I had the joy of designing this blanket last spring; it’s the Impressionist Kaleidescope Blanket. The blanket is a celebration of garter stitch, and so much fun to knit!
Impressionist Kaleidescope Blanket in Knit Picks Chroma Twist
The blanket is made up of 9 (or more) units that are all knit the same. The fun is in letting the color shading yarn work its magic. We start with a mitered square, and then add three more mitered squares, to finish the center. A log cabin style frame is worked after that. Mitered squares and log cabin work so well together; it’s a symphony in garter stitch!
The pattern is free from Knit Picks as part of their Twelve Weeks of Gifting, which they do as a run up to the holidays. (I was paid for this design, never fear. It’s free to YOU, though.) Here’s the link: Impressionist Kaleidescope Blanket. I had mentioned this to my Log Cabin Knitting class at the virtual Knit Camp at the Coast last month, and now you can download the pattern!
I have one more pattern coming in the Twelve Weeks of Gifting series; I’ll let you know when it goes live. Have fun!
I have this book at my house, and I’m thrilled! It’s beautiful, and I couldn’t be happier with the final product.
When Marie Greene of Olive Knits and Library House Press asked me if I had a book in me, I wasn’t sure, but apparently I did. You know I love to teach, and you know that a lot of my designing is done with teaching in mind. This book gave me the opportunity to do both, with a subject that makes my heart go pitty-pat. Brioche! I’ll be showing the designs here on the blog, in a series of themed blog posts. If you’re a Ravelry user, you can see the listing for the book and its patterns here.
The book starts at the very beginning, with one color brioche. I explore it with brioche knitted flat, in the round, and a combination of round/flat/round.
photo by Angela Watts, Tekoa Rose Photography
The very first project is the Hello Brioche Scarf. It is knit with just two stitches, brk (brioche knit) and sl1yo (slipped stitch with a yarn over). So simple! I used super bulky yarn (Malabrigo Rasta) and big needles, so the stitches are very easy to see on this learning project.
photo by Angela Watts, Tekoa Rose Photography
The second project is the Hello Brioche Hat, worked in the round. There are instructions for worsted weight (blue Malabrigo Rios), and for Aran weight (pink Knit Picks Muse Tonal), which is an even quicker knit. This pattern introduces the brp (brioche purl) stitch, as well as brioche in the round.
photo by Angela Watts, Tekoa Rose Photography
The third pattern in this chapter is the worsted weight Hello Brioche Mitts. They start at the wrist, worked in the round. The thumb opening section is worked flat, knitted back and forth. And the palm/top of the mitt is worked in the round.
I love teaching one concept at a time, and building on it. The designs in this chapter were test knit by absolute brioche newbies as well as experienced brioche knitters. Everyone had successful projects!
The book has photo tutorials, with large photos (4 per page). And for those of you who like a little more help, I made a set of video tutorials specifically for the book; the resources page at the back of the book has a link to the tutorials.
That’s just the beginning; I’ll show you more in the coming week. There are designs for two color brioche, syncopated brioche, increases and decreases, and combinations of all the techniques. The patterns are appropriate for brioche beginners on up. They’re all accessories, and many of them are great for quick gift knits.
I’m giving away a copy of this book to a blog reader. Leave a comment below for a chance to win. Tell me if you already knit brioche, or if you want to learn. I’ll pick a winner on Sunday, October 10. That’s before the publishing date of October 19, so if you’re not the winner you’ll still have time to get this at your LYS on the drop date, or order through Library House Press. I’d love for you to ask your LYS to carry it, too. Wholesale orders are through Sommer Street Associates.
I’ve spent all of Friday working on getting the 21 patterns in Brioche Knit Love set up on Ravelry. I’m still not done! But I’m close. After I get that set, I can start sharing the projects on other social media, and my test knitters will be able to share, too.
But I’m not all that patient, so I’m going to go ahead and show you Seagull Flight. It’s a half-pi shawl, and lots of fun to knit. It’s actually pretty easy knitting, because I already did all the math for you. (Blue yarn is Huckleberry Knits Gradient in Echo, white yarn is MadelineTosh Twist Light in White Wash)
I was at the coast at the end of July with some friends, and Becky took these pictures for me. She was a trouper!
