Other notes

Podcasts:

• Midnight Burger (Chapters 1-4)
• The Bright Sessions (Season 1)
• The Deca Tapes (Season 1)
• The White Vault (1.1-1.7, 2.5-5.10)

August 12, 2026

MC: Filcolana Peruvian in 101 Natural White
CC: Filcolana Peruvian in 804 Merlot

First swatch: 19.5 stitches on 5mm needles (stocking stitch) and 5.5mm needles (colourwork).

I’m usually a very tight knitter so I always size up for the first swatch but not with this yarn, apparently!

August 13, 2026

Second swatch: 20 stitches on 4.5mm needles (stocking stitch) and 5mm (colourwork).

I’m not swatching again because I’m too lazy but will drop down to 4mm and 4.5mm needles. That should give me somewhere between 20.5 and 21 stitches.

August 14, 2026

Checked the second swatch again this morning and it’s now measuring 21 stitches per 10cm on 4.5mm & 5mm needles.

I’m glad I checked because I sometimes have a problem with my bulkier knits “shrinking” after blocking, which is just them springing back, and I never account for that because the swatch seems to be fine.

4.5mm & 5mm needles it is!

August 21, 2026

Finally cast on. Started the back chart.

August 27, 2026

Completed back chart.

August 29, 2026

Picked up stitches for left front. Completed increases and finished left front chart.

Picked up stitches for right front. Completed increases and started right front chart.

August 30, 2026

Finished the right front chart and joined the front pieces together.

I really liked using the long tail cast on to join the front pieces. It’s very neat and such a clever way to carry the contrast colour yarn across. Such a lovely little detail.

Started front armhole chart.

August 31, 2026

Completed front armhole chart.

Joined in the round and started the body chart. Using Patty Lyons’ jogless fair isle technique, as recommended, to create a seamless pattern.

September 1, 2026

Something went wrong with the initial set up of the jogless fair isle and I ended up with a huge ladder.

I’m now redistributing the yarn over the entire round (because there’s so much excess) and then I’ll try the technique again.

If it doesn’t work, or I end up with another ladder, I’ll just accept that knitting in the round is knitting in a spiral.

Fixed the ladder (I hope) and restarted the body chart.

September 2, 2026

Finished first skein of CC yarn on round 9 of the body chart.

I’m going to pick up stitches for the collar next because that’s just my preferred order of knitting.

The ladder I fixed yesterday is still looking okay but I do need to redistribute the yarn every so often in that one column of stitches. I think it’ll block out fine but I may test that theory after knitting the collar.

After a bit of trial and error I managed to pick up enough stitches for the collar. I’ve never knit 2x2 rib before but I really like it! I think it suits the jumper.

September 3, 2026

Knit 18 rounds for the collar before folding it and knitting it down.

I absolutely LOVE the look of the 2x2 ribbing.

September 4, 2026

Continuing with the body chart.

September 6, 2026

Made it to the repeat section of the body chart and finished another skein of the main colour.

I’ll pick up and knit one of the sleeves next (maybe both) because this is a drop shoulder and I just find it easier that way.

Annnnnnddddddddd the perfectionism sets in.

I’ve tried (and failed) to pick up the stitches for the left sleeve SO MANY times. It’s easy to pick up the correct number of stitches, so easy, but you know what isn’t easy? Stopping the contrast colour showing through on the front and back sections. I know there’s probably no way to avoid this (and I’ve looked at enough of the project photos to know I’m just being a fool) but I hate it so much.

I’ll try with a smaller and bigger needle size tomorrow, to see if either of those work, but if not I will just have to learn to live with it :(((((((((((

September 7, 2026

Picking up the stitches with a bigger needle (5mm, the same as the colourwork needle) works! It hides the CC enough that it’s barely noticeable.

I dropped back down to the 4.5mm for the next round, for the increases, and then went back up to 5mm for the bicep chart.

I’m sooooooooo happy it worked because I couldn’t cope with the CC peeking out.

September 9, 2026

Completed bicep chart after a few issues (another ladder appeared when attempting to do the jogless fair isle) and started on the lice pattern.

