Reading Notes:Knitting Brioche

Having never heard of brioche stitch, despite five years of knitting experience, I delved into this book eagerly. I quickly realized that I've seen this when wandering aisles at yarn stores, fondling a knit section and wondering "how did they do that?" The answer is brioche. It's a whole new world of knitting.

• Lovely pictorial step-by-step illustrations show not only right- or left-handed variations, but others as well — this is a first for me! I'm a left-handed knitter who ended up with a continental sort-of hand, and even I found an illustration that applies! Happy.
• 2-color, reversible knitting
• Extremely details how-tos that don't skimp on directions for beginners
• Multicolor knit techniques and stitch patterns
• Brioche technique seems like an excellent way to build a seamless sweater pattern, as it lets you weave in a neckline and armholes without stitching together separate pieces of knit fabric.
• Cool motifs, like flat cables, textures and waves of color created with brioche stitch
• 25 full projects from hats to sweaters, jackets to scarves
• Complete start-to-finish tutorial for learning the stitch

I can't recommend this book for new knitters. It's quite complicated, and you should be able to read patterns already before attempting brioche. If you already know how to knit, this book offers a next step that will challenge your dexterity and make a great addition to your sweater-loving skillset.

Knitting Brioche: The Essential Guide to the Brioche Stitch
Nancy Marchant
Paperback
North Light Books, an imprint of F+W Media, Inc.
$27.99

Coming in January 2010

View book at Barnes and Noble

Review based on a free copy of this book, courtesy of the publisher.