It was really fun to play in the breeze! Seagull Flight is one of my favorite patterns in Brioche Knit Love. I found out yesterday that pre-orders are going to ship just a bit early, so you’ll probably have your book before the actual publication date (October 19). Or you can wait and get it from your local yarn shop (ask if they’re going to carry it), so you can support your LYS!
photo by Angela Watts, Tekoa Rose Photography, modeled by my sister Sharon, for the book
My tentative schedule for book signings:
Saturday October 24, Yarn Folk, Ellensburg WA, 10 to 11 am
Saturday October 30, For Yarn’s Sake, Beaverton OR, 1 to 2:30 pm
The pre-order page for Brioche Knit Love is live! The book is due out on October 19. It will be available through the publisher, Library House Press, and also through local yarn shops. Ask your LYS if they’ll have this book for you! But not until next week; the wholesale ordering system isn’t quite set up yet.
If you’re a brioche newbie, this book is for you! And if you already know how to knit brioche, and just want some new pretty patterns to knit, this book is for you, too. Here’s the description:
“Grab a latte and join Michele Lee Bernstein from PDXKnitterati as she guides you through the basics of brioche knitting. Using bite-size accessory projects as the foundation for learning, Michele will lead you confidently through every step, from start to finish. You’ll find gentle instruction, clear photos and twenty-one tantalizing patterns as you work your way through one- and two-color brioche (flat and in the round), increasing and decreasing, and syncopated brioche. Michele even teaches you how to recognize and fix your mistakes along the way. From cast on to bind off, Brioche Knit Love is the perfect primer for first-time brioche knitting.”
I learned a lot about the book-making process this summer, designing for this book and making it come to life. I learned about managing multiple test knits at the same time, too. Thanks so much to my test knitters, especially the brioche newbies who learned to knit brioche with the first patterns from this book.
My sister came to model with me; we had fun.
I’m looking forward to holding this book in my hands. Not sure about jumping into brioche? Here’s what the experts say:
“A sweet, clear guide to one of knitting’s most enchanting techniques. The advanced-level patterns are nothing short of aspirational, and the beginner-level patterns are cool enough to attract even the expert. — Franklin Habit, international knitting instructor & author of It Itches: A Stash of Knitting Cartoons”
“Brioche has a unique language of its own, but have no fear! Michele teaches what you need to know exactly when you need to learn it for each irresistible design. The clear guidance and inspirational photos inspire confidence and motivation to cast on for these cozy projects. — Anne Berk, author of Annetarsia Knits: A New Link to Intarsia”
“If you’ve been nervous about Brioche knitting, this is the book you need! Michele clearly explains the technique and her designs are absolutely gorgeous. You’re going to want to knit everything in this book! — Jen Lucas, knitwear designer and author of Sock-Yarn Shawls”
I’m planning some book signing events at a few local yarn shops, too: Yarn Folk in Ellensburg, WA on Saturday Oct. 23, my local yarn source For Yarn’s Sake in Beaverton, OR on Saturday, Oct. 30, Knot Another Hat in Hood River, OR on Saturday Nov. 20, and Wild Knits in Salem, OR on Saturday, Dec. 4. They’ll have books available for you there. I’ll bring some favorite pieces from the book, so you can see them in person.
If those dates or locations aren’t convenient for you, or you just can’t wait, check out the Brioche Knit Love book page and place your order if you’d like to knit brioche with me! Bonus: I’ve made a special page of video tutorial links, just for this book.
September is my favorite month. Birthday, anniversary, a chill in the morning air that evokes that back to school feeling, and time for woolies.
(not this week, but it’s us)
It’s been a delicious week. I celebrated my birthday with friends and family, repeatedly. The kids came over and made kalua pork (instant pot ftw), and spam musubi, as part of a Hawaiian themed dinner.
DH and I celebrated our upteenth wedding anniversary a week later.
