This month’s blog post is all about my experience with Brioche Knitting, and reflections while knitting the Miss B shawl.
MY LEARNING CURVE WITH BRIOCHE KNITTING
Initial Impressions
Back in Winter 2020 I came across something called Brioche Knitting. This unique technique of knitting, with its slipped stitches and yarn overs, fascinated me so much! It was bold, colourful, pillowy, stretchy, squishy, reversible … it was everything I thought what a warm hug would be! It looked very similar to the rib stitch, but yet it was quite not that.
Gina’s Brioche Cowl from Purl Soho, was the first work I saw on this topic, and I was gobsmacked by its simple beauty. Social media algorithms, sensing my growing obsession, bombarded me with more brioche projects. I got curiouser and curiouser, and dove into patterns, ready to start … only to hit a brick wall of strange abbreviations. Who could possibly understand what barking (brk) and burping (brp) meant? And why would one need foundation rows? For someone who thought K (knit), P (purl) and YO (yarnover) with their various combinations and permutations were “IT”, these new words got me all wide-eyed.
Frustration and Fascination
Obviously, the only way to learn something is to do it. With a whole lot of naivety and enthusiasm, I began. It was… a learning experience, to put it kindly. I couldn’t figure out head or tail of what was to be done or what I had done. Fixing the multiple errors seemed like an impossible quest, leaving me frustrated and lost.
Eventually, late nights became my training ground. I started small, conquering patches, then scarves, hats and beanies. A shirt followed, and finally, a majestic full-sized shawl. Through it all, I discovered the lifeline’s invaluable role – a safety net against unravelling stitches. Read more about lifelines in my blog here – https://thisknittingbee.com/knitted-lifelines/
Today, I find brioche knitting is both fascinating and frustrating. One slip-up in that first round can mean a shocking transformation by round 10, leaving the project with a bizarre shape and me with tears in my eyes and a string of mental curses directed at my own inattentiveness. There is a learning curve to it, and my initial attempts are proofs of that.
But, you know, it’s got a charm of its own. After every few knitting projects, I feel the need to get back to this technique. It’s a practice that ebbs and flows with my mental state, seeking simpler patterns on chaotic days and embracing intricate challenges when feeling centred.
ENTER MISS B: A NANCY MARCHANT MASTERPIECE
If you have tried brioche knitting, you can’t not have heard of Nancy Marchant. She is a pioneer, and the terminologies, charts, and symbols we commonly use today bear her mark. Her inputs towards making this technique more popular, as well as creating simple and intricate patterns is so much appreciated. Each pattern carries a distinct character, conjuring images of gulls, ladders, beads, and staghorns. I’ve incorporated some of her stitches into my projects, mixing and matching them with other techniques. Each one had its own personality, perfectly suited to the recipient, which makes me to think that my version of Miss B will be for someone who embraces the fire and ice duality.
Miss B, a triangular shawl, evokes Japan through its stitch pattern, as Nancy herself describes. The colors she chose bring to mind a cascading waterfall, while I sometimes envision it as overlapping waves. While this shawl may appear deceptively simple, it demands an advanced skillset. The intricate structure requires meticulous attention, especially on the light side rows, where even a single misplaced stitch can unravel your progress.
Some important features and requirements are as follows:
- Finished Measurements – Width: 160cm, Depth: 62cm
- Recommended yarn – KnitWitches Yarns Seriously Gorgeous Laceweight Kid/Silk (60% kid mohair, 40% silk, 600m per 50gm). Nancy used 20gm each in Anne’s silver (lighter colour) and winter sea (darker colour).
- Recommended needles – 4.5mm circular needles.
- Gauge to be achieved – One pattern repeat will have 16 sts in 10cm and 12 rows in 7.5cm.
MY MISADVENTURES WITH MISS B
For all its gorgeousness, Miss B has challenged me since 2022! As a brioche knitting novice, I underestimated the project’s complexity and the challenges of working solely with mohair.
Its delicate fibers resisted both gentle tinking and forceful frogging, and my efforts dissolved into tugging, pulling, and ultimately, snipping in sheer exasperation. I abandoned the project, and eventually trashed whatever I had made. Read more about my misadventures here – https://thisknittingbee.com/knitting-with-mohair/
WHAT I USED TO KNIT MISS B
Soon in December 2023, I mustered up some courage to work on Miss B again with a new fibre strategy. This time, armed with experience and a revised yarn strategy, I approached the project with renewed confidence. I considered pairing the delicate mohair with the strength and shine of linen, thus making frogging and fixing errors significantly easier.
