KNIT: Brioche Earwarmer

I almost named this blog after this brioche stitch earwarmer that I knit last winter. The brioche stitch was one that I had always loved because of its luscious, rich texture but had avoided trying again after my first failed attempt, which was soon after I picked up knitting again. Because I deemed it too complicated for me that day, I had built it up in my mind that it was just a stitch I wouldn't know how to do. In retrospect, it's kind of silly that I felt that the brioche stitch was simply not a possibility when I had learned and completed a project using the herringbone stitch, which is pretty complicated, too. It wasn't until a few years later that I willed myself to try again because what was I going to do with my spare time anyways (I only had three courses that semester and decided not to work since it was my last semester of university)?

And I'm so glad I did! This earwarmer is my favourite for many reasons. SUPER SOFTNESS: it's knit with Gypsy Gold by Bernat's Waverly line, which is likely the softest yarn I've worked with! Softness is definitely important when making something that's going to be in contact with your skin. SO WARM: because the brioche stitch creates a dramatized ribbed effect, it's pretty thick and full of layers. SIMPLE & VERSATILE: the brioche stitch is simple and classic, which means accessorizing with it is a breeze with most outfits. And lastly, this is one of my all-time favourite colours (:

Even though this earwarmer is a small project, I felt a sense of accomplishment for overcoming this knitting challenge! I was proud of myself for sticking to it and practicing the brioche stitch until I could finally grasp it and make something with it. That feeling of accomplishment lingered and played a big part in inspiring me to start a blog. I felt like journaling about the new things I try, challenges I attempt (like the brioche stitch!), and the positives of where I am now would motivate me to do exactly that, more often. So even though the word "brioche" didn't quite make it into the name of this blog, that's my goal for it: to motivate me to get out of my comfort zone regularly, whether it be as a small as trying out a difficult recipe and learning the basics of a DSLR or bigger-picture-esque things like choosing to change my perspective on materialism in my life.

And you'll meet Niresha in a friend feature series that I'll be doing later on, but here's a snippet of her talent: she took all the photos in this post for me! Thanks, Neenee (:

**Warning! The brioche stitch tutorial linked to below may look intimidating and complicated (or maybe that's just how I felt when I first scrolled through it!) but if I can do it, you can do it too! You won't find another stitch like it!

Brioche Earwarmer  by Hannah J

Supplies: 4.0mm knitting needles, worsted yarn of your choice, scissors

Yarn Used: Gypsy Gold from Bernat's Waverly line

1/  Loosely cast on an even number of stitches to desired width of headband (I used 14 stitches). 

2/  Learn from the best: follow directions and pictures provided by PurlBee to create the brioche stitch here. 
3/  After you've knit the Set-Up Row, continue repeating Row 1 until you've reached the length of the  circumference of your head. 
4/  Using a yarn needle, weave ends together. Cut the yarn, leaving a long tail. 
5/  Wrap the tail around the seam to cinch the headband. Stop at desired thickness.

Alternatively, you could sew the ends together and have a headband without the cinch or even twist the headband before sewing the ends together to create another look. 

If you decide to try out the brioche stitch or already have used it for a project, I'd love to see them! Please tag me on Instagram @leehannahj or Twitter @jleeyua.