) 31.5 cm (100 rows) 5) 32.5 cm (104 rows). Bind off the remaining 2 sts.

LEFT SLEEVE (Without Thumb)
X --> Cast on 1) 58 2)62 3) 68 4) 72 5) 78 stitches, and knit in cotes fantaisie (see diagram), starting with the 1) 12th 2) 10th 3) 7th 4) 5th 5) 2nd stitch of the diagram.

That's as far as I got before becoming mighty confused. The next line says "Augm. de ch. cote en reconstituant les cotes au fur et a mesure des augm:"

The closest thing to a translation I have is:

"Increase on each side [matching?] the sides as you go along." Doesn't make much sense, does it?

Anyway, the next part is...

my calculations for entire lower sleeve, by size:
size 1) cast on 58 st, work in cotes fantasie beginning with 12th stitch in diagramme. Increase 1 st ea side every 14th row 3 times, then increase 1 st ea side every 16th row 3 times. 70 st, Change from cotes fantasie to pt fantasie #1 after 21 cm (8.25"), continuing increases as written.

size 2) cast on 62 st, work in cotes fantasie beginning with 10th stitch of diagramme. Increase 1 st ea side at 10th row, then increase 1 st ea side every 12th row 7 times. 78 st Change from cotes fantasie to pt fantasie #1 after 21 cm (8.25"), continuing increases as written

size 3) cast on 68 st, work in cotes fantasie beginning with 7th stitch of diagramme. Increase 1 st ea side every 8th row 2 times, then increase 1 st ea side every 10th row 8 times. 88 st Change from cotes fantasie to pt fantasie #1 after 21 cm (8.25"), continuing increases as written

size 4) cast on 72 st, work in cotes fantasie beginning with 5th stitch of diagramme. Increase 1 st ea side every 6th row 7 times, then increase 1 st ea side every 8th row 7 times. 100 st, Change from cotes fantasie to pt fantasie #1 after 21 cm (8.25"), continuing increases as written

size 5) cast on 78 st, work in cotes fantasie beginning with 2nd stitch of diagramme. Increase 1 st ea side every 6th row 15 times, then increase 1 st ea side on the 8th row 1 times. 110 st, Change from cotes fantasie to pt fantasie #1 after 21 cm (8.25"), continuing increases as written add 1 more stitch

Upper sleeve translation to come…

Here's a dark photo of my progress. I'm more than 1/2 through with the right arm and hope to finish by next weekend! I think I'll have to frog and redo the last bit of the left arm, too, because I think I ended the regular decreases a bit too early or something.

Baby Got Back

Well, not the entire back yet but making progress. I love working on this sweater and am so thankful to this group because I never would have attempted the pattern otherwise. I am using a wool/cotton blend and like it because the smooth yarn seems to show off the cable detail well. The attached picture is a bit lousy for color accuracy, but the yarn is Rowan wool cotton in a deep black. I am so relieved to be able to use something from my stash, though the Knitpicks catalog was very tempting -- especially some of those greens. Thanks everyone for the tireless translation, pattern experimentation and corrections. Should a knit-a-long ever attempt a pattern written in Pig Latin, I'm your gal.

Does anyone have any yarn suggestions (brands, that is) for the Colchique sweater? I was thinking sort of a deep charcoal or navy would be nice, but I need a yarn that doesn't shed hairs all over the place. The other person who lives in my apartment is highly allergic to wool, but if it isn't the sort that sheds a lot, he might be alright. Something soft, maybe?

Reading and Planning

i have been checking in for the translation prior to starting and i thank the ladies for your excellent efforts. i'm that knitter that plots and plans before trying it out and one thing i am a bit confused about is the raglan decreases. i am planning the size 2 and i think i am supposed to: a) use the info after the bullet 2 upon starting the decreases
b) (this is the part confusing me) upon starting do i decrease each side so that 2 stitches are lost
or do i just decrease one stitch? i think from previous posts and attempted math it is 2 per
row but i like confirmation.
by the way, i found another web supplier of the pure laine and i am a bit invested in this plug but her shop is in belgium not far from my father's family and my web correspondence has been awesome with her so if you want the suggested yarn, maybe check her out at www.phildarwervik.be nicole is the owner and she'd be happy to see you if you can make it to belgium anytime soon. i'm having color choice issues and trying to stay focused on other projects on needles, but i have envy for all the beautiful pieces featured. thanks again

One week in and I'm well along on the back piece. Am I doing something wrong or are the "ribs" in the godron stitch reverse stockinette-like? For some reason I was expecting them to be more stockinetey the way vertical ribs are.

