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.

sleeve with thumb

2005-12-17T01:47:00.000-08:00

Awfully quiet here nowadays... And I must say that I am one of the guilty ones, Colchique hasn't been much worked on lately. The reason is- I'm stuck! I am working the pattern in Dutch (which I don't speak), and I want to make the sleeve with the thumb thing, which is one of the really cool things about this sweater in my opinion. But the dutch description is really hard to understand and I am stuck. I have contacted a dutch blogger who agreed to help, but haven't heard from her. Anyone else working the sleeve with thumb, who can help me?

2005-12-06T13:49:00.000-08:00

The four major pieces are complete. The thought of the collar has frozen me in time. Has anyone done it yet? And attached it? The other color bit - if the purpose is to have live stitches, can I just put them on a holder instead? I need help to get over this hump otherwise this sweater will never see the light of day!

UPDATE: The additional button piece - it'll attach to the front along the left arm area, right? As I was working on it it seemed a little long - does it continue up and attach to the collar, too?

More help for the non-French speakers!

2005-11-25T08:11:00.000-08:00

Hi guys!

I just got this email from Sylvie at Chez Plum and thought it would be really great to post here. I posted the link on the Tendances KAL too. Not only is the translation useful, she links to some free patterns! Thanks Sylvie!

Hi,
I just wrote an article (in the new online mag Knitting Fog) entitled "knitting from the french" with a french to english dictionary of knitting words (plus links to free patterns in french - click the pics).. Just thought some of you might be interested.

It's there : http://www.knittingfog.net/stitchery.html

Thanks
sylvie

Aren't the sleeves too wide?

2005-11-23T08:02:00.000-08:00

I don't have very skinny arms, but after finishing one sleeve I don't think it will fit me like it does the pretty model girl. It seems a bit too wide for the cable to stretch and look as beautiful as it could. I've knitted a couple of inches on sleeve no 2, but maybe I should reconsider and knit them slimmer? Hm... How has it turned out for the rest of you? Any suggestions?

2005-11-16T11:51:00.000-08:00

I'm nearly finished with the first arm but things are on hold for holiday knitting.

Quick Q: Other than doing the decreases on the opposite sides, what's different about the other sleeve?

Right behind y'all

2005-11-16T03:59:00.000-08:00

After finally reaching the godron on the front and the very exciting point fantasie No 2 I discovered that the godron I've made on the back was not the same as in the pattern. I made it 3 stockinette + 3 reverse stockinette instead of 2+2. I realized it would cause problems with the diamond pattern and that it would probably look better with the slightly neater 2+2, so I'm looking forward to reknitting half of the back. A few hours later I misplaced the cable in the first diamond and had to frog 3 cm. Grrr!
ER is great knitting television, not too demanding and you also don't miss out on anything by not looking, but Desperate Housewives really messed things up for me. I knitted too far, had to frog, forgot to decrease... Last night was the last episode of the first season, so those gals won't bother me for a couple of months now.

I'm done with the front now, anyway, but had to frog half of the back, but I'm still having fun. I will start the sleeves as soon as I can. My boyfriend's mom told me that if you knit both sleeves at the same time, on the same needles but with separate skeins, you can be quite sure they will turn out the same. Great idea, well worth a try!

sleeves finished

2005-11-15T05:46:00.000-08:00

over the weekend I finished knitting the sleeves - what fun that was to knit the top of the left sleeve and watch that corner turn the godron ribs on the button band. So I cast on for the front (I know, I knit the sleeves after the back and before the front, that way I don't end up with ufo's waiting on sleeves), and am finally just about done with the lower portion of the ribbing. After getting this far on it, I've developed a way of counting that rib that keeps me on track without having to watch each stitch - that unrythmic knitting that Mia referred to.

I need to learn to knit continental style so that my knitting goes faster. I'm forever in awe of people like Jessica and Eunny who get so much done - part of it is that they aren't taking the time to throw that yarn over the needle on each stitch. Problem is, I'm always in the middle of too many projects to change the way I knit. need to finish up everything that is in progress, then work on learning to knit differently.

