For years I have tried to teach myself how to knit the brioche stitch and have failed until recently. Part of the problem for me has been the specialized abbreviations/terminology that goes along with this special stitch:
brk (brioche knit – also known as a bark) = knit the stitch that was slipped in the previous row together with its yarn over.
brp (brioche purl – also known as a burp) = purl the stitch that was slipped in the previous row together with its yarn over.
There are many other abbreviations, but for now this gives you a snippet of the new vocabulary.
Here is a look at a single colour brioche swatch.
You might be thinking, "Well, this looks just like a big one by one rib. I would fully agree, except when you touch the fabric, it is quite different. Ribbing can be inelastic and stiff which is why it is used at the bottom of sweaters and cuffs. Brioche creates a stretchy, lofty and squishy fabric, meaning is drapes well.
Brioche really shines when a second colour is introduced. The more contrast between the two colours the more beautifully the design shows through. And to top it off the ridges reverse on the wrong side.
brk (brioche knit – also known as a bark) = knit the stitch that was slipped in the previous row together with its yarn over.
brp (brioche purl – also known as a burp) = purl the stitch that was slipped in the previous row together with its yarn over.
There are many other abbreviations, but for now this gives you a snippet of the new vocabulary.
Here is a look at a single colour brioche swatch.
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| Photo from newstitchaday.com |
Brioche really shines when a second colour is introduced. The more contrast between the two colours the more beautifully the design shows through. And to top it off the ridges reverse on the wrong side.
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| Credit for photo to newstitchaday.com |
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| Photo from Happy Knitter YouTube |
This summer I took a class in-person from StevenB and Eva learning the basic stitch. I started and then finished after the class a two colour cowl. It is easier to see your mistakes in two colour than just one so these teachers had us start with that technique.
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| The right side |
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| The reverse side |
There is one problem with brioche knitting that even experienced brioche knitters seem to struggle to address. Should you make a mistake, it is often very, very hard to correct with any other technique than tinking or frogging. Since I am human and just learning, this cowl was begun four times. In the end, however, I was quite pleased with my brioche knitting.
All this is a prelude to being able to knit this shawl.
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| Photo credit to Lesley Ann Robinson |
It is called Dandelion Fields by Lesley Ann Robinson. The dandelions at the top of the shawl are just a bud and then open up to full bloom in the middle, with the bottom edge showing the dandelion going to seed. Eva, one-half the team who taught the class, had made this shawl and I fell for it hard.
Nancy Marchant is the grand wizard of brioche knitting. In North America she may be best known for teaching the brioche stitch to Stephen West. (He by the way has taken off with it.) Nancy, who lives in Amsterdam, has a class on Craftsy that I recently purchased. I am about one-quarter through it, expecting by the end to learn how to do the necessary increases and decreases to make this shawl. It might take some time, but it is on my list of knits to make in 2018.
Two Updates:
First, the floors are done on schedule. Paul suggested we invite lots of people over to see that indeed we can clean.
Second, I found the needle chewing culprit: Mara. Paul and I thought it was more than likely Mike. The poor boy was falsely accused. Mara seeks out my needles even when I am in the room with her.
Two Updates:
First, the floors are done on schedule. Paul suggested we invite lots of people over to see that indeed we can clean.
Second, I found the needle chewing culprit: Mara. Paul and I thought it was more than likely Mike. The poor boy was falsely accused. Mara seeks out my needles even when I am in the room with her.
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