Last year, I wanted to learn a couple of new techniques — brioche knitting and Tunisian crochet (aka afghan stitch). I didn’t actually get around to them. (Surprise! I was busy!) This year, I’m trying again, and I’ve already made a decent start on learning brioche.
Brioche stitch creates a thick, reversible fabric. It can be worked in a single color or multiples. First, I worked with one color, trying the basic brioche in both knitting and purling.
Knitted brioche stitch, one color
Purled brioche stitch, one color
Then I moved on to two colors, and that’s when I had problems. What are those weird diagonal stitches?
First attempt at two-color brioche knitting.
Okay, maybe I’m doing the wyif (with yarn in front) in front wrong, or maybe that’s not really what it means. Let’s try holding it in back. Oh, no — that’s definitely wrong!
Knitted brioche, two colors, holding yarn to the back.
Knitted brioche, two colors, yarn held to the back, reverse side.
Okay, there’s nothing for it. Time to admit that it’s my unorthodox knitting technique (I prefer to knit through the back of the stitches) that’s at fault. Try it the normal way — hey, it works! Granted, there are problems with some of the stitches, but I’ve solved the pattern issue.
Knitted brioche, two colors, working at last
Knitted brioche, two colors, working at last, reverse side
One last tweak: trying two yarns closer together in weight. Still having some issues with my tension, but that should smooth out with practice.
Knitted brioche, two colors, even yarn weights, in progress
Knitted brioche, two colors, even yarn weights, in progress, reverse side
And once I get the stitch fairly consistent, I have other things to work on: increases, decreases, crossed stitches, and cables! And then? I need a project. I might start with something basic like a scarf, but that doesn’t seem like me unless I do a cabled scarf. Or maybe I’ll try my hand at a pair of socks or a shawl. There are lots of choices out there!