What is Brioche Knitting?

Colorado Knitting Camp 2011

Wrong question.  The better question is what can I make with Brioche Stitch.  Nancy Marchant is the Queen of Brioche.  Back in the 70’s, Nancy moved to Amsterdam.  Knitters there showed her this stitch and she loved it.  Then she began to wonder why so few people seemed to use it.  And why no one was doing anything new with it.  So she began to develop this stitch any way she could.

The result is her website which teaches the stitch and includes a bunch of free patterns.  Then the development really took off.  She figured out how to do this stitch with up to 5 different colors in one fabric—–using only one color at a time.  She developed so many stitches that she needed a book.  So she wrote the only book in existence about Brioche.  At least the way she does it.  Yes, it is knitting, and there are several ways to do everything in knitting.

I bought the book when it first came out and made one of the scarves.  It was fun.  But not nearly as much fun as spending three days with Nancy and really seeing what can be done.  Here are pictures of her projects, some of which are in the book and some which are in pattern form.  Just look.

Stegasaurus Shawl tip

Stegasaurus shawl edge

Stegasaurus Shawl front and back

Leafy Lace scarf

GelvedakScarf

Herfst Avond

Project under construction

This one has my name all over it.  Actually it’s my hands all over it.  Anyway, I must make it.  I love leaves.  Remember that all of these two color projects have the colors reversed on the back.  I’ll show you  more later as well as what the campers brought for “Show and Tell.”