including in other people’s media content! That’s pretty fun. And a great way to discover new podcasts/people to follow.
Erica’s Whale Conga Line
Erica of the “Bootie and Bossy Eat Drink Knit” podcast was a test knitter for Whale Conga Line, and talks about it in this episode of her podcast at about minute 26. This podcast series is lovely. This episode about a family gift stole my heart; I’ve subscribed and really enjoy the series.
Screenshot
I was interviewed at VKLive NYC by the fabulous people at Gosadi, a big sponsor of VKLive this year, also about Whale Conga Line. I’ve pinned the bit on my Instagram here.
Kim’s Brioche Pastiche hat with taller crown
And Kim of “Knit Together with Kim & Jonna” talked about taking my Brioche Pastiche class at VKLive NYC (I’m at about minute 36). It’s a great recap of her entire time at VKLive; she does a great job of making you feel like you’re there. Here’s a link to the episode on her YouTube channel. I watched it while working on my newest design; it’s like having a knit group in your iPad. Wonderful! I just subscribed.
Where am I next? Trunk show at For Yarn’s Sake for Rose City Yarn Crawl on March 7, 10 am to 3 pm. Hope to see you there!
Over the past 4 years I’ve taught a lot on Zoom, and a little at select retreats and events. This past weekend, I taught in person at a local to me LYS, which is the first time since 2020. We had a good time with Petite Brioche! (I didn’t think to take a picture til after class, so not all 9 students are pictured, oops.)
Brioche Pastiche, Cap and Cowl
I’ve just listed the followup to that class at Hook and Needle Fiber. It’s on Sunday Nov. 5 at 1:30 pm. We’ll be using my Brioche Pastiche pattern for a gentle introduction to brioche increases and decreases. Register here. Come knit with me!
I’m teaching at Oregon Flock and Fiber Festival in Albany OR on Oct. 13 and 14. Friday’s classes are Sheepy Steeky Coasters (your first steek!) and Assigned Color Pooling. Minerva Entrelac Cowl is Saturday morning’s class, and we may take a break in the middle of that one for the annular solar eclipse. Bring your eclipse glasses!
Virtual VKLive October classes
Not local to me? I’m also teaching for Virtual Vogue Knitting Live Oct. 27-29. I’ll be teaching slip stitch knitting (Slip Away Cowl), Brioche Pastiche, and syncopated brioche (Syncopation Shawl or Scarf), and giving a lecture: Blocking: It’s Magic! Registration opens tomorrow; you can preview classes today. Scroll down to find the right event; there’s a lot going on including registration for January’s big show, VKLive NYC.
It’s shaping up to be a fun month! Are you knitting more, now that it’s fall? Or spring, depending where you are? I knit year round, but I feel like fall is the beginning of the year. Birthday, school year, a chilly great awakening. What’s on your knitting bucket list for learning this year?
How much can we pack into February? A LOT. I’ll never get to completely blog VKLive NYC and Red Alder Fiber Arts Retreat in Tacoma, but here are some highlights.
Fun classes with great students, both at VKLive
And at Red Alder. why am I showing both Sheepy Steeky Coasters classes? Because the joy of scissors makes a great photo op!
So happy to meet up with Keith Leonard and Shaina Bilow again after Knit Maine. And new friend Dario Tubiana, too. (Check out the sheep on the door of La Pecora Bianca.)
The Empire State Building makes a great tiara…or unicorn horn. You decide.
I didn’t have a full length mirror in NYC, but I did in Tacoma, so I could do my traditional what did I wear collage. Coffee Breakers Shawl (from Brioche Knit Love), Camellia Wrap, Ebb and Flow cowl.
Ebb and Flow looks good on everyone! New Beginnings statue outside the Federal Courthouse in Tacoma. It was the train station a long time ago.
Hanging out with Alasdair Post-Quinn (double knitting king), Michael Kelson (Spinpossible), and Xandy Peters.
We had fabulous markets on both coasts. What did I buy, since you know I don’t stash yarn?
Super fun yarn and NYC-themed project bag from Maker’s Mercantile. And it comes with a notions box that fits in the pocket, too. Look closely to see all the fiber-related pictures!
Also from NYC, Jūl’s new toolkit. Choose your shape: round, square, or triangle.
You can make the shape into a shawl pin with the stick pin, or a shawl cuff with the leather band. You can use the stick pin by itself. The other two leather pieces are to close a cardigan front. And the buttons have a round ball at the end of the shank, and a leather back to pop over the ball. You can move your buttons from one piece of knitwear to the next. So far I’ve only used the cuff, but I’ve used it a lot.
From Tacoma: a silly cats in hats project bag, also from Maker’s Mercantile. Did I need it? Yes. It will help corral supplies for a class.