Anticipating a problem when I get to the neck line BOs: if I'm BOing in the middle of the row, when I'm coming back for the next row, how do I continue the yarn across the "gap?"

In other news, I love the yarn's softness and color (less orangey than this quick pic shows). I've gotten several compliments on the color and pattern already.

Sleevie Wonder

Here's a stab at sleeve math for the smallest size:
(Marji: this should help you, though I don't know what size you're doing...)

58 cast on
+12 increased over cotes fantaisie rib
---
70
-16 decreased in first row of godron stitch
---
54
+ 6 increased in circle portion of godron stitch
---
60
- 6 bound off at start of raglan line
+ 5 increased on one side (??) for the button placket
---
59
-30 bound off on * to * raglan decreases
---
29
-12 bound off on every other row raglan decreases
---
17
- 3 bound off on right side at "A"
- 8 bound off on left side
- 6 bound off on left side
---
0

Looks good to me... anyone else?

As for the pattern translations, I'm pretty sure because the pattern says "tous les 6 rangs et tous les 8 rangs" (tous=every or all) it means every sixth row you increase 1 and every 8th row you increase 1. But then you'd run into problems with row 24 - which is divisible by both 6 and 8. But I'm not sure - perhaps we should ask the french knitalong folks? Can anyone shed some light on this?

I just finished the ribbing portion for my sleeves and admittedly kind of fudged the increasing until I had enough stitches (in fact I left out one round of increases just because my gauge is a little larger). Fudging is not the answer for everyone, but it worked well for me.

more sleeve translation

I've been working on the sleeve translation with a chart and calculator.

Jessica, the way the translation reads it was unclear to me whether I should increase on row 6 and 7 (for the 4th size), or if I should increase every 6th row, then after that increase every 7th row until I reached the right number of stitches to be 40cm across at the underarm before the raglan decreases.
So, I charted it, both to figure out the increases and where the patterns change.

It works out on the graph that the increases are subsequent to each other, not simulaneous.

interestingly, the schematic shows the same sleeve length for all sizes.
The pattern is written with 63 rows of cotes fantasie ribbing, then 42 rows of the cable rib. That is going to result in a sleeve that is 35 cm (13.75") before the godron stitch.
Any change in the sleeve length is going to have to take place in the godron portion, or in the first ribbing (cotes fantasie), or both.
I'm thinking that it won't be a good thing to change the cable rib (pt fantasie #1) section, as that is written for completing the diagramme then 10 rows into the diagramme again, as with the front and back.

Those doing the smaller sizes, check the bicep width against your arm. The pattern is written for a bicep girth of 11" - pretty small.

my calculations for entire lower sleeve, by size:
size 1) cast on 58 st, work in cotes fantasie beginning with 12th stitch in diagramme. Increase 1 st ea side every 14th row 3 times, then increase 1 st ea side every 16th row 3 times. 70 st, Change from cotes fantasie to pt fantasie #1 after 21 cm (8.25"), continuing increases as written.

size 2) cast on 62 st, work in cotes fantasie beginning with 10th stitch of diagramme. Increase 1 st ea side at 10th row, then increase 1 st ea side every 12th row 7 times. 78 st Change from cotes fantasie to pt fantasie #1 after 21 cm (8.25"), continuing increases as written

size 3) cast on 68 st, work in cotes fantasie beginning with 7th stitch of diagramme. Increase 1 st ea side every 8th row 2 times, then increase 1 st ea side every 10th row 8 times. 88 st Change from cotes fantasie to pt fantasie #1 after 21 cm (8.25"), continuing increases as written

size 4) cast on 72 st, work in cotes fantasie beginning with 5th stitch of diagramme. Increase 1 st ea side every 6th row 7 times, then increase 1 st ea side every 8th row 7 times. 100 st, Change from cotes fantasie to pt fantasie #1 after 21 cm (8.25"), continuing increases as written

size 5) cast on 78 st, work in cotes fantasie beginning with 2nd stitch of diagramme. Increase 1 st ea side every 6th row 15 times, then increase 1 st ea side on the 8th row 1 times. 110 st, Change from cotes fantasie to pt fantasie #1 after 21 cm (8.25"), continuing increases as written