Tomato, avocado, cucumber, lime, stone fruit
This was part of our anniversary dinner at Républica, a restaurant in NW Portland. The restaurant was recently featured in the LA Times. Dinner was delicious, and exquisitely plated. The co-owner/pastry chef is the daughter of a friend; I’ve known her since the kids were in preschool. It’s so great to see her doing something she loves, and doing it so well.
Corn brûlée, with ice cream and blueberry compote
And I celebrated a friend’s birthday yesterday with a wine tasting/blending party. We tasted three single grape pinot noirs, and then played with blending them.
Mmmm, Brooks wines.Beaker blending, so mathy
I baked a flourless chocolate torte, which we paired with an ice cream sampler. The new way to blow out birthday candles is by waving your hands at them. Thanks, pandemic! Still fun.
Time to get back to work! How’s your September going?
My publisher shared this online, which means I can, too. The proofs are back from the printer, and we’re good to go! You can see the cover for my book, Brioche Knit Love, and me wearing one of my designs. If you zoom in on the picture, you can see that the subtitle is “21 Skill Building Projects from Simple to Sublime.” Twenty-one! It’s been a busy summer of knitting and designing.
The book should be available October 19, if all goes according to plan. I’ll have information for pre-orders in a week or so. Looking forward to it!
I just finished all the edits on my book with my publisher, and it’s off to the printer! It’s so pretty. I’m looking forward to being able to share it with you. Soon! But not yet.
While I was waiting to see the layout so I could finish the edits, I went camping with a group of friends. We were at Lost Lake near Mt. Hood (Wy’east). A great place to knit! There’s not much snow on the mountain this summer; it has been hot and dry. Fires are currently not permitted in the national forests, so we didn’t get to hang around the campfire this time.
The alpenglow at sunset was still pretty, though!
There were two tent sites in my campsite; I pitched my tent up this set of stairs, and felt like a princess in the tower. A perfect place to knit.
A clearer picture of the mountain. One of my favorite sights, from land or sky.
And now I’m home, my edits are done, and the waiting begins. Publication day for my book is October 19, if all goes according to plan. This week I’m working on stuff for Knit Camp at the Coast (virtual), which will be September 16-18. Are you joining in? I’m teaching log cabin knitting, and I’ve added some fun new material for this event. And I’ve signed up for the whole event, so I’ll be there for more than just the class I’m teaching.
I’m also working on another virtual event for November. That little snippet of knitting in the first picture is part of what I’m teaching. It’s time to get my samples knit, and my handouts writ!
Hard to believe it’s September already…summer flew by, and my autumn calendar is filling quickly. What are you up to this fall?
I love my Cherry Blossom Wrapture; it’s so pretty. But it’s huge! When I designed and knit the sample, I wanted to see how far the yarn would go, and it went this far. 98 inches wide, which is a lot of wrap(ture) for a 5’2” person. So this week, I’m frogging the ends to take off 4 sets of stripes from each end. That’s a lot of frogging, but it’s all modular so it’s really easy to know when to stop.
I’m well on my way; one end is already done. I’m featuring this piece, as well as my other log cabin knits (Log Cabin Baby Blanket, Snowy Woods Log Cabin Blocks) in a video class I’m making for Olive Knits/Knit Camp’s Knit Camp at the Coast Retreat in September. The virtual retreat is open for registration to members of Knit Camp, a virtual club that has activities all year long. For knitters who aren’t Knit Camp members, registration will open on August 16.
I’m not a member of Knit Camp (yet?), but I’m going to register for the retreat. The other teachers are Marie Greene (founder of Olive Knits and Knit Camp), Marceline Smith (Hey Brownberry), Amy Detjen, Stephanie Lotven (Tellybean Knits), Shawna Clingerman, Marcie Leek, and Heather Best, teaching topics from knitting to lettering to yoga, and more.You can read all about it here. The retreat is September 16-18, online. Classes are recorded, and playback is limited to two weeks, just in case you can’t participate in real time.
This is the video class that I mentioned in a previous post. It’s based on my log cabin knitting class that I’ve taught before, but I’m adding new shapes and ideas for more log cabin knitting fun. (I learned some new things with Cherry Blossom Wrapture.) I’ve written the script, knit the step-outs and samples, and now I need to practice, time, record, edit, and compile. Never a dull moment around here!