Will knit 26 rounds before trying on to check the length.

One of the stitches popped out of the sleeve and I’m not even sure how. I wasn’t really happy with how the jogless fair isle thing was working so I’m just going to rip the entire sleeve out and start again.

Well, after this project spends some time in the naughty corner.

September 14, 2026

Frogged the left sleeve.

Picked up stitches for left sleeve (again) using the same method as before.

Stared the bicep chart.

Completed bicep chart and started lice pattern.

This looks significantly better than my last attempt. I’ve really paid attention to which way I’m wrapping my yarn for the jogless technique and I’m knitting on a small circumference needle, rather than doing travelling loop. Both of these changes have made a big difference.

September 16, 2026

Completed lice pattern and started the forearm chart.

September 17, 2026

Completed forearm chart and started cuff chart b.

I’m going to try this on again after finishing the cuff chart. The sleeves seem long on the pattern photos, so I may shorten the sleeve ribbing to fit better.

September 18, 2026

Completed cuff chart b.

September 19, 2026

I’ve tried the jumper on to check the sleeve length and it’s already very close to where I want it to end on my wrist.

Therefore, I’m only going to knit 4cm of ribbing (same length as the body hem), instead of the 7.5cm called for in the pattern. That’ll be approx. 12 rounds of 2x2 before the set up row for the bind off and I’ll see how it looks from there.

(It was 12 rounds of 2x2.)

Completed the left sleeve.

September 20, 2026

Continuing with the body until I finish another ball of yarn (either the MC or the CC) and then I’ll pick up for the right sleeve.

September 26, 2026

Picked stitches up for right sleeve, once again using a 5mm needle to hide the CC and then swapping to a 4.5mm needle for the increase round.

Started bicep chart using 5mm needle.

September 28, 2026

I had issues with the bicep chart again. I’m pretty sure it was in the exact same place as last time but I managed to sort it out without frogging the entire thing so I’m happy.

Started on lice pattern.

October 1, 2026

Completed lice pattern, Started forearm chart.

October 3, 2026

Completed forearm chart and started cuff chart b.

Completed cuff chart b. Changed to 3.5mm needles and started 2x2 ribbing for cuff. I’ll knit 12 rounds before the set up rows to mirror the other sleeve cuff.

October 4, 2026

Completed right sleeve.

I’m not too sure how I feel about the bind off because you have to rearrange the stitches from 2x2 to 1x1 and I don’t love how it looks. If I were to do it again, I’d just try the 2x2 Italian bind off, even if it does have approx. one million steps to remember.

October 5, 2026

Knit 35 rounds of the lice pattern and tried it on. It looks fine so far but it’s very heavy and I think it may grow more than my swatch.

I’m going to do a mid-project block tomorrow while the weather is still fine and decide the length from there.

October 6, 2026

It’s currently blocking and, despite my worst fears, the red did not bleed!!

I sort of knew that it wouldn’t, because the swatch was fine, but there’s a lot more red in the actual jumper than the swatch and you never know what’s going to happen.

October 7, 2026

It blocked beautifully!

I’m going to knit approx 19 more rounds (or however many allows me to end on the last line of the lice repeat) before moving onto the rest of the body chart.

October 11, 2026

Knit 50 rounds of the lice pattern before moving on to the rest of the chart. Finished the body chart and tried it on.

Despite trying this jumper on multiple times before finishing the lice pattern, it is very VERY long. Too long. I’m going to tink back and take out twelve rounds (3 repeats) of the lice pattern.

October 13, 2026

Finally, after three days, I’ve finished tinking back! My hands hurt so much. Someone remind me to never do that ever again.

October 14, 2026

Finished the body chart (again).

October 16, 2026

Knit 12 rounds of 2x2 for the hem.

October 17, 2026

Tried it on and it’s the perfect length! Knit the set up rows and bound off using the Italian bind off.

It just needs to be blocked (and the many, many ends need weaving in) but I’m calling that done.

Final Thoughts

Measurements