I was looking at a Knit Picks call for design submissions, and it said that the designer needs to have a USA, Canada, UK, or Australia shipping address. I knew they shipped to USA and Canada, but the rest was news to me. Hello!
Knit Picks is carrying my book, Brioche Knit Love, and where it would cost me $80 to ship to Australia via the post office, their rates are much better. So if you’re in the UK or Australia and want my book; check it out. My publisher doesn’t have distributors there, so this is a great way to get access. And it works for Canada, too. We do have a Canadian distributor (Julie Asselin), but I don’t know if books are in Canadian LYSes yet.
Currently sold out, but they’ve ordered more!
Knit Picks featured me in their email newsletter last month; that was thrilling.
It’s supposed to go on their blog this month; I’ll post a link if/when that happens. For now, I’m chuffed that my book can get to some other countries! It can travel internationally, even if I can’t, yet.
I was perusing Mary Jane Mucklestone’s 150 Scandinavian Motifs the other day, and I was struck by her steek setup.
She uses a six stitch steek, but the two center stitches are the same color. This makes it clear where you cut: between the two stitches that are the same color. Easy peasy!
My first forays into steeking used a checkerboard pattern. I use single crochet to reinforce my edges. I’ve tried slip stitch crochet, too, but I like the way single crochet looks, better. Trial and error, right? The checkerboard pattern kept me on my toes, as far as seeing where to crochet my reinforcement; the color alternated with every stitch.
On my next steeking pattern, I decided to use striped columns, so I was always crocheting into the same colors. Better. But not symmetrical as far as the edge stitches go.
The double center line makes it super clear. Yes, it’s the same as far as crocheting under 2 different color legs, but this makes my heart go pittypat. In a good way. The steek edges are the same color, where I pick up my edgings, so they look the same. That’s a win for me. Symmetry! You can use whatever steek arrangement you like; I like this one best. So far…
If all goes according to plan, this pattern will be offered free via Craftsy/The Knitting Circle for a Live Event on Tuesday, November 30. I’ll keep you posted. I love these little projects for teaching, learning, and gift giving! And I’m glad I learned something, too.
Have you ever discovered a better way to do something, and it was so simple it made you laugh out loud?
This is my slip stitch sampler cowl. I’m teaching a class for a virtual retreat for Craftsy/The Knitting Circle, November 30 – December 2. Slip stitch knitting is a great way to do colorwork, using just one color per row/round. No yarn juggling! I’m also teaching a session on sock knitting, using a mini-sock to go through all the steps for a cuff down sock. The sock features a slip stitch pattern on the leg.
It’s perfect for holding a tiny trinket, or as an ornament.
I’m teaching with Corrina Ferguson, and Jen Lucas is our host. Corrina is teaching some shawl and edging magic. You can find more details here. The price is currently super low; you’d pay this much for the patterns alone. And if the dates don’t work for you, you also have access to the videos for 60 days after the event.
We’ll be teaching from the Craftsy studios, which will be a new experience for me. I made some videos for The Knitting Circle from my home studio during the 2020 lockdown, but I’ve never been to their studios before. While I’m there, I’ll be doing a fun little steeking project for them, too. I’m working out the details, which I’ll let you know soon.
Pattern play!
I’m also designing a slip stitch bed sock, which isn’t part of the retreat. I think it’s going to just be stripes, because I love how the stitch pattern pops. It’s been fun playing with my options.
At least, I hope I will! I’m planning to teach at several knitting events in 2022, and I hope they all happen. I’ve already mentioned Red Alder Fiber Arts Retreat, February 17 – 20. And then…
I’m teaching on a cruise for Vogue Knitting at the end of August. We haven’t chosen the class yet, but there’s time. Norah Gaughan is the other onboard teacher, and we’ll be visiting with Bristol Ivy in Portland, Maine. The *other Portland!
I have several more irons in the fire, so I’ll keep you posted as we go. I’m vaccinated and ready to roll.
Coming right up via Zoom, next week I’ll be the special guest for Makers’ Nite on Tuesday, November 2 at 5 pm Pacific. Makers’ Nite is a fun, monthly, online hangout event from Makers’ Mercantile LYS. “Bring your spinning, crochet, knitting, weaving, sewing, felting, tatting (did we forget anyone?) and spend some time with your fellow Makers.” You can come hang out with us! Here’s the link to register; it’s free but registration is encouraged. I’ll be chatting about my book, and whatever else Kyle Kunnecke decides to ask me about.
I’m at For Yarn’s Sake this Saturday from 1 to 2:30 pm, if you’d like to come by and get your book signed. I’ll have all my samples with me, so you can see them in real life.
Ann Miner of Yarn Folk in Ellensburg, Washington hosted my very first book party last Saturday, and we had a great time! (I forgot to actually take a picture with Ann, though.)