I don’t have any in-person classes scheduled for fall yet. Are you still taking online classes? Are you taking in-person classes? What’s the mood out there these days?
You know I have a long-standing passion for yellow plum jam. Yellow plums are my all time favorite for jamming, and and for eating.
I made 2 batches (20 half pint jars) of ginger/plum/bourbon jam, from just two bowls of plums from my friend Linda. I thought I was done for the year.
Darn kids, I thought. Who’s dropping lunch reject plums on my dried up front lawn? Then I looked up, and realized the truth. The plum trees that I planted 10 years ago, that never produced fruit (well, one tree made two plums about 5 years ago), have decided that this is the year. Maybe they like being heat stressed, or they think they need to reproduce because the heat is going to kill them. Whatever.
I got on a ladder, and picked 19 plums. That’s the harvest, between the two trees. They’re oddly large, and the fruit is firm, like an Italian prune. I think they’re a Japanese plum, but I’m not sure; 2011 was a long time ago. The plums aren’t especially juicy, and they’re fairly tart. I don’t want to make more jam; purple plum jam isn’t as delicious as yellow plum jam, at least to me. What to do?
I put out the question on FB, and the answer was: Plum Torte. The famous NYTimes recipe from Marian Burros, to be precise. I remembered that Smitten Kitchen also had a take on it, and another friend referred to the Food52 version. Excellent references, all. I did a mashup of the three using:
3/4 cup all purpose flour plus 1/4 cup corn meal 1 teaspoon baking powder Large pinch of salt 3/4 granulated sugar 1/2 cup (8 tablespoons) salted butter, softened 2 large eggs 5 plums quartered and pitted (because mine are so big) (10 – 12 small plums, normally) omitted the fresh lemon juice 1 tablespoon chunky sugar and a sprinkle of ground cinnamon for garnish
Cream sugar and butter, beat in eggs, beat in dry ingredients. I put mine in an 8” springform pan (lined with parchment paper), because that’s the one I have. Top with plums, sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes or til done. Cool, remove from pan, celebrate!
I told you the plums are oddly large. The recipes call for 12 small Italian plums, halved, and a 9” pan. If I had halved the plums, I could probably only fit 4 in the pan, so I cut them lengthwise, twice, and made a flower/sunburst with them. They sink into the cake,, so you’d never know, and I forgot to take a picture before baking. I’m not a real food blogger!
We loved this so much, I had to make it a second time, because we still have a few plums left. Also, I wanted to tweak it a bit; I used more corn meal the first time, and it was crunchier than I like. I have medium grind cornmeal, because I use it under pizza on the pizza stone. A finer grind would be ideal, but I don’t use corn meal often enough to have more in the pantry.
This cake is actually for dessert tonight, but I wanted to take a picture for you. And now I have to taste it. Such a sacrifice. Delicious!
My book manuscript is done! I turned it in on Sunday evening, before my Monday deadline. Woot!
Writing a manuscript for a knitting book is more than just writing prose. There are patterns (21, in this case), charts, keys for the charts, and photos for tutorials. Those extras don’t go *into* the manuscript; the writer just notes where those things belong, and then those things have to be stored somewhere for the person compiling the book to access them. Done!
I took a little time before that to go to the coast. I did some manuscript editing, knitting for a video class I’m doing (more on that later), music making (guitar, mandolin-playing friend, harmony singing), and lots of walking on the beach. Working from home means working from wherever you are.
It was cool and cloudy, for the most part. The hot inland air meets the cool coastal air, and we get clouds and fog.
I tried to find an intact sand dollar, but no luck. This one looks like a miniature volcano.
You can tell that the aforementioned seagulls have been feasting.
The sunsets were odd, dropping out from under the clouds for just a few minutes before sinking into the sea. But pretty, nonetheless.
Now I’m waiting for the copyeditor to get back to me. In the meantime, I’m working out a script for the video class I’m making. More on that in the next post.
Find my patterns on Ravelry: Michele Bernstein Designs
Here are some of my favorites, and the newest. Many of my designs are also available through my Payhip store.
PDXKnitterati 