Oh look, yarn! I bought this peacock green to teal gradient from Schmutzerella to knit one more Ebb and Flow. I love how smoothly the colors melt into each other. I can have both the taller neck and the longer triangle with this much yardage. It’s not stash if I have a plan to cast on soon! Right now I’m trying to decide if I want the blue on top or bottom. The piece gets wider towards the bottom, so the stripe down there will be narrower, but more visible. What do you think?
Always nice to see Mt. Rainier from my hotel room window.
So very different from my hotel room view the week before!
Currently on the needles: I’m finishing an Embellishment Cowl sample. I used it in class last week at VKL, and now I need it to display at For Yarn’s Sake as a sample for my class on May 7. It’s almost done. I need to have it bound off and steam blocked by Thursday morning, just in time for my trunk show. Wish me luck!
Posted onApril 4, 2022|Comments Off on VKLive Seattle coming right up!
I’m deep in class prep this week, before packing to go up to Seattle for Vogue Knitting Live. I’m really looking forward to seeing knitters in person again!
Sheepy Steeky Coasters
I had a fun time this weekend teaching Sheepy Steeky Coasters for For Yarn’s Sake on Zoom, and I’m teaching it in person this Friday in Seattle. After that, I’m teaching it once more on May 7 via Zoom for Twisted Yarn Shop, and then not again ‘til fall, I think.
VKLive Seattle class roundup
Plans for Seattle: 3 brioche classes (Petite Brioche, Deep End increases and decreases, and Syncopation), and steeks and slip stitch.
The marketplace is free to enter all weekend. If you’re not up for classes but just want to shop and check things out, come on by! I’ll be signing Brioche Knit Love books in the Hazel Knits Yarn booth on Saturday from 12:30 to 2 pm. And I’m really looking forward to checking out her Divine yarn base, which is a fingering weight 75/15/10 blend of superwash merino, cashmere, and silk. Sounds very luxe, an I’m all for it! Mmmmm, cashmere.
Book signing!
Also this week: Trying to get ready to publish my Cosette cowl pattern. Wish me luck, or more hours Monday through Wednesday! We’ll see if I get it all done.
I’ve been haunting the Portland waterfront this month, waiting for the cherry trees to bloom.
The top picture is 2 weeks ago, and the bottom is from March 31, 2019. Hoping next weekend is peak!
This color palette is on point!
Here’s a peek at what it’s becoming. I’m so pleased with this. After my adventure with the Pythagorean Theorem and the hypoteneuse, all is well! I don’t regret frogging those 11,000 stitches at all. I’m just over halfway done with this. Pattern coming soon.
I didn’t get much knitting done this weekend because I was teaching for Vogue’s Virtual Knitting Live. I debuted my new Darn It! class, which was really fun! Mending and even more visible mending. This all started with that sock mending project for a friend; it was so much fun I wanted to share my new skills. I’m teaching it again through For Yarn’s Sake on April 25, registration on this page, soon.
And we also launched Brioche Doctor. This covers reading your brioche knitting, and fixing mistakes. I love that it’s different every time, depending on the questions from my students. We can make this as calm or as crazy as you want! I like having several samples so we can play with it different ways.
April classes are booked; I’m looking forward to teaching Brioche Doctor, Tink Drop Frog, Syncopation, and Log Cabin Knitting for Vogue in April. Sign up for their newsletter so you can be notified when registration goes live.
I’m also teaching a slightly longer Syncopation/Syncopated Brioche class for Bazaar Girls Yarn Shop on April 3. I’ll walk you through flat brioche instead of assigning it as homework, before getting to the syncopated brioche. Class is a little longer than the VKL classes to accommodate this. Register here!
I have classes with Twisted and For Yarn’s Sake in April, too. Sign up for my newsletter for the most complete list of classes, plus knitting news, tutorials, and the best discount on my new pattern releases. I try to keep my Workshops and Classes pages updated here on the blog, but there’s no way to let you know about updates on that.
I’ve been having so much fun mending my knits, I decided to develop a class to share the love. Darn It! There’s a Hole in My Knitting makes its debut at the March Vogue Virtual Knitting Live. Registration for VKL is now open:
I’m also teaching Brioche Doctor: Fixing Brioche Mistakes, another new class. And I’ll be teaching Petite Brioche and Syncopation, and giving my lecture on Blocking: It’s Magic! A full slate of fun for me, and for you, too.
I had a great time teaching Petite Brioche for Bazaar Girls Yarn Shop on Saturday, so much brioche success! My next class in the series is Deep End: Brioche Increases and Decreases on Saturday March 6, which is coming right up. You can choose your project: Deep End Hat, Deep End Cowl, or Madrona Cowl, and the pattern is included in the class fee. Register here.