Kathy Temple (left) brought her beautiful Oregon Sky ShawletteLook, it’s Yoga Nan in real life!Talking cowl construction…
And I even had a chance to hike with my friend Vickie. She really wanted me to see the larch trees up at Blewett Pass, and now I know why.
on the Swauk Forest Discovery Trail, an easy 2.5 mile loop
These deciduous conifers turn bright yellow in autumn, before shedding their needles. Gorgeous. A great weekend getaway, all around.
What are you doing to enjoy autumn (or spring, down under?)? I love the changing seasons. And are you planning to be out and about next year?
I’m having a little book tour to celebrate Brioche Knit Love. Come see the samples from the book, and I’ll sign your book, too! You can pre-order your book from these shops.
I know we use the heel stitch to make the heel of socks a bit thicker; slipping every other stitch gives us a double layer of yarn over the heel. So for a bed sock, why not used slipped stitches to make the whole thing doubly thick and cozy?
I finished one, almost. I won’t commit to grafting that toe until I’m done playing with my stitch patterns! I have a Dotty slip stitch pattern on the leg of the sock, but I didn’t want that underfoot. Even though this is intended to be a bed sock (worsted weight, warm), I didn’t want those bumps on the sole. At first I tried using the double stitch stripe on the whole foot, but it was hard for me to carry the floats loosely. I put them just on the sole.
But the heart wants what the heart wants. As you can see, now I’m trying the stripes on the leg first, to see if I can keep things loose enough there. If yes, then I can do it on the foot, too. I kind of love the idea of vertical stripes on leg and foot, and a band of horizontal stripes across the gusset shaping. (Partly because working the decreases into the vertical stripe pattern seemed like a pain in the…foot? But I’ll think about it again when I get there on the second sock.) Also, I want the purple foot stripe to begin right after a purple gusset stripe, and end right before the purple toe. I don’t like the purple bar floating against the orange background. See how nice it looks snugged up to the ribbing on the second sock?
Do I want to explain all of this in a pattern, or just make these for myself for fun? It would be a quick gift knit.
I love these colors. Malabrigo Rios, in Lavanda (purple) and Archangel. It feels like fall to me. And I’m sitting here in the backyard, making the most of a gloriously sunny day. Rain tomorrow!
The final projects of Brioche Knit Love combine all the techniques we’ve been learning throughout the book. We now get to play with both worsted and fingering weight yarn. (I like to teach using worsted weight, so you can see your stitches better. Now you’re ready for the fun stuff.)
I wanted this chapter to be beach themed, in honor of my beloved Oregon Coast. But the book is coffee themed, so I had to rename all the projects with that in mind, too. I think that was the hardest part of making this book!
(knit in Malabrigo Rios)
This is the Cappuccino Cowl, a study in syncopated brioche. It was originally called Coast Range, after the mountains between Portland and the coast, but now the peaks are peaks of foam on a cappuccino. You can wear it with either light or dark peaks pointing up.
(knit in Knit Picks Chroma Worsted)
The Seafoam Latte Scarf combines increases and decreases with a syncopated crest of the wave. The working name for this piece was Beachcomber. I do love the thought of Seafoam Lattes, though.
(knit in Hazel Knits Entice MCN)
The Coffee Bean Trivia Cowl is a bandana style cowl that is knit flat from the lower point until it’s wide enough to join to knit the neckline in the round. This is a very easy to wear piece. And the yarn is sooooo soft. The working name of this was Kelpie, because I thought it looked like a kelp forest underneath the waves. I decided that the little roundels could also be tiny coffee bean trivia shells, as in this post. (Check the link for a fun free project, the Victoriana bracelet.)
(knit in Huckleberry Knits Gradient, and Madeline Tosh Twist Light)
Seagull Flight may be my favorite project in the book, but it’s so hard to choose. And it’s always been called Seagull Flight, from the very beginning. This one just rolled off my needles. I knew what I wanted it to look like, and I knew the basic layout. It’s a half-pi shawl, and very easy to knit.
How did I get it to fit my coffee theme? A flight of coffee. Done.
The final project in the book is actually two projects. You can knit Coffee Breakers as either a cowl or a shawl. (Working name was Surf’s Up)
(knit in Hazel Knits Artisan Sock)
The cowl is easy to wear, and takes about half as much yarn as the shawl.
(knit in Hazel Knits Entice MCN)
And the shawl takes two skeins of fingering weight yarn; it’s sooooo squishy. I love how it feels around my neck, especially in this yarn. (Thanks to Ann Berg for knitting this sample for me!)
I hope I’ve enticed you to try brioche knitting! I’ll be with you every step of the way. Brioche Knit Love has photo tutorials, as well as a link to video tutorials. All the designs are accessories, and mostly small and easily accomplished. The projects start from the very beginning, and build on your skills, one at a time. If you already knit brioche, you can knit the easier projects as quick gifts, and knit the projects from the last chapter with confidence.
