Learning Brioche With A Little Help From My Friends

Remember when Linda took me to Spun in Ann Arbor for my birthday and I noticed a Brioche class coming up?  Remember my 2016 Knitting Goal #10: "to learn brioche and use Twisted Fiber Arts sock yarn to make a scarf"?  I am definitely on my way to checking off one more knitting goal.  

I called Spun early last week to sign up for the class.  Unfortunately the class was filled and I was disappointed.  I put my name on a waiting list but had resigned myself to the next class in August.  Before the end of a day I got a call saying someone had dropped out or the instructors had agreed to take one more.  I'm not sure which but I got in the class.  Hurray!!!!!!  I needed to buy my yarn before Sunday.  The materials called for were either Shepard's Wool Worsted or Berocco Vintage Worsted.  Why, you might ask, didn't I just use something from my stash?  It's not like I don't have something, right?  It is understood and often a written rule, when you take a knitting class you buy your materials from the LYS offering the class.  OMG! I love that rule!  A legitimate reason to buy more yarn.  I love it.  I went to Spun on Thursday to pick out yarn.  I started my day with a fender bender on my way to get my hair colored for my (significant number) class reunion; hair color in Sylvania, Ohio; then yarn buying in Ann Arbor.  Luckily, the fender bender didn't slow me down.    

Yarn spotting! I had every intention of purchasing the Shepard's Wool.  I just couldn't find two colors I loved together.  Then I searched the Berocco Vintage with the same conclusion.  I couldn't find two colors I loved together.  Then I saw it.  Malabrigo Merino Worsted in single ply.  I did fall in love with these two colors.

It is so yummy.  The one is a deep coral/peach and the second a deep teal/grey.  Well, I was happy. I purchased my yummy fiber, something I thought was perfect until I spotted something else just as I was walking out of the shop.  

Once again, my photography doesn't do the yarn justice.  This is The Fibre Co.'s Terra, a blend of silk, baby alpaca and merino wool.  It is so exquisite in colors Belladonna and Acorn.  So I had to buy it, right? I decided to use the Malabrigo for the class then use the nearly perfect Terra when I am more advanced.  Now let's go to class.

Here we are 1:40 on Sunday getting ready to enter a knitting class and learn a new skill.  You know how much I love knitting classes.  I had every intention of teaching myself Brioche.  I have several Brioche books, a couple of Brioche online tutorials but I love knitting classes.  I love the combination of social knitting and skill development.  I love meeting new people.  I love spending several hours surrounded by irresistible yarn.  

Two tables were set up.  One for continental (left handed) knitters  and one for English (right handed) knitters.  What a great idea!  Nobody had to interpret Brioche from an alternate style to their's.  I even picked up a phrase I loved.  Continental was called "the warped way."  I love it.  See the hands way to the left with the red, white and blue yarn in front?  That is Renee.  She made the class an absolute joy for me.  I kept looking around, drooling over the yarn and trying to keep from buying more yarn.  Renee's comment was always, "Just step back!"  She kept me on task.  Thank you very much Renee.  

Next came our instructors, Lynn and Lizzie.  OMG!  I have yarn older than they are! When they introduced themselves they told us they are both computer science PhD students researching artificial intelligence.  My first thought was, "YIKES!!!"  They have both been knitting for 10 years and fell in love with Brioche a year ago.  They used the word addicted.  I think they are my kind of people.  

If you don't know what Brioche is, it is hard to explain.  It is a scrunchy, puffy kind of knitting that is usually seen in two colors.  For that reason, I thought the technique would be similar to double knitting.  Well, it's not.  It even has it's own vocabulary: brk = brioche knit, a.k.a. "bark," and brp = brioche purl, a.k.a. "burp."  People were just barking and burping all night.  I think it is "talking dirty" in knitting.  

For the first few rows, things are pretty much a mess, then all of a sudden there it is!  BRIOCHE!  I love it.  

This is the beginning Brioche pattern which I like to call Baby Brioche!  I am pretty proficient in Baby Brioche.  

This is what happens when you learn to increase and decrease in Brioche.  I'm not sure if it has it owns "talking dirty" name.  Lynn and Lizzie made up the patterns and the Brioche Basics.  I am impressed.  Except for Survivor Shawls, I have never written a pattern.  Now for the unveiling.

Brioche is also two sided just like double knitting.  I can't wait to show you.  Opps!  Do you see my mistake on the wrong side just to the right of the stitch holder.  I think this cowl has just lost its double sided feature.  

I had a great time at Spun which I love more every time I go.  I tried to convince Lynn and Lizzie to have Brioche 2.0.  I thought maybe if I used their language I would impress them.  I learned something new; made a new friend, Renee; spent the afternoon in the presence of knitting addicts and I didn't buy more yarn.  It was a great afternoon.  I can't wait for Lynn and Lizzie's next class.  They are really 5.0 instructors.