Having taken some time away from knitting, I seem to have missed a few knitting trends. Previously, when I was heavily into knitting, the trend was for berets, socks and lacy shawls knitted in sock yarn! Now, it seems to be bobble hats, boxy sweaters, brioche knitting. Not to be out of the loop I have been quickly embracing brioche stitch! My next two projects are both based around this stitch, and one of them is even a boxy sweater. So I am embracing two trends.

Brioche Knitting

I had seen a class locally, that was teaching the technique, but rather than wait a few weeks. I turned to Youtube to look for tutorials, I found the Wool at the Gang video and some tips and hints from Purl Soho (both linked below). So I thought I would give it a go. Although brioche stitch looks complicated it’s is actually, pretty straightforward. It is a little weird to get the hang off, as you have to work each row twice. First by knitting and slipping stitch alternative stitches, then re-working the same row purling the slipped stitches and slipping the previously knitted stitches. Once you get to grips with not working left to right, and then right to left. It is pretty easy to work and yet looks far more complicated.

Whilst, you can work brioche stitch in one colour, the technique looks best when worked in two colours. Working each row first with one colour and then passing over the second time with the second colour. For a truly beautiful effect, variegated or self-striping yarn worked together with a solid colour looks amazing. One of the best things about Brioche Stitch is experimenting with different colour combinations.

So far, I have only been working brioche stitch knitted flat. However, my next plan is to knit on the round. Which will be needed for the LUSH cowl, I want to knit. Then I hope I can move on to more advanced patterns, like the leaf pattern as seen in Nancy Marchant’s Willow scarf.

Recommended Reading

• Ultimate Beginners Guide to Knitting from Hobby Help
• Guide to Brioche Stitch by Purl Soho
• Video Tutorial by Wool and the Gang
• One Colour Brioche Casting On by Brioche Stitch
• Italian Bind Off Video Tutorial by The Blue Mouse Knits

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I used to knit a lot! Knitting was my may past-time. In evening whilst watching television, on the tube and even in the pub (during our knitting group). I would attend knitting shows with the same planning and determination you might have for attending a con. I even started this blog originally to write about my knitting projects.

Knitting Natter

Whilst I never stopped knitting, I certainly cut down, until recently. I don’t know what changed but once again I have been knitting in the evenings. Not only has this help me relax more, it has also it also stops me from using a second screen whilst watching TV.

For a while now, I have been wanting to write more about my knitting on the blog. Recently, most of my posts have more a geeky feel, so writing knitting would technically, be a step away from my normal content. However seeing as the two major knitting projects I have been working on this year, but have a geeky theme, It would make sense to write to about them.

More than that, I love being part of the knitting community. I have made a lot of friends via knitting. We were brought together because of our shared interest in knitting but since then we have discovered we have the same love of food, books and movies. I want to once again write about these experiences.

Whilst I don’t regularly go to attend a knitting group anymore. I do still meet up with friends I made from the knitting community. When we get together we might not all bring our knitting along, but we will find a new interesting place to have lunch. Talk about the latest Marvel or Star Wars movie, our collective love of Hamilton.  And our conversation will always return to what is hot in the knitting world.

Diversity in the Knitting Community

Lack of diversity in the media has been a hot topic since the #SoWhiteOscars. I never really thought about it in the lack of diversity in the knitting community. It wasn’t until I recently read an interesting post by Lady Dye Yarns on Instagram on the topic. It got me thinking about my experiences as an Asian knitter.

Maybe it is because I am based in London a multi-cultural city, but my group of knitting friends has always been pretty diverse. In fact, I remember a conversation at one knitting night, where we discussed we were all immigrants. Being born in the U.K. I was the only second-generation immigrant. Yet if you look online or in knitting publications, it is predominantly white designers or models, not at all a reflection of the knitting community I know.

#diversknitty

The conversation about diversity in the knitting community was started by Sockmatician. He commented on the lack of non-white faces when scrolling thru the #knitting hashtag on Instagram. He started the #diversknitty hashtag to help promote not only knitters of colour but also, knitting designers, indie yarn dyers and companies run by non-white knitters.

Scrolling through the #diversknitty hashtag, I have read some amazing stories and experiences from fellow knitters. Plus I have discovered new patterns like the amazing ZigZag Stole and the beautiful knitted jewellery kits sold by Mahliqa. I have also noticed two major yarn magazines feature women of colour on the cover this month. I Like Crochet and Pom Pom Magazine. It seems the knitting community is finally catching up with the entertainment industry, by not only having the conversation about diversity but also highlighting crafters of colour. I cannot wait to see what more is to come.

This post contains affiliate links, which means that if you click on one of the product links, I will earn a commission. You will not pay more when buying a product through my link.