Mia, your blog disappeared

2005-11-11T18:11:00.000-08:00

Mia,
for some reason, your blog has disappeared from the links in the blogger universe. I tried to see your other white lace glove, and I can't get there. Is is blogger or have you changed URL?

Brain Freeze on Raglan Decreases

2005-11-09T21:52:00.000-08:00

Everyone's back decreases look great, and I'm trying to catch up but am totally stumped. I am doing size 1 and have gotten to the "bind off one stitch every other row 9 times (9 bound off over 18 rows)" At first I was confused b/c every other row would mean decreasing on only one side of the sweater. Reading through the sept 28th post, someone suggests to decrease one stitsch on *each* side every other row. But if that is done over 18 rows, won't that be decreasing 18 stitches over 18 rows instead of 9?

All suggestions welcome !
Chris

one of these things is not like the others

2005-11-04T05:27:00.000-08:00

I interpreted the chart incorrectly/started the chart on the wrong row on the pt. fantasie no. 2 section of the colchique. I was supposed to keep the horizontal ribs next to the diamond pattern in sync with the rest of the horiz. ribs in the front.

I didn't realize it until I finished the first diamond. I don't think I'll go back, because I don't mind it too much. I still love working with this pattern, even though my front is a bit of a mutant.

Great progress!

2005-11-01T02:49:00.000-08:00

This is why I won't pass this course that ends today: I've done some great progress on my colchique! It's a wonderful project, with just enough things happening every row and then, and it's quite a quick knit, too. As I've read other people's knitblogs, I've realized that I'm what you would call a "slow knitter" who takes moths to finish projects. Last winter I made a shawl collar cardigan, and it took me six months! This summer, during vacation and such I finished a shawl collar sweater (shawl collars are so stylish!) for my boyfriend in only two months, which is definitely a personal record. This current project may therefore become a new personal best, and I hope it will be done by X-mas when I'm going up north *brr* to see my mom.

Back completed!

2005-10-30T01:17:00.000-08:00

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!

2005-10-28T03:05:00.000-07:00

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?

On to the sleeves

2005-10-24T18:58:00.000-07:00

I finished the front and back. Now, it is on to the sleeves. After my initial problems with the raglan decreases on the back, the front went fast with out any problems.

I think I've got it...

2005-10-23T10:30:00.000-07:00

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!

2005-10-22T08:44:00.000-07:00

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!

raglan question revisited

2005-10-20T18:00:00.000-07:00

not to belabor the question, but I'm having trouble with the raglan decrease instructions for the back in size #4 after the first set of bind off stitches

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

if they bind off is to be symmetrical and one st on each side as you go along, am I binding off/decreasing 68 stitches over 68 rows, rather than 34 stitches? or is it to bind off/dec one stitch on each side every 4th row for a total of 34 stitches decreased over 68 rows?

sorry for the confusion, I just don't want to feel like the incredible hulk, ready to burst from the seams of my lovely colchique!

Just started!

2005-10-20T08:24:00.000-07:00

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?

2005-10-20T07:37:00.000-07:00

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

2005-10-20T07:16:00.000-07:00

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

2005-10-20T06:20:00.000-07:00

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!

2005-10-18T18:17:00.000-07:00

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

2005-10-18T12:58:00.000-07:00

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…

2005-10-17T06:22:00.000-07:00

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

2005-10-17T05:28:00.000-07:00

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.

2005-10-16T19:37:00.000-07:00

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

2005-10-15T23:04:00.000-07:00

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

2005-10-14T08:37:00.000-07:00

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

2005-10-13T19:09:00.000-07:00

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

2005-10-13T17:56:00.000-07:00

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

2005-10-13T08:21:00.000-07:00

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...

2005-10-12T19:44:00.000-07:00

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

2005-10-11T20:44:00.000-07:00

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.

Decreasing

2005-10-11T14:59:00.000-07:00

I have already posted about my confusion with the back raglan decreases. But, here I am again thinking that I am doing something very wrong. I have been following the directions below

1) *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 8 rows (* to *) 5 times. Then, bind off one stitch every other row 9 times (9 bound off over 18 rows).

2) *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.

