Thank you to our guest editor today – Jane Dunning. A class in two-color brioche stitch with Linda Forget will be offered April 20-21 from 1:00 – 3:00 at Sheep and Shawl in South Deerfield, MA. Call 413-3979-3680 to register.
I am so glad that I signed up for the class at the Sheep and Shawl yarn shop for “brioche” knitting. I had tried to learn it from both a book and from an internet video, and it seemed to be very complicated. This class proved that it is not above my ability, and is actually a very pleasant way of knitting, once you get into the rhythm. I was, however, glad that she had us put in a lifeline after a few rows. I lost concentration, at one point, and I was glad to be able to use it. I had chosen a green heather yarn that I came to love, the more that I worked with it. The class was time well spent, a bit of time away, and a new skill to play with. There are two types of brioche… the one color brioche, which I learned this week, is relatively simple, especially if you have the advantage of a good teacher and a small class. The basics are here:
Cast on an even number of stitches.
We cast on 24, using a loose cast on.
Row 1: *Yarn over, (yarn in front) slip 1, knit 1.
Repeat from * across.
Row 2: *Yarn over (yarn in front), slip 1, knit 2 together.
Repeat from * across.
Repeat only row 2 for pattern. Note that with the preparation row you’ll be working on more stitches than you cast on, so plan for that when determining gauge. When ending a project or area of brioche, work the row by eliminating the yarn overs and simply purling 1 and knitting 2 together across, loosely.
You will notice that I have placed a marker on the right side of the piece, so that If I choose to add another color at some point, I can add it on that side.
This makes a soft and “squishy” fabric that is warm and cozy. The two color brioche is a bit more complicated, but produces a fabric that is very dramatic in appearance. Sheep and Shawl in South Deerfield will be offering a course in April so that we can work on the two-color version.
Brioche stitch was named for a type of a light, sweet yeast bread typically in the form of fluffy buttery bun. The stitch was used in 18th century England to create a soft cushion.
This is a dramatic example of two-color brioche stitch. To see more examples of two-color brioche, use this link:
https://www.pinterest.com/source/briochestitch.com/
SHEEP & SHAWL 