Colchique-Along (En Anglais!)

Oh MY It's Been Ages

2008-01-27T14:44:00.000-08:00

At long last, I have conquered Colchique as part of a broader campaign to bind off what I cast on. I'm pretty happy with this sweater. Fits very well, and I didn’t have any issues with assembling, despite the fact that I totally made it up as I went along. Having heard that the upper sleeves tending to run big, I decreased additional stitches across those sections. That was the sole mod. Hope to get some wearing in before the weather turns muggy!

some progress

2006-09-18T07:33:00.000-07:00

I haven't knitted that much on my Colchique for quite some time now. I feel a bit bad about this. I really want to finish it. I realized I had forgotten to post a picture of my thumb progress. I wouldn't have been able to make it if it wasn't for this KAL, I'm really glad you guys are out there!

Anyway, here's a photo of thumb number one:

I've almost finished the second sleeve, so I really don't have that much left to do, I just... didn't feel like knitting on it for a while. I do want it finished before winter.

thumb translation

2006-04-07T11:36:00.000-07:00

I just read the last entry, and felt that I of course have to share the translation I have of the thumb part. Now, my pattern was in dutch, so it is translated from dutch. (Thank you, knitting nederlass!) I hope it's helpful!
Here it is:

Continue to knit all stitches in fantasy rib, except for the 13 thumb sts
that you knit in stockinette.
Decrease on both ends of the marked stitches every second row: 6 times a
simple decrease (slip 1, knit 1, psso on the two stitches before marked
stitch and knit together the 2 stitches that follow the marked stitch.) Then 2 rows up, knittog the purl stitch and the marked stitch.

At 9 cm total length, the edge stitch. Place stitch marker and increase on
both sides. (at the same time steadily forming a rib stitch on the increased
stitches.)

Stalled

2006-04-07T01:58:00.000-07:00

I know I made it my mission to decode those damnable thumb loops, but shortly thereafter I....er.......got sidetracked. First there was Petit Chou to knit for some fortunate craftster swapee, and then it occurred to me that my mother's birthday is in less than 3 weeks and that I had mentally sworn to knit her a Butterfly. So....my progress is sort of halted where you see it. Ugh.

so far so good

2006-03-29T11:20:00.000-08:00

I started out by knitting size 3 because that seemed to be closest to my measurements. However, when I'd reached the Godron stitch part, it seemed way to big! And since many of you had noticed that our beloved Colchique had a tendency to end up too big, I decided to frog the whole thing and knit size 2 instead. When I reached the same point again, I realized I'd forgotten to do the stated decreases at the beginning of the godron part the first time I knit it! Oooops! Anyway, size 2 seemed to work anyway, so that's what I'm doing! I've finished the back after some frustrating decisions regarding the raglan decreases. Cast(bind) off or decrease? I went with decreases. Two stitches in from the edge. In hindsight I probably should have done the decreases at the very egde, so they won't be so visible. But I'm not frogging it again! I asked Linster about how she'd done, and it seems she'd chosen the same way to go about it as I did!

Anyway, the back is finished and I've knitted about 15 cm of the front. It's still fun to knit! I'm a bit anxious about the sleeves, since I want to do the thumb thingies... Well, so far so good!

Sleeves avec thumb loops

2006-03-18T22:26:00.000-08:00

Am I the only one who wants the sleeves to have those nifty little thumb loops? Apparently so, for that portion of the pattern hasn't been translated. Anyway, I'm working on the translation right now and will post it when I'm done just in case I'm not the only one who likes the thumb thingers. ^_^

never say never again

2006-03-16T02:02:00.000-08:00

Isn't it funny? Just when I declared that I won't start my Colchique for ages, what do I do? I realize that the perfect project for a particular combination of yarn (that I've been searching for the perfect pattern for) is, of course, the Colchique jumper! Once again, my short sighted-ness had got the better of me.

Anyway, I've started knitting it, and i really enjoy the pattern! I've only done a little cable work on a hat before, but it's so much fun!

Here's my progress on the back so far. I'm using one strand of 2-ply 100% wool from Kampes and one strand of a mohair yarn with glitter. Me using glitter? I can't explain it, I just fell in love with it. Somehow it reminds me of crispy, glittery snow on an early winter morning. Perhaps it shows up more on the detail photo.

I'm a baaaaad KAL:er

2006-03-08T06:30:00.000-08:00

You may wonder, why did I join this knit-a-long? Well, it's quite easy to answer that, really. I love the Colchique jumper and it seems to be fun to knit.

Have I started knitting it? Have I bought the intended yarn? The answer is sadly: no.

