Nancy Marchant, Brioche knitting expert, is our interview guest on the Fruity Knitting Podcast Episode 35. Nancy is passionate about brioche knitting, with three books already published and a fourth on the way. Shetland designer Ella Gordon presents her latest garment design, the Vatsland Jumper, in New Releases. We are joined by Bärbel Salet, from Germany, who shows us her spectacular stranded colorwork creations in Knitters of the World. Andrea is back working on fitting issues with a lace garment, Andrew is taking great strides with his brioche beanies, and Madeleine is nearing the completion of her Sarah Hatton sweater. We present the Fruity Lace Kal collage and launch the Fruity Brioche Kal. Enjoy!

Fruity Knitting Podcast Episode 35

Nancy Marchant – Brioche Knitting

Nancy gives us a brief history of the Brioche Stitch and her first encounter with the technique. After writing some articles for Vogue Knitting and Interweave on the Brioche technique, Nancy realized Brioche knitting was really under developed compared with other knitting techniques. Primarily Brioche needed it’s own terminology so knitters around the world could share their patterns using the same language. Nancy created the key terms of Barking and Burping as well as a charting system which uses symbols for each Brioche stitch or technique.Nancy also shows us some of her most complicated designs combining Brioche with double Knitting, cabling Brioche and Brioche lace. Cutting edge knitting!!

Woodland by Nancy Marchant

Nancy Marchant Books

Nancy Marchant – Leafy Brioche: Knitted Cowls and Scarves

Nancy Marchant – Knitting Fresh Brioche: Creating two-color twists & turns

Finding Nancy:

• briochestitch.com
• Rav: briocher
• Facebook: Nancy.marchant1
• Instagram: nancymarchantbrioche

Verstrickte Kunst – Bärbel Salet – Knitters of the World

Bärbel has a real passion for stranded colourwork. Her studio reflects this with a collection of over 240 different colours. Bärbel loves to teach people in workshops how to plan out projects using many different colours.  You can slowly grade the background colours and then again grade the motive (foreground) colours using a wide range of tones with a contrasting colour.

Wintertime, by Bärbel Salet

Bärbel also puts together packs of gradients for your colourwork projects. If you live in Germany or are visiting, her studio is definitely worth a visit.

Bärbel Salet in her studio

Finding Bärbel

• Bärbel’s German website – Verstrickte Kunst (means “Knitted Art”)
• Ravelry: VerstrickteKunst

Ella Gordon – Vatsland Jumper – New Releases

Ella’s latest design the Vatsland Jumper is a modern twist on an ancient Shetland lace pattern.

Vatsland by Ella Gordon, modelled by Ella

There are already some lovely knitted up versions of her design. Here are a couple from our viewers.

Vatsland, by Ella Gordon. Alix Pearson used Di Gilpin Lalland yarn in lovely warm colours

Vatsland, by Ella Gordon. Katherine (katsmoke) used the recommended Brooklyn Tweed Shelter.

Finding the Vatsland Jumper

• The Vatsland Jumper on Ravelry
• Ella Gordon’s blog
• Ella Gordon was also our Knitter of the World on Episode 24

Brioche Hat

The Brioche collaboration hat

Andrew has finished the hat with some help from me on the crown. I was making up the pattern as Andrew as knitting it. I told him to cast on 88 stitches and work a 1 x 1 rib for 6 cm. The ribbing columns then turn into Brioche columns and while he was doing this, I was figuring out what to do on the crown. I decided on a 6 part spiral shaping decrease. 88 stitches doesn’t divide equally into 6, so two sections are slightly bigger. Optically, you can’t notice.

Brioche Hat Number 2

Andrew is now knitting the hat again in DK weight yarn using two colors.  I now know exactly how to do the crown and a written up pattern and accompanying video tutorial will soon be is now available to our Patrons as a thank you for their support ($5 and up). We hope this will also encourage those of you who haven’t yet tried Brioche to have a go and join in on the #FruityBriocheKal.

Manzanita Tee – Romi Hill

If you haven’t yet seen the interview with Romi Hill, then pop over and have a look at Episode 32. This is a gorgeous, elegant but simple design. Based on the given gauge in Stockinette, I decided to knit the size 34″. I wasn’t happy with the lace section, I thought it was too big and therefore didn’t stretch out and show off the lovely trellis/chevron pattern. Andrew had the bright idea to knit a second one in a size smaller and compare the two. So I did and liked the result. I am now going with the stitch count for the lace of size 31″ and the stitch count for size 34″ for the stockinette body. I’ve carefully increased at each peak of the lace, so it isn’t noticeable.

Agnes Top no. 3 – Tilly and the Buttons

This is the third version of the jersey top Agnes . This one come out larger than the first two. I think I’ve now figured out why. The fabric was 150 cm wide and I bought a length of 150 cm, so after pre washing it I couldn’t tell which was length ways and which was width ways (it’s also a midnight blue). There is slightly more stretch lengthwise in a jersey fabric and I cut out my pieces in the opposite direction, resulting in a slightly looser fit.

Agnes Top by Tilly and the Buttons. The skirt is by Alice’s Pig.

Music Credits

• César Franck, Violin Sonata in A, performed by Stefano Ligoratti, Creative Commons Attribution 3.0
  • III. Recitativo-Fantasia: Ben moderato
  • IV. Allegretto poco mosso
• Sláinte, Album: Cup of Tea, The Butterfly. Kid on the Mountain, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0
• Franz Schubert, Auf dem Wasser zu singen, D. 774, Public Domain
• J. S. Bach, The Well Tempered Klavier, Prelude No. 3 in C-Sharp major, BWV 848, performed by Kimiko Ishizaka, used under Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License
• Beethoven, Symphony No. 3 in E Flat Major Eroica, Op. 55 – IV. Finale Allegro molto, Public Domain
• Pyotr Il’yich Tchaikovsky, Souvenir de Florence, Op. 70, 1 – Allegro Moderato, US Army Strings, Public Domain