3) 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).

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

5) err, not sure on this one, but I think it's like this:Row 1: work evenRow 2: bind off 2 stitches each sideRow 3: work evenRow 4: bind off 1 stitches each sideRow 5: work evenRow 6: bind off 1 stitches each sideRow 7: work evenRow 8: bind off 1 stitches each sideRepeat rows 1-8 4 times, then bind off one stitch every other row 20 times. (20 stitches bound off over 40 rows).

Work 3 rows even.

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.

On the decrease rows I have been k2tog or p2tog at the beginning and end of the row. Should I have been only decreasing at one edge of the row. Because now I have reached bullet number 2 above and do not have enough stitches to follow the directions above. But, my back is now nearly long enough to reach my neck and completing another ~250 rows before reaching the neck can not be correct.

I am clearly missing some step here and need some help in figuring it out. It seems like I should just follow my decreases on every 4th, 2nd, 2nd & 2nd row until I reach the center BO for the neck opening. Then continue decreasing until there are no stitches.

Also, when the pattern says "rows", that means one rib of the godron stitch?

Eeek.

First to the Finish Line!

2005-10-11T13:32:00.000-07:00

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.

I've only just begun

2005-10-11T06:14:00.000-07:00

My knitpicks yarn arrived in about 24 hours, and the rainy weekend in Boston allowed me to get started on the back. So far, I'm just following the diagram, and it seems to be going okay. The yarn does look a lot like asparagus (or guacamole) in real life, less of this grassy-seafoam color. here's the progress so far:

back is finished

2005-10-10T12:47:00.000-07:00

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.

Back of the Pack

2005-10-09T10:54:00.000-07:00

Hello! I just got my yarn on Thursday at my LYS . 20% off as it was last years color palette. It is actually more green looking, kinda khaki green, than the photo shows. I have completed the back ribbing portion after ripping it out the first time, as I got confused about when to start the cables. I did a gauge swatch before starting and got approximate gauge, sort of, but didn't want to move up to a size 5 needle......hopefully I won't regret this........
I thought the "diagramme" must be kind of self explanatory easy; so didn't think too much about it. In another one of my village-idiot moments, I thought the blank boxes must mean knit, and the lines must mean purl. Now that I am at the cables I see that this must not be the case.......unless the cables are done fromthe purl side. So I am trying to reconfigure my front and back to make this work out. Think I will just skip a row.

raglan shaping, bind off or decrease?

2005-10-09T09:15:00.000-07:00

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

2005-10-08T21:20:00.000-07:00

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

2005-10-08T13:41:00.000-07:00

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

2005-10-08T08:09:00.001-07:00

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!

Confused: Back Raglan Decreases

2005-10-07T09:19:00.000-07:00

I just finished casting off 3 stitches at the end of 2 rows and am confused about the directions for the raglan decreases.

In the Sept 30th translation it says that the 8 row repeat should be done over 63 rows. But, where are the additional 23 rows coming from?
1) *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)This whole section should last 63 rows, right? (making # of godron stitch rows total after these decreases 99).

Sorry, for all the confusion. I hope my post makes sense.

Finally

2005-10-07T09:07:00.000-07:00

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'

2005-10-05T17:04:00.000-07:00

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....

swatching has begun

2005-10-05T05:24:00.000-07:00

I began by swatching the Godron stitch last night. I had one of those moments where I thought maybe I had forgotten how to knit, since I wasn't used to counting rows in the horizontal ribbing. It was kind of silly, but has been overcome. Working with this foreign language pattern will probably remind me of lots of things that I take for granted or bluff my way through when I'm knitting.

I ordered my yarn today as well...knit picks merino style in Asparagus. I can't wait for it to come so I can get started.

2005-10-04T07:32:00.000-07:00

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

2005-10-04T05:25:00.000-07:00

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

2005-10-04T00:43:00.000-07:00

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

2005-10-03T23:54:00.000-07:00

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?

2005-10-03T22:42:00.000-07:00

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?)

2005-10-03T15:33:00.000-07:00

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.