I've truly enjoyed reading about everyone's progress and looking at the photos of your lovely jumpers. But I know I probably won't even start this project on this side of Christmas, so I'll give in and confess that I'm a bad KAL:er. There are just too many things I want to knit and I think I somehow jinx the intended project by joining KAL:s or declaring that I will finish it within a certain timeframe.

So, thank you everyone, I'm leaving this great KAL! And if I ever try to join any KAL:s again, please remind me that that is a sure way of me not finishing the intended project...

Best wishes to everyone,
Katarina

more and better pictures

2006-03-07T01:11:00.000-08:00

Here are some better pictures of my Colchique (with special button-closeup for Jessica ;-))

Finally- it's finished!

2006-03-05T14:14:00.000-08:00

Yes- I finally finished seaming up my Colchique, and here she is! Taken with bad light late at night, but I wanted to post right away. If I feel in the mood, I'll get her out for a better photo shoot tomorrow.
I knit Colchique in size M, and was worried that it would be way too tight. French sizes and me are not the best of friends. But, as you see, I didn't have to worry about That. It fits just fine, and I suppose it would have been even nicer in a smaller size.
The best thing with the sweater is the buttons! You can't really see them in the picture, but they are beautiful red mother of pearl buttons that match the color of the sweater perfectly- I love them!

New blog

2006-03-03T03:48:00.000-08:00

Hi,
just wanted to say that I have a new blog: http://miastick.blogspot.com
It's all in Swedish, so maybe it isn't very interesting for all of you English speakers, but I just wanted to tell you in case you click on my name in the sidebar.
Anyway, I am Right now seaming up my Colchique! Yay! Pictures coming up shortly- I hope ;-)

2006-02-24T08:50:00.000-08:00

It took two months to go from this:

to this:
The result - eh. I wore it in public and the consensus is it's "big." Particularly the upper arms but I think overall it's too large. I anticipated a close fitting, tightly knit sweater. This ain't it. The yarn I used (KnitPicks merino style) is stretchy. Blocking it made it even bigger. Perhaps not the best choice as a substitute. Maybe it would have worked better if I had used a smaller needles and knit the smallest size. We will never know.

So it'll sit in my closet until I decide what to do with it. Frog and use the yarn for something else if inspiration hits. Find someone larger than me who would like it. Serve as motivation not to get larger myself. I bummed because I really like the style and it was fun to knit. But I don't have the heart to do it again.

Vestalong!

2006-02-21T13:18:00.000-08:00

Every girl should have a Deep V Argyle Vest, and that's why a friend and myself have started the Vestalong! Come join us and knit Eunny's fabulous vest, perfect for any occasion. March 1st is the kick-off date, so make sure to register and get ya stuff until then. See y'all there!

frogging, just a little this time

2006-02-09T09:02:00.000-08:00

Finally, I finished all my knitting for other people, finally, I sat down to finish my front of my Colchique. I had the last little bit of the Fantasie no1 then the Godron part to finish and then I can seam (I knit my back, then my sleeves, now I'm knitting the front). I allotted some time, finished the Fantasie no1, knit up to the center between the 2 diamonds on the Godron, was figuring out what I want to do in that center as I added length to this sweater, when for some reason I decided to check it against the back. WTF??? I forgot the whole last segment of the two left leaning cables in the fantasie no1.
So yesterday, after a cup of coffee to drown my sorrows in, I frogged all the way back to the end of the cables that I'd knit. Now I'm right back to where I started last week! Waaaa. I want to finish this with some time left to wear it this year - isn't gonna happen.
I've pinned what I have together, I've wrapped the sleeve around my arm - I think I'm going to love this sweater. I'm using Inca Alpaca from Classic Elite, and it is soft enough, and fine enough knit on US4's, that the fabric is everything I could want it to be - soft, drapeable, a little springy. (Unlike the USMP of baby cashmerino knit on 3's that I"m ready to frog the whole thing because the fabric is stiff). It is small enough that there is just the right amount of negative ease.
But I don't think I'm going to wear it this year.
I'm committed to knit a Lady Eleanor during the Olympics starting tomorrow - and I do want to start and finish that in the allotted time frame. And by the end of February here Spring is springing. We won't have weather cool enough for a long sleeve alpaca sweater again until November or December.
Anyway, I do plan to finish this baby right after the Olympics, and come next November I'll be all set.

sleeves...

2006-02-01T08:29:00.000-08:00

Hi there,

anyone else out there still struggling with this darling? Well, I am, and I'm confused... again ;-)
---
Edit: Thanks Linster for your help! I am now on my way again. Still wondering if anyone else is with me, though!

Seaming Up!