The crown is definitely the star of the show. Absolutely gorgeous. Both of these pictures are pre-blocking.
I didn’t knit to gauge, but I’m not willing to knit a hat on smaller than US3 needles. The hat is supposed to be 22” but mine is 23” instead, and 9” tall. I don’t swatch for hats. I go by Meg Swansen’s maxim that the hat will fit *someone*! My first hat is a great big gauge swatch.
I’m knitting a second hat, with one fewer repeat of the body stitch pattern. My kit from For Yarn’s Sake has enough of all the CC yarn for a second hat, if I buy an extra ball of the main color, which I did. (There are 5 colorways to choose from.)
I’ve adjusted my cast on, too. I know how to get the crown to work out, based on my reduced number of stitches. Math tells me that my new hat will measure 19”, which gives me some negative ease to help keep it on my head. I might try to remove a few stitches to make it a bit shorter…or not. When it stretches out to accomodate my 22.5” head, that will also make it shorter. Fabric has to come from somewhere! My hats are generally 8” tall.
I’m teaching a Zoom class for For Yarn’s Sake this Sunday, and again later in the month, based on this pattern. (Classes are full. Should we schedule a third class?) We’ll start the class with a discussion on gauge! We’ll also talk about swatching, or not, and ways to adjust the size of the hat. I’m really looking forward to it!
In other class news, I’ve picked a winner for a free class with me at January Vogue Knitting Live. It’s Lauri T! I’ll email her and let her know that she’ll be in my YO? YO! Fun and Fancy Elongated Stitches class. I’m pretty excited about that one, too. I just re-vamped the handout for class, adding more fun stitches. We won’t get through them all in 2 hours, but the handout is a good reference and jumping off point. Congratulations, Lauri!
What new knitting skill do you want to learn in 2021?
Posted onNovember 9, 2020|Comments Off on Petite Brioche Class giveaway
I’m teaching at Vogue’s Virtual Knitting Live this coming weekend. Most of my classes are full, but there’s still a few spots open in Sunday’s Petite Brioche class. Vogue is letting me give away a spot in the class.
Would you like to win this spot? Class is Sunday November 15, 7 pm EST (4 pm PST, and I’ll let *you* figure out the rest!) To enter to win, visit my Instagram page and click on the picture that looks like this one. Tag a friend and leave a comment about why you want to learn to knit brioche! I’ll pick a winner Thursday evening.
Registration is open for Vogue’s Virtual Knitting Live! I’m pleased to be teaching 4 classes, and giving my Blocking: It’s Magic lecture again.
Madrona Cowl, Deep End Hat
I have a new and improved version of my Brioche Increases and Decreases class, featuring my Madrona Cowl and Deep End Hat. Choose either project to learn these techniques.
Log Cabin Knitting
And I have a new Log Cabin Knitting class, where you’ll learn the technique and then see a lot of ways to play with it. This is easy knitting, if you’re looking for a mindless or meditative knit.
I’m also teaching Syncopation and Petite Brioche, which are always fun. I’ve been enjoying teaching at Vogue’s events; it’s nice to empower knitters to be the boss of their knitting!
I know it’s not the same as being together in person, but virtual events are much more accessible for most. Have you been to any virtual knitting events?
Apparently I’m living my best brioche life today. This morning I got up early and took a VKLive class with Nancy Marchant, Lacing Up Brioche.
I learned 2 ways to make eyelet holes in my brioche, the double yarn over method, and the release purl method. Brilliant! I bought Nancy’s book back in March, but had yet to open it. I just needed someone to make me pay attention. It was 7 a.m. here for me, and 4 p.m. for Nancy in Amsterdam. There were students all over the world; thank you Zoom!
Here’s a better look at my swatch, with the light shining through.
Brioche item 2: I also taught a Petite Brioche class later in the morning; these are always fun. Twenty new brioche knitters sent out into the world!
Brioche item 3? I’m test knitting a hat for Hunter Hammersen. I saw her call for test knitters on Twitter, and her sample was so pretty I couldn’t resist. It’s knitting up nicely in Malabrigo Rios. The variegation in the dark color doesn’t show much on the public side, but the inside is spectacular.
It’s been a very brioche day. But not to worry, I also got a few rows in on my Half the Knit Sky KAL.
I just finished the next increase row, so my smile is getting bigger!
Tomorrow I’m teaching brioche increases and decreases, and Petite Brioche again on Sunday. Lots more brioche going on!
If all this talk of brioche makes you want to learn, there are still a few spots in my classes *next* weekend through the Peacetree Fiber Adventures online retreat. I’m teaching Petite Brioche and Next Steps in Brioche: Increases and Decreases. Check it out!
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 