Brioche-a-luscious: Quarantine Knitting
Hiya!
It has been a while since I have blogged and I can't use the pandemic as an excuse. As with everyone in the country, I have been shut-in for weeks. My husband and/or I have ventured out, amongst people, only several times in the last 9 weeks. We have tried to take a walk 3/4 times a week, just to get out of the house.
It is during this time, that I am grateful for my love of knitting and reading. Since the pandemic, I have successfully completed items that have been waiting for seaming and blocking. In addition, it has given me the energy to tackle a shawl that I frogged a few months ago - Andra Mowry's Briochealuscious.
This is a large and impressive shawl that is super entertaining to knit. It is broken up in sections that contain stripes, short rows, speckles, and brioche. I started knitted to the broader and decided that I did not like the color combination.
Since I have a great deal of time on my hands, I decided to pick it back up again. After all, it is on my make 2020 list. Since I have reorganized my stash, see what all this time has produced, I was able to pick colors that I believe I would like and work better, these are listed in my Raverly page.
I have found the pattern very well written. However, I did get caught up a little in section two with the kfbf (knit-front-back-front) and picking up the wrap, K4. The first time, I missed the additional increase. The second time, I counted the wrapped stitch with the knit 4. One error resulted in fewer stitches and the other mistake resulted in not being able to begin section three as indicated. When I got to section four, I was excited to learn 2-color brioche. I was pretty successful; but, I feel that the reverse side stitches are a little too loose. I am hoping that when it is blocked that the stitches will even out. I did not have enough of the hand-dyed yarn left in my stash to complete section five; therefore, I added the gold to finish this seed-stitch section.
I am now on to the final section - section six, implied border. Prior to starting this project, I looked at the remarks and comments on those who completed this shawl (on Raverly) and found that this is the most difficult part of the pattern. So, I wasn't surprised that I had difficulties; after all, I am not an experience brioche knitter. I have put it aside for a while in the hopes that distance would make the heart go fonder. Thus far, it hasn't worked.
I have been pondering knitting the border separately and then attaching it to the shawl and began working with that idea; but, decided to knit it as the pattern dictated. I am glad I did. I got about 2/3's of the way completed and ran out of yarn in both colors. It wasn't difficult to find the off-white; but, the green was hard to find. I checked online and reached out to a couple of LYS for a match and one of them came through... YEA! I don't think you can tell.
The border is a bear in that it takes a great deal of time; but, the results are worth it. What do you think?
It has been a while since I have blogged and I can't use the pandemic as an excuse. As with everyone in the country, I have been shut-in for weeks. My husband and/or I have ventured out, amongst people, only several times in the last 9 weeks. We have tried to take a walk 3/4 times a week, just to get out of the house.
It is during this time, that I am grateful for my love of knitting and reading. Since the pandemic, I have successfully completed items that have been waiting for seaming and blocking. In addition, it has given me the energy to tackle a shawl that I frogged a few months ago - Andra Mowry's Briochealuscious.
This is a large and impressive shawl that is super entertaining to knit. It is broken up in sections that contain stripes, short rows, speckles, and brioche. I started knitted to the broader and decided that I did not like the color combination.
Since I have a great deal of time on my hands, I decided to pick it back up again. After all, it is on my make 2020 list. Since I have reorganized my stash, see what all this time has produced, I was able to pick colors that I believe I would like and work better, these are listed in my Raverly page.
I have found the pattern very well written. However, I did get caught up a little in section two with the kfbf (knit-front-back-front) and picking up the wrap, K4. The first time, I missed the additional increase. The second time, I counted the wrapped stitch with the knit 4. One error resulted in fewer stitches and the other mistake resulted in not being able to begin section three as indicated. When I got to section four, I was excited to learn 2-color brioche. I was pretty successful; but, I feel that the reverse side stitches are a little too loose. I am hoping that when it is blocked that the stitches will even out. I did not have enough of the hand-dyed yarn left in my stash to complete section five; therefore, I added the gold to finish this seed-stitch section.
I am now on to the final section - section six, implied border. Prior to starting this project, I looked at the remarks and comments on those who completed this shawl (on Raverly) and found that this is the most difficult part of the pattern. So, I wasn't surprised that I had difficulties; after all, I am not an experience brioche knitter. I have put it aside for a while in the hopes that distance would make the heart go fonder. Thus far, it hasn't worked.
I have been pondering knitting the border separately and then attaching it to the shawl and began working with that idea; but, decided to knit it as the pattern dictated. I am glad I did. I got about 2/3's of the way completed and ran out of yarn in both colors. It wasn't difficult to find the off-white; but, the green was hard to find. I checked online and reached out to a couple of LYS for a match and one of them came through... YEA! I don't think you can tell.The border is a bear in that it takes a great deal of time; but, the results are worth it. What do you think?
Enjoy Knitting Each Day!
Jackie
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