Thursday, January 08, 2009

Free--Micheline, aka Michael


I've been playing with brioche stitch. Before you say "So what?" let me tell you my history with brioche.



My friend, Michael G., who took quite a few classes from me as he began his knitting career said--"Oh, I love the look of this two color brioche hat I found in this great new book of patterns, but I can't figure it out. --blah--blah--blah Wish you'd teach a class--blah--blah--blah.

Okay, I bought the ^&(^*(%^&% book. (Can you see where this is headed?) Tried the pattern--didn't work out--spent hours trying to figure it out--no help online--determined I could conquer this--worked, cussed, worked some more--Got it!!!


Offered the class and NO ONE, especially Michael, signed up. Forgive him? Hell, no! I will harass him forever about this. If you knew Michael, you'd know how much fun that can be.

RESOLVED: Never knit brioche stitch again.

Years pass.
Fisherman Rib, a cousin to brioche, becomes a hot new stitch pattern. I get an itch to knit the two colored brioche--a cowl scarf.

Research. Eureka!!! I find Nancy Marchant's website.

She is the queen of brioche and has enough tutorials online to keep me busy for years.
I-love-this-stitch. (Earlier resolution is null and void. Again, words are eaten.) Brioche is fast, fun, and the fabric is cushy and bouncy (kind of like me). I made three cowl collars.

Here is what I learned.

1. Start with two colors. It is so much easier to see what you are doing.

2. Needle size determines if the pattern is crisp (standard size needle for the yarn)


or slouchy (go up 2 or 3 needle sizes).

Both work well.


3. You only need about 75 yards of each color.---STASH BUSTER!
Here's how I did it!

To knit this project, go to my website.

5 comments:

GLovisa said...

Hi Jane: Well I may not be as good as you at knitting but I could have told you at least 3 years ago about Nancy Marchant. I have taken 2 classes from her and she is a dear friend. I love the brioche stitch. Haven't done anything with it yet but I will. In fact Nancy is coming out with a book, I believe she said the end of '09.

Just ask me I might know some things.

Gay
nams1@comcast.net

Anonymous said...

Too fab, Miss Jane!

Here I am, commenting on your blog...
and because I, too, have caught the Brioche Bug!

... I, too, will be teaching Brioche to the Masses.
(I learned it at the knee of my German auntie - in German, it's called "Patent Muster."
Don't ask about the whole entire sweater... in cotton... I knit... in school in Germany... for a friend.

Aiieee!

Anonymous said...

Wait a minute! I don't recall knowing about that class, but I assure you that if you offered it WHEN I could take it I would take it because I still want to knit the brioche stitch. You ain't heard the end of this yet, lady.

Jane Prater said...

Michael, I know this anonymous comment is from you. So where is my invite to come and knit?

Anonymous said...

Well, I was going to comment but it wouldn't let me..or so I thought. It picked it up anyway!! I would love to knit with you. I will be gone next week, so let's plan a time the following week. Can Harriet come, too?