More Brioche Please

After knitting an unbelievable amount of brioche when I worked on the 2 projects I knit for Dean Renwick and Sask Fashion Week last year (which I just realized now I didn't really post about my process....  new blog post idea) I picked another brioche project to work on.  I chose the Basic Brioche Loop Cowl by Handmade by SMINE.  It is a great pattern because it has instructions for a longer, skinnier version or a shorter, wider version which is the one I made and all using just one skein of sock yarn.  
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I had this luscious blend of Merino/Silk/Cashmere in my stash that I picked up from Kim of The Wacky Windmill and it was the perfect yarn for this cowl.  This is her Ethereal sock yarn and it is so cozy and soft around my neck.

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I cast on using the long tail cast on and bound off in my normal way.  For seaming the edges, I used a crochet hook and single crocheted the edges together.  I could have done a provisional cast on but thought of it after.   I would like to make the other longer version of this cowl and will do the provisional cast on next time and a three needle bind off.

I used up the majority of the yarn and only had a couple yards left.  I always worry about running out of yarn and I could have knit a couple extra rows - darn! 

This cowl took me about a month to knit but I was only working on it periodically to start.  I got down to business when I saw Kim's Brioche Challenge posted in her group which gave me some extra incentive.

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  The colours of this yarn are hard to capture.  I have edited these photos to get a more accurate representation of its beauty. It is mostly fuchsia with a bubblegum pink spotted throughout and a bit of yellow every now and again.  The colourway is called Cherry Cobbler :P

I have been eyeing up all the brioche patterns from Stephen West.  Especially the Askews Me shawl.    If you want to give brioche a try this is the site and the video that made it all clear to me.  Sometimes new terminology and weird symbols on a chart can make a new project look pretty daunting.   I am a huge advocate of just jumping in and trying out new techniques even if they scare you because in most cases, the technique wasn't hard at all and you avoided a pattern you wanted to try.  It is relaxing to knit, it makes a nice cushy fabric and can be done in one or two colours.  Here is a good starting point if you want to try it out.