To best suit my version of Miss B, I chose Sunrays Creations’ linen yarn. This is a sport weight yarn, in 100% linen. The meterage is about 320m per 100gm hank, which is very different from what Nancy suggests. There are multiple colours available, of which I used two – Iron Ore and Beach Towel – to represent Fire and Ice respectively. You can purchase this yarn here – https://sunrayscreations.in/product/kshoma/
The mohair I used was sourced from YarnKart. This is a lace weight yarn, with a meterage of about 900m per 100gm ball. There were multiple colours available, of which I used Orange, to work well with Iron Ore.
Considering that I was using mohair and linen together, the gauge in one pattern repeat I achieved was – 15 sts in 10cm and 12 rows in 8cm.
As the shawl is still unblocked, the dimensions are as follows – Width: 120cm, Depth: 56cm. Once it is blocked, I think I can achieve the dimensions as the original.
MY OBSERVATIONS ABOUT MISS B
- Skill Level: Advanced Knitters: This project needs seasoned hands; a simpler design would be kinder to someone who is new to this technique.
- Reversible magic: True to brioche’s nature, Miss B is reversible. Similar hues will create a subtle shawl, while contrasting colours will give a bold and dramatic effect like fire and ice.
- Lifelines are imperative: I used a lifeline per pattern repeat. Threading them through all those stitches takes time, but it’s a stitch in time that saves nine (and endless frogging!).
- Mindful knitting: Pay attention while knitting the light side rows, since that’s where the multiple increases and decreases are placed. Its best to put all those streaming shows on hold, and work with some calming music instead.
- Shawl’s structure: Once the foundation rows and the first few rows are knitted, the shawl’s structure becomes clearer. A more experienced knitter may well be able to identify where the increases and decreases are, without constantly referring to the pattern. In my opinion, the intricate design reveals itself quickly, and that does give the impetus to go on.
- Keeping track: I usually make notes to keep me on track, but with Miss B this step was not to be messed with. I had to write down where to increase and decrease, and I also kept a tally chart to monitor my progress in pattern repeats. Note: The photograph shows some sections blurred out to not give away the pattern.
NEXT FEW STEPS
As suggested by Nancy, I will be wet blocking the shawl. Certainly not handwashing it, but spraying some water and hanging it to dry. Blocking would really help to open up the lacey pattern, and the holes to spread out evenly.
MY OBSERVATIONS ABOUT THE YARNS
Kshoma:
- It knitted up really well, I didn’t observe any yarn splitting as such while working with basic metal needles.
- Though the brand suggests using a needle size of around 3.5mm, it works up perfectly with any other sized needles. I think I will be able to achieve the gauge required without increasing or decreasing tension. Once the shawl is blocked, I will be able to get a true judgement of the gauge with 4.5mm needles.
- Its linen composition makes it perfect for year-round knitting.
- Linen is inelastic and can be tough on the hands, and so it is best to take constant breaks while working.
Mohair:
- It sheds a lot. So, be mindful with potential allergies, especially during flu season.
- Contrary to expectations, mohair did stick to linen. The tendency to blend made “open brioche surgery” a literal and metaphorical pain. Tugging and pulling helped to an extent, but I was scared the fibre might snap off.
- Having lifelines was of course the the only way out. I had to rip out about 4 rows at one point, which is difficult with mohair. But with the lifeline, it wasn’t so bad.
I love the way this shawl turned out! It looks ethereal, feels soft, and is a very unique shawl that would be great to wear or gift. Both mohair and linen are lightweight fibres, and so the shawl doesn’t weigh much despite there being 3 strands in each stitch.
But this blog post is just a sneak peek, a way to build anticipation for my upcoming drop this year. If you’re an advanced knitter, and are looking for a challenge to create, certainly this one is the way to go. And as always, it goes without saying, if you aren’t a knitter and want a shawl like this, you know which bee to contact haha.
Have you ever been intimidated by a new technique? Did you get over it, or abandoned it for another day? Let’s talk in the comments!