I'll be back with more on the raglan shaping as I figure it out.

somebody check my math, ok?

sleeves charted

Again, I charted the sleeves based upon my minimal french interpretation, the diagram in the pattern, what I know about sleeve shaping. I haven't gotten into the raglan shaping though. First raglan I've seen that shapes the left and right sleeve differently. Should make for a nice fit. What is frustrating is that there is no number that I can find for how many stitches you should end up with after all the increases, before you start the raglan shaping. Am I missing something?
Jessica, again, thank you for your diligence in translating this pattern for everyone.

Re the front and fantasie no 2. I've decided that I'm going to begin the diamond pattern immediately after the cable rib and let the amount of leftover plain godron reside under the collar. I'm not up for redrawing the diamond to match my increased number of rows.

To Those Knitting with Merino Style...

Just a note to comment that with Merino Style, on size 5 needles, my stitch gauge is right on, but my row gauge is a bit off, especially on the Godron stitch. I'm knitting the back right now - I added a few extra rows in the first section of ribbing, did the cable section as specified (together they measured 26 cm, as specified). On the Godron section to get to 11 cm I had to knit 44 (rather than 36) rows. Given that that's about 120% of the rows given in the pattern, for the entire Godron section I'm going to knit 120 rather than 100 rows (I'm knitting the 3rd size).

Instead of the section where I'd dec at beg and end of each row, every other row, over 58 rows (for a total of 58 sts), I'll dec over 70 rows as follows:

36 rows, dec every 3rd row at beg and end (-24), and then
34 rows, dec every other row, at beg and end (-34).

So I will have decreased the same number of sts, but over a different number of rows, which reflects the amount my row gauge is off.

Sorry to be so verbose, but thought I might save you Merino Stylers out there some time!

Good luck,
Abby

P.S. Still no camera cord recovery, and we're going to a wedding this weekend! Grr. Will probably cave and buy a new one, and will try to post a picture....

Beginnings of Sleeve Translation

This is a bit of a toughie, and I've had a very long day so forgive any incoherence or typos! Here's what I have so far (this is for the left sleeve WITHOUT the thumbhole):

X --> Cast on 1) 58 2)62 3) 68 4) 72 5) 78 stitches, and knit in cotes fantaisie (see diagram), starting with the 1) 12th 2) 10th 3) 7th 4) 5th 5) 2nd stitch of the diagram.

That's as far as I got before becoming mighty confused. The next line says "Augm. de ch. cote en reconstituant les cotes au fur et a mesure des augm:"

The closest thing to a translation I have is:

"Increase on each side [matching?] the sides as you go along." Doesn't make much sense, does it?

Anyway, the next part is...

1) every 14th row increase 1 stitch three times, end every 16th row increase 1 stitch three times

[aka
Rows 1-13 knit in pattern
Rows 14-17 increase one stitch at end of row??]
Repeat rows 1-17 three times?

Seems like that is on the right track. That way you're adding one two-stitch section of ribbing on each side with each increase section. (At least with the smallest size) Perhaps "Augm. de ch. cote en reconstituant les cotes au fur et a mesure des augm." really does just mean that you should do the increases on each side so that you expand the ribbing pattern outward as you go.

Can anyone confirm or correct this?

Anyway, the other sizes would continue: (again remember this is to be done on each side)
2) 10 rows up, add one stitch, then every 12th row add one stitch 7 times
3) add 1 stitch on the 8th and 16th rows, then every 10th row add 1 stitch 8 times
4) every 6th row add 1 stitch 7 times, and every 8th row add 1 stitch 7 times
5) every 6th row add 1 stitch 15 times, and then 8 rows higher add 1 more stitch

Then continue, following the instructions for the left sleeve with thumbhole at the part marked triangle in square.

First to the Finish Line!

