December 30, 2011

Yarn:  Rowan RYC Cashsoft DK, 57% Wool, 33% Microfiber, 10% Cashmere, in Mirage

Needle: 4 mm / US 6

Gauge: 4.5 stitches and 7 rows per inch

Stitch Pattern: Elvis' Brioche Stitch

Source: BriocheStitch.com

Comments: This stitch is why I love the internet.  As you saw in earlier posts, I was using the Brioche Stitch website to try out a number of different brioche stitches.  When I tried this one, I couldn't make it work - something in the pattern just wasn't right.  So I emailed Nancy Marchant, the author of the site, and 2 days later she emailed me back!  At first it looked like she wasn't going to be able to review and revise her pattern, but not 4 days later, there it was in my inbox!  Thanks so much Nancy!  This pattern is reverse-engineered from a sweater worn by Elvis - you can see a photo if you click the link above.  But be warned - as of my writing this (Jan 1/12), the pattern on the site is not yet the correct version.  Please email Nancy if you want a copy - I don't have the rights to distribute the pattern!

December 22, 2011

Right Side

Wrong Side

Yarn: King Cole Merino Blend DK, 100% Superwash Wool, in Wildrose. and Berocco Ultra Alpaca Worsted, 50% Alpaca/50% Wool in Boysenberry Mix

Needles: 4 mm / 7 US

Gauge: 4 stitches and 5 rows per inch

Stitch Pattern: Two-Colour Brioche Stitch

Source: BriocheStitch.com

Comments: Isn't this just the coolest stitch?!  I love the effect of the two colours, and think you could to lots with this design... what if you changed the background yarn, so that it faded from dark to light, or from one colour to another....  Technically, there's no way to differentiate between the right and wrong sides (except for the cast-on and cast-off rows), so you could be really creative with it.  Work it on slightly too-small needles for the best smooshyness.

December 21, 2011

Yarn: King Cole Merino Blend DK, 100% Superwash Wool, in Copper

Needles: 4 mm / 6 US

Gauge: 4-ish stitches and 4 rows per inch - its not easy to measure the stitches on this one

Stitch Pattern: Crossed Brioche Stitch

Source: BriocheStitch.com

Comments: Another of the one-colour brioche stitch variations.  Can you see my mistake in the centre?  The stitch is made by crossing one YO over another, and this mistake happened when I crossed them over in the wrong order.  It helps if you pay attention while knitting, especially when you're tired.  :)

December 20, 2011

Yarn: Some kind of worsted weight yarn, hand-dyed red by Kate, and passed on to me via Darcy.

Needles: 4.5 mm / 7 US

Gauge: 3.5 stitches and 5 rows per inch 

Stitch Pattern: Plain Brioche Stitch (non-symmetrical)

Source: BriocheStitch.com

Comments: I was using this stitch in a cowl, and decided to try it with this yarn also.  Check out the depth of this otherwise basic ribbed fabric:

Check out Briochestitch.com if you want to try this stitch.  The author has chosen to create a new set of abbreviations to explain how to work these stitches, but once you figure them you can try a whole bunch of different stitches.

February 25, 2011

Yarn: Cascade 220 100% wool, in beige (not that you can tell from this photo!)

Needles: 5 mm / US 8

Gauge: 4.25 stitches x 7 rows per inch

Stitch Pattern: Fluffy Brioche Stitch

Source: BW2, p. 220.

Comments:  This one is a true Brioche Stitch (although I think I'll have to do a little more research to find out exactly what that means!) and looks very much like the pattern I did yesterday - its just a little more plump because I used thicker yarn and much larger needles.    I was hoping for a slightly different effect though, especially based on some of the other photos I've seen of this pattern.   Back to the design board for me I think...  :)

February 24, 2011

Yarn: Sandes Garn Smart DK - 100% Superwash Wool

Needles: 4mm / US 6, plus a 4.5mm / US 7 to help cast on loosely

Gauge: 4 stitches and 7.5 rows per inch

Stitch Pattern: Honeycomb Stitch / Waffle Stitch (knit version)

Source: BW1, p. 129

Comments:  Barbara Walker offers four versions of this waffle stitch - I chose this once because I was looking for something that might replicate a sweater pattern I saw in a movie, but its not quite right.  This pattern incorporates brioche stitches - the ones where you knit into the stitch on the row below the next one on the needle.  It produces a very wide fabric, which eats yarn... hence the large stitch gauge and very rectangular shape of this swatch!  But the resulting fabric is nice and squishy, an I'm guessing it would make an extra warm sweater! :)