My Progress

2005-10-02T00:37:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I bought some Cascade 220 in color 8012, a light tan to start my sweater. Here is a shot of my progress so far, sorry for the blurry shot but it's the best I could get.

So far I am really happy with the color and yarn choice. Thanks Jessica for the translation, seeing as my French is limited to a few catch phrases.

Progress Shot + More on Raglan and Bind Off

2005-09-30T05:59:00.000-07:00

First progress shot:

So I started on the raglan line and am now having doubts about the translation. At this point it's nothing specific, just, you know, the general feeling that I'm doing something wrong. Does anyone else have any thoughts on the translation?

Okay, here's where we left off.

On both sides...
1) *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)

Is that correct?

Anyway, here's a stab at the next bit:

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.

The math seems to confirm this as right, at least for the smallest size (someone please check this!)

76 (starting # after initial bind-off of 3 on each side)
-30 (bound off during 8-row repeats, assuming 5 repeats)
-18 (bound off during every-other-row repeats)
-12 (center neckline bind off)
- 8 (right side neckline bind off)
- 8 (left side neckline bind off)
----
0 stitches remain

Given the fact that there's some overlap between the neckline and raglan decreases, how many stitches should be the needles when you get to the neckline decreases? I am probably almost there, but think I might have left out or included a few raglan bind-offs. I'd rather make up for it before getting to the neckline, so it would be nice to know how many I'm supposed to have when I get there.

In the search for the definition of "encolure," I found this knitting term translation page, which is more comprehensive than the other one.

my take

2005-09-29T12:34:00.000-07:00

I gave translating it a shot. You can see what I came up with on my blog. I couldn't interpret some stuff and I didn't reword everything so it doesn't make perfect sense. Jess's much better.

I ordered Merino Style from Knitpicks - 12 skeins for the 2nd size in harvest. I hope I like the color and got enough of it.

I wasn't planning on starting this sweater so soon but working on the pattern has me itching to cast on. I can't wait to get started.

Raglan Line Translation - In Progress

2005-09-28T22:46:00.000-07:00

Success! Valette over at the French knitalong has come to our rescue. She translated the first size, and I went ahead and did the others. Please be on the lookout for errors!

The only question I have now is probably not about the pattern, but rather, about knitting. How do you make this work on both sides simultaneously? Can you bind off at both the beginning and the end of a row?

ANSWER (from Stephie, on the French knitalong): You have to bind off one stitch on each side. When I have to bind off stitches at the end of a row, I just do it on the beginning of the next row (WS). It makes it easier for me :)

Valette reminds us that this method is ok for the front and back, but not for the sleeves, which use the decreases described in "stitches used."

Anyway, on with the translation

Raglan line translation:

square --> At 11 cm of godron (36 rows), form the raglan by binding off on each side: 3 stitches, then:

1) *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 8 rows (* to *) 5 times. Then, bind off one stitch every other row 9 times (9 bound off over 18 rows).

2) *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.

3) 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).

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

5) 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).

Work 3 rows even.

I'm working with the raglan line for the back, and am a bit stuck on the translation. To fuel your linguistic sleuthing, here's a useful discussion of another French raglan decrease, and a very helpful illustration of said decrease.

This is to be done on both sides:

POSSIBILITY A
1) *4 rows up, bind off 1 stitch, and two rows after that, bind off 2 stitches.* Repeat * to * 5 times.

Then bind off one stitch every 2nd row until you've bound off 9 more stitches (over 18 rows).

OR

POSSIBILITY B
1) *4 rows up, bind off 1 stitch, and every two rows bind off 2 stitches.*
Repeat * to * 5 times.

Then bind off one stitch every 2nd row until you've bound off 9 more stitches (over 18 rows).

Possibility A seems more likely to me; I'm not even sure I understand what it means to say "every two rows do X" when that itself is within a command to repeat. But then, the pattern uses the word "tout," so I'm not sure how to interpret that. Perhaps a little help from our French friends?

2005-09-28T16:04:00.000-07:00

Today I ended up buying this Inca Alpaca yarn, (so much for using something I already owned)

I swatched it in the store to make sure that it would work - had the directions with me, and swatched the ribbing before it gets into the Fantasie 1. I got gauge, and fell in love with the purple and the soft alpaca, so this is it.