Ferfine at the French knitalong has completed her Colchique! She modified the collar a bit, and will provide a model shot later, so stay tuned.

back is finished

Back is finished, and I am very happy with the raglan decreases. I knit one stitch on the edge (for seam) then did ssk at the beg of knit row and k2tog at end of knit row before last knit stitch; and on purl rows: k1, p2tog, purl to 3 st from the end, ssp2tog, k1. Although between the softness of the alpaca, the darkness of the violet and the texture of the godron st I don't think it would have made any diff if I had just k2tog and p2tog.Now, I didn't count rows on the godron before starting the raglan decreases, but instead used my trusty measure tape....probably a dumb idea. I could say that it was to make accomodation for the boobs, but quite frankly they don't need that much accomodation, and I could say it's because I'm tall, but 5'9 isn't That tall. What happened was, I measured lying flat instead of holding up letting it stretch and this stuff stretches. shoulda coulda woulda counted rows, but didn't.And now, moving on to the front, I realize that I have 50 rows of godron before raglan shaping instead of 36. That is going to affect the fantasie pattern no 2. think that I will start the fantasie 14 rows up, leaving plain godron between the cabled ribbing and the diamond.I'm not going to mind the extra length at all, so I'm not ripping. When I hold it up, it feels perfect.

raglan shaping, bind off or decrease?

Finally I'm getting to the raglan shaping - getting around to knitting it that is.
So, is there a reason that anyone can see that the edge is bound off rather than shaped with decreases? I've never shaped an armhole strictly with bindoffs, so I checked several other patterns I have here, and they all call for decreases after the initial several stitch bind off, not bind offs all the way up.
I'm inclined to decrease at each end of my 'every other rows' shaping rows, rather than binding off every row, for seaming purposes if for no other reason.
also, I ended up graphing it for my size, just to make sure the math worked, and it did ;)
thanks Jessica.

sizing

Just a quick question- I wonder about which size to knit my Colchique in. From experience I think that French sizes are usually quite small. Does anyone have any info about the sizes that Phildar use? Are they smaller than "normal" sizes?
Mia

knitting up the back

Progress on the Irlandais. I'm just to the point of starting the raglan shaping on the back.
The Inca Alpaca is a beautiful yarn, however it doesn't really show the stitch definition as well as a firmer yarn would. Might be a tad soft for this project, but I'm loving it anyway.
Progress is a little slower than it might otherwise be because I'm spending some time working up this stockinette for the Union Square Market Pullover.

On the Front Progress Front

Just a wee progress shot. The godron section was done last night while watching "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas," so I wouldn't be surprised if I find I did something weird and wrong with it!

ps - the color (navy) is all off in this photo, but being that we're in for 40 days and 40 nights of rain here in NYC, it's all I could do to get a photo at all with so little light!

Finally

I finally got my yarn from my PO Box. I'll post progress later. Wow talk about playing catch up. Hopefully mine comes out as well as all of your sweaters :)

Keep your fingers (and toes) crossed for me.

Al

Part II: I Ain't Frontin'

FRONT:

Knit as for back until you have reached the end of the “point fantaisie no. 1" section (work measures 26 cm).

Square triangle:
Continue in Godron stitch and “point fantaisie no. 2” (see diagram) as follows: On the first row, knit across 1) 43 2) 45 3) 51 4) 57 5) 63 sts while decreasing 1) 11 2) 10 3) 12 4) 14 5) 14 sts evenly across these sts, then proceed in “point fantaisie no. 2” for the next 18 sts, then knit across remaining 1) 43 2) 45 3) 51 4) 57 5) 63 while again decreasing 1) 11 2) 10 3) 12 4) 14 5) 14 sts. At this point you will have 1) 82 2) 88 3) 96) 4) 104 5) 116 sts.

Square:
Continue in Godron stitch for 11 cm (36 rows), then bind off 3 sts on each side, then:
1) *4 rows up bind off 1 st, then every other row bind off 1 st over next 4 rows.* Repeat these 8 rows (* to *) 5 times total (40 rows worked). Next, bind off one st every other row 6 times (6 bound off over 12 rows). 52 rows worked.
2) *4 rows up bind off 1 stitch, then every other row bind off 1 st over next 6 rows.* Repeat these 10 rows (* to *) 4 times total (40 rows worked). Next, bind off one st every other row 8 times (8 sts bound off over 16 rows). 56 rows worked.
3) Every fourth row, bind off 1 st; do this twice (8 rows worked). Next, bind off 1 st every other row 26 times. (26 sts bound off over 52 rows). 60 rows worked.
4) Bind off 1 st every other row 31 times. (31 sts bound off over 62 rows).
5) *Bind off 2 sts at beginning of next two rows, then bind off 1 st three times every other row over next six rows.* Repeat these 8 rows (* to *) 4 times total (32 rows worked). Next, bind off 1 st every other row 17 times (17 sts bound off over 34 rows). 66 rows worked.

