Breaking Brioche
A year ago during the May holiday week my mum was here to visit from Canada and we were off seeking out new fabrics, ideas and inspiration for knitting, quilting and decorating. As part of this time I decided it was going to be the month to conquer the 'brioche' technique that I had been pondering since the winter holidays. I had originally been drawn to this techniques because of the ability to combine two different colours while also creating a piece that had dual perspectives, reversible. This was different from
all the colour work I have been knitting in the past months.
It wasn't an easy task, trying to teach myself from the books was daunting at first. I couldn't get the sequence of the stitches, which ones went together and what seemed like a complex set of written instructions and charts. I sought out someone who might understand the process for advice in person but there were none in my immediate circle. So on I went, persisting with the books, charts and some advice from YouTube. However, both books and YouTube are similar in that if you cannot relate directly to the positioning of the hands and the placement of the yarn then it can be frustrating.
Try and try again I did and eventually after a few weeks of working and reworking stitches, trying different yarns and tension ... there was success!
A year on, I have fallen for brioche. It is as I expected, which is a great match to displaying my handspun yarns with solid colour. An now, I am working toward designing my own ideas using brioche. I will continue to be inspired by the work of Nancy Marchant (www.briochestitch.com) and to seek out designers who are incorporating brioche techniques alongside other stitches to create unique designs that are innovative and reversible!
It all begins with an idea. Maybe you want to launch a business. Maybe you want to turn a hobby into something more. Or maybe you have a creative project to share with the world. Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.
