Single colour brioche knitting progress (& 'fixing' a wooden needle tip)

*Although I intended to start with a Nancy Marchant class, it was actually a reader's tip that got me started on my plan to learn brioche knitting, by reminding me about the simple scarf pattern (from Anne Weil) in issue 59 of Mollie Makes (thank you Sara!). I popped the magazine and some yarn in my handbag and followed the step-by-step photos to make a swatch while waiting for the children to come out of school. It's not a perfect swatch but is good enough, and was just right to get into the rhythm and to learn to 'read' the knitting. I have to let you into a little secret here - it was really much more straight-forward than I thought! 

Swatching with Scheepjes Peru (on 10 mm needles) and Stone Washed (using 3.5mm needles)

Based on my download of Nancy Marchant's essential brioche book, Amazon recommended another which I have found very useful (and which is also available on Kindle Unlimited) - if you're interested in this technique, the book is Brioche Chic by Mercedes Tarasovich-Clark - I am finding it easy to follow and it also includes some very nice patterns (see them on Ravelry here).  

Next, with an idea for a new project, some yarn and new buttons, I decided to try a bigger swatch, only to discover one of my 10mm knitpro tips was broken. Knitting with a soft fluffy yarn and a rough needle tip wasn't ever going to work so it was time to come up with a quick bodge solution. I managed to use a nail file to smooth it well enough to use, although one tip is now considerably shorter than the other (see top picture). I'm hoping it'll last long enough for this project!

Later this week I'll be moving onto two-colour brioche, which will make more sense now that I have grasped basic brioche stitches - 'barking' and 'burping' (yes, really!). I'm happy to be one step closer to knitting Askews Me which is patiently waiting in my Ravelry queue. I feel that I've also made some small progress on my other goal of improving my photos, thanks to the Makelight Taster Course. Baby steps, but it's a start. 

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