Brioche Knit Love is available through local yarn shops, and from the publisher, Library House Press. Local yarn shops can order from our distributor, Sommer Street Associates. The book’s official publication date is October 19, but pre-orders are shipping, and I know several knitters have already received their copies!
Brioche increases and decreases make brioche rib so much prettier, and so much more fun to knit! Just a few new stitches to learn, and the brioche world is your oyster.
Knit with Hazel Knits Lively DK
The chapter begins with the Iced Latte hat. There’s only one new stitch to learn, the right leaning brioche decrease, and we don’t use it until we’re shaping the crown at the very end.
The Iced Latte hat is a perfect pairing with the Iced Latte Cowl.
Knit with Malabrigo Rios
The Berry Galette Cowl and Wristlets give you the opportunity to create undulating patterns in your brioche. These were inspired by the blueberry bushes in my garden.
More Malabrigo Rios
The Green Tea Chai Scarf has a simple repeat, which is a great opportunity for learning to read your brioche knitting! You won’t need to look at the chart/instructions after a few repeats.
A little more Malabrigo Rios!
And the Latte Leaf Coaster and Cup Cozy give you a chance to explore increases and decreases along with syncopated brioche, both flat and in the round. These make great quick gift knitting.
All of these patterns have written instructions as well as charts. And there are photo tutorials for all the increases and decreases. I had to use the book yesterday to remind myself how to make a 4 stitch brioche decrease while teaching my Brioche Doctor class for Virtual Knitting Live! Very handy.
Winner! I’ve picked a winner from the comments on the introductory Brioche Knit Love post, and that winner is Meredith Coelho. Meredith, I’ll email you to get your snail mail addy. Thanks everyone for all your lovely comments. If you didn’t win, please buy my book! I’d love to teach you brioche. Purchase from your LYS or directly from the publisher.
One more chapter’s projects to show you after this, in which we get to combine all our new brioche techniques.
(All photos in this post are by Angela Watts, Tekoa Rose Photography)
The photo tour of my upcoming book, Brioche Knit Love, continues. It’s a short chapter, but the next section of the book teaches you to syncopate your brioche. Syncopation means switching your brioche knits to brioche purls, and your brioche purls to brioche knits. Why do we want to do this? Brioche knit stitches pop up, and brioche purl stitches recede into the background.
You can syncopate entire rounds, as in the Crema Cowl. See how the colors and the white take turns being the star of the show? The colors that show are the brioche knit stitches.
And in the Shortbread Scarf the knits and purls trade places within the rows, to create the checkerboard pattern you see here. Both of these patterns are knit with Knit Picks Chroma Worsted. I love the subtle shading of this gradient yarn. The Shortbread Scarf is named because the squares make me think of shortbread squares.
I baked some chocolate chip shortbread to share with you, and you can bake your own. The recipe is in the book.
Once syncopation is in your toolkit, we’ll move on to brioche increases and decreases. This is where brioche really shines. No more straight lines! I’ll show you in a future post.
Don’t forget, I’m giving away a copy of Brioche Knit Love to a lucky blog reader! Leave a comment on the introductory blog post here, if you’d like a chance to win. I’m picking a winner Sunday night (October 10). Good luck!
(Photos in this post are by Angela Watts, Tekoa Rose Photography)
Continuing the tour through my new book, the next two chapters in Brioche Knit Love feature 2 color brioche, knit in the round and flat.
The Grande Brioche Cowl is an upsized version of my Petite Brioche headband, with a more interesting edge treatment. (Shown in Malabrigo Rios)
Did you know that brioche doesn’t have to be knit/purl ribbing? The Peppermint Mocha Cup Cozy and Coaster are stockinette brioche. I love the look of this fabric. (More Malabrigo Rios!)
The Italian Soda Cowl is 2 color brioche rib, knit flat. You’ll get into a rhythm with the brioche rib, and with the selvages, too. I knit this with Knit Picks Chroma Worsted. That rainbow colorway is Pegasus, one of my favorites.
And the Iced Latte Cowl is a reincarnation of my Parquetry Cowl. I love garter stitch and brioche rib together. In fact, I loved it so much, I designed a matching hat, which I’ll show you in a later post. These are knit in Hazel Knits Lively DK.
Can I just say how great it was to have my sister Sharon modeling with me for this book? We had a very fun day! She’s the perfect model. (All book photos in this post are by Angela Watts, Tekoa Rose Photography.)
If you’re interested, i think there’s still room in some of the classes. I’m teaching Herringbone Braids and Beyond, Log Cabin Knitting (newly revised!), Brioche Increases and Decreases, and Brioche Doctor. The registration page is here.
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 