I may just cast on tonight.

And thank you Jessica for posting the english translation. I printed it out, and it will help immensely.

Swatching tonight!

2005-09-28T15:36:00.000-07:00

I am hoping that the Debbie Bliss Wool Cotton I got on sale last week (couldn't pass it up for $3.79 a ball at Herrschners Online) will work. I'm not entirely confident, since the gauge listed on the ball is 25 st/4 in on US3 needles. I'm guessing the fabric might be too open on size 5s. I will let everyone know how it goes.

And, Jessica, thanks for posting the traslation, part 1. I can't wait to get started and to see your (and everyone's) progress pictures!

Julia

Translation Pt. 1

2005-09-28T06:21:00.000-07:00

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:

....

Here's where I am so far. I hope this is sort of right. I've placed question marks where I've been unsure. So far my progress looks normal, thank goodness! I'll post photos soon. Hope this helps those of you who are itching to get started!

On Needles and Yarn

2005-09-27T13:42:00.000-07:00

Abby posted a comment with a great question:

"I was wondering... this is for a worsted weight yarn, and the gauge'll be 21-25 sts/4 in, depending on the st used, but on size 4(!) needles? I was perusing the french kal and saw some exclamations about this over there as well. Apparently size 4 needles do indeed produce something "joli mais extrèmement serré" (pretty but very tight), while size 5s create a too-loose gauge, and doesn't look at good. I suppose the size 4 thang is right, given that the photo makes the resultant fabric look pretty dense - that's part of its appeal.

Also, given that it calls for size 4s, I'm thinking of using my sweater-sized stash of Knitpicks elegance, which is DK, and maybe bumping my needles up to 5s. Any thoughts - do you think this 70% alpaca/30% silk yarn would have too much drape for a part-cables sweater?"

On needle size, I thought Pure Laine 3,5 was a DK weight yarn. According to this shop, it's 21 st = 4". It seems like Knitpicks Elegance (I think the silk would be nice) or Merino Style would substitute well.

Being too eager to wait for the other knitters on the French knitalong, I started with my yarn-of-undisclosed gauge (bought at School Products in bulk) on size 5 needles because I feared overly-constricting the cashmere. I measured gauge not by doing a swatch in the actual patterns (nooo that would have been too smart!) but seeing whether I could match the 21st/4" in stockinette one is supposed to achieve with Pure Laine 3.5. It seemed to work on 5s, but...

Although I love the resulting plush fabric, I fear the end result might be too large. Unstretched, it's several cms under the 40 cm the pattern predicts for the smallest size, but stretched out, it seems to be way over the 40 cm. Does anyone know the proper way to measure ribbed fabric to see whether it matches gauge... stretched or unstretched?

Joining the Knitalong

2005-09-27T06:23:00.000-07:00

I'm glad there has been some interest! Just want to clarify: I can't add you to the knitalong unless you provide the following information on the comments to the 9/26 entry:

(1) your first name
(2) your e-mail address
(3) your blog URL (preferred, but not required)

Thanks!
Jessica

Welcome to the Colchique Knitalong, English Version!

2005-09-26T18:57:00.000-07:00

It's somewhat well known that the French are a stylin' bunch of people. So it's no surprise that their knitting patterns leave most American ones in the dust.

A while back, I posted a photo of this lovely sweater, from the 2004 issue of Phildar Irlandais, on my blog:

Oohs and aahs followed, but many of us were intimidated by the thought of translating a pattern from French. But you know what? Together, and with a little help from our French counterparts, I'll bet we can do it! (Even if we are a little fumbly along the way)

Valette, who founded the French knitalong (or "tricotons ensemble"), named this sweater "Colchique," after a flower that blooms in autumn.

So, if you're feeling linguistically adventurous and love Colchique as much as I, join up. First, download the pattern (en francais!).

*****Then, to join, just leave a comment below with

(1) your name,
(2) your blog URL, and
(3) your e-mail address,

and I'll add you to the sidebar.*****

And don't forget to save the button at left to post on your blog!