At this point the Godron stitch section should measure 1) 25 cm (80 rows); 2) 26 cm (84 rows); 3) 27 cm (88 rows); 4) 28 cm (90 rows); 5) 29 cm (94 rows). To form the neckline bind off the center 1)2)3) 10 sts 4)5) 12 sts. Continue knitting one side at a time, binding off at the neckline edge every other row, first binding off 4 sts, next 3 sts, next 2 sts, and lastly, one st.

The Godron stitch section should now measure 1) 28.5 cm (90 rows) 2) 29.5 cm (94 rows) 3) 30.5 cm (98 rows) 4) 31.5 cm (100 rows) 5) 32.5 cm (104 rows). Bind off the remaining 2 sts.

PS I'm up to the beginning of the Godron stitch section on the back, but can't find my darn camera connecty cord thang! Irritating, because the Knitpicks Merino Style is creating a nice result, and I wanted to show those of you working with it as well. Hope to find it among the junk here soon....

My yarn has arrived! Hopefully I'll be able to swatch and get started this weekend. I'm a little anxious but I'm excited about its potential.

Mais Oui

The french participants sure have gotten a lot of progress made for a KAL that 'started' 4 days ago. Funny thing though, yours, Jessica, is furthest along! ;)
I'm loving working on this sweater, it is a nice break from all that relentless stockinette in the round on the Union Square Market Pullover I've also got going. I ended up with a 3 hour delay sitting in the Detroit aiport Sunday night, so got several inches of my ribbing done.

SILKY TWEED

Hi, the yarn called for in the pattern is pure laine 3, 5 (available at http://www.breiweb.nl/). The pure laine has 108 meters or 118 yards per ball. I am using Elsebeth Lavold Silky Tweed, which has 131 yards per hank, so I need 11 hanks for the second smallest size. Sadly I only had a bag of 10 in my stash so I ordered a skein of a different dye lot and am hoping for the best. I purchased my yarn on eBay a while ago, and it is still easy to find there for about $5.50 to $7.50 a hank. Silky tweed is a really nice yarn, it is 8 ply with a subtle sheen and is incredibly soft. I don't think the picture really does it justice. I got gauge using US 4's for my Godron Stitch swatch.

Introduction

Hi!

My name is Mia and I live in Göteborg, Sweden. I know there is one more participant of this KAL from Sweden, Katarina. It was when I read her blog that I found this KAL, which is just what I need!
I saw the Colchique pattern this spring, and fell in love with it immediately. I bought yarn and made swatches. That's about as far that I've come with the project, it's been standing in line for after I finish other stuff. But now it's turn is coming, and I must admit that I have been dreading trying to decipher the pattern- that I have bought in DUTCH from Breiweb.nl... (No, I don't speak Dutch.)
My blog is in Swedish, but I will post about Colchique in English, promise :-)
The yarn I use is Karisma from Garnstudio, a superwash wool that I think will work. (On the swatch-picture, don't look at the slightly orange swatch, that's another project)
See ya!

What yarn is everyone using?

Hi fellow colchiquers! I'm a bit behind on this project - I haven't even bought yarn yet! I was considering Karabella's Aurora 4, which I found on Knit Pixie for $8/ball. The gauge is 5.5 stitches/inch on size 4s (Is that too tight?) Since this pattern doesn't judge gauge in stockinette, what gauge yarns are you guys using? I saw some Knit Picks Merino Style and Cascade 220...any other suggestions? This is always the hardest part for me :)

And They're Off! (Who Will Get the Yellow Jersey?)

The french knitalong has officially begun, but from the looks of the photos posted there it looks like a few folks got a head start! If you haven't checked it out in a few days, check it out now to see wonderful progress shots.