Oh MY It's Been Ages

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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