2006-01-18T00:18:00.000-08:00

I finished all the pieces and ready to seam them up now~ however, I don't speak french and can't find a complete translation about the collar and the seaming part (I've asked a friend-of-friend to help out but seems that abbreviation in the French pattern is a big challenge for translation). So, I just try out and hope to figure out how the whole thing will work out (magically =P). Here's some picture of it~~

there are few confusion particularly the shoulder cos I kind of don't know where to stop (or start) when the right sleeve join the front. I stop at the point where the sharp decrease on the sleeve~

And then for the colloar, I tried to squeze all the stitches together around cos the collar piece seems a bit small, even after I blocked all the pieces. Turn out, it seems OK~~However, I'm not sure whether the collar should stop till the beinging of the button band, or before the button band. I tentative seam the collar end at where the button band begin on the left sleeve. Is it right?

A few shots around the collar:

Any second opinion on this will be highly appreciated =) Thank you~~~

Owwwww

2006-01-14T00:30:00.000-08:00

I had no idea this pattern would hurt my fingers so much! Stupid too-small needles....

Anyway, I got gauge just fine with US 4s and this peacock blue yarn and have made a very small, very tight amount of progress on the back. Or maybe the front. I haven't decided if I should do the front first so that I can see how it looks in the context of my boobs and not have as much to rip out if does, indeed, look awful or if I should just do the back first because, well, it's supposed to be done first.

Boob-friendly Colchique?

2006-01-11T21:07:00.000-08:00

I've taken to looking at the Colchique with an eye for a possible new project and have come across a major stumbling block: this pattern is going to make my boobs look GINORMOUS. They're quite large already and the combination of high neckline and horizontal ribbing is not going to be flattering. Any ideas as to how I can modify this to be bustiness-friendly?

Question about shaping the upper left sleeve

2006-01-10T23:49:00.000-08:00

I messed up with the whole left sleeve with all the increasing and decreasing so I have to redo the whole thing~sign~this time I'm going to plot out the whole thing on Excel (has anyone do this before?) before I start again. When I study the translation for the upper sleeve, there's something really confusing for me:

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). Then continue the raglan**: On the right: bind off at the edge/ On the left: decrease 5 stitches from the edge
On each side:
*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.

Is that means I immediate decreasee 5 stitiches right after I cast on that 5 stitches (that doesn't make sense to me tho)? or I should incoporate the 'decrease 5 stitiches from the edge' into the raglan? if so, when should I decrease the 5 sts??

Thanks very much for any kind of help!!

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

Thank you very much Marji for your very helpful tips!
At last, I finish the left sleeve. Is it look alright to you all??

Les Colchiques Finis (Gallery of Completed Colchiques)

2006-01-10T07:28:00.000-08:00

Hello Colchiquers! Hurry up and finish your Colchique so I can add your completed sweater to the brand spankin' new Colchique Gallery!

Voici Les Colchiques Finis!

Blogger Experts?

2006-01-09T19:06:00.000-08:00

Does anyone know how to create a static page on blogger? I would like to create a gallery for Les Colchiques Finis!

finishing questions

2006-01-09T09:52:00.000-08:00

It's all together except the buttons. I'm bummed for two reasons:

1) The tops of the sleeves are too wide. It looks like a hockey sweater. The horizontal rib is too stretchy. The whole thing is too big but I can deal with the bottom parts. I suppose I could reknit the entire thing to be smaller but I don't have the will.

2) The button-hole strip. Hopefully I can fix this somehow. I sewed it on along the top and collar but when the collar folds forward you see the back of the seam. That can't be right, can it? I saw someone else's finished picture and I noticed the seam but it looks like the right side out - how do you do that?

I'll post pictures once I get the buttons on but right now I'm not feeling too thrilled about this sweater.

Coming to Terms With Colchique

2006-01-09T09:05:00.000-08:00

With her beautiful finished sweater, Linster has shaken me out of the closet, or in this case out of the bottom of my dresser, with my ends-unwoven Colchique. Her future is uncertain:

Not bad, right? But look:

There are more notes on the pattern and more photos on my blog, here:

http://www.figandplum.com/archives/000604.html

How to shape neck line?

2006-01-07T14:06:00.000-08:00

Hi all~~I am trying to finish the front piece but having a problem. This is my first sweater project and I have no idea how to shape the neckline. As the pattern reads : '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.' -- Is that means I have to break the yarn, work on the side right after the bind off, finish one side, and the attach a new set of yarn to complete the other side?

Any kind of suggestions/ helps are highly appreciated!

Joy

Finished!

2006-01-02T06:08:00.000-08:00

But I'm almost certain I'm the only one still reading this blog...

Anyway, I have now finished my Colchique and wear it all the time. Everything went quite smoothly, no ugly surprises when putting it all together. The sleeves are, as I suspected, slightly wide, as you can see in the picture, and the buttonpieces behave as one can expect and not as in the pattern picture.

Hope to see some more finished Colchiques here soon! I know I'm probably the last to finish, so please post pictures of your darlings.