A New Kind of Brioche

Spring has to be my favorite season of the year. Every day brings new smells, textures, and colors that I sorely yearn for through the previous damp and dreary months. This winter seems like it has been our second el nino year in a row, this I understand to be great news for our tropical gardens but bad news for the soggy bus riders (myself included). It seems finally though, we are breaking through the rain and mother nature is bursting in full glory here in Berkeley. The bees are pollinating, the squirrels are mating, and now and again you can catch a rainbow so dense with color it could cast a shadow.

Spring is a special time in the dye studio, new inspirations for older lines and practiced methods for new products. I feel that our design team has been breaking though some of our creative barriers and have been trying some more radical painting that stands alone. Look for new additions to Pacino, Origami, and Brioche!

Last week I completed a personal project (posted below) in Brioche #19. This is a brand new color that I developed a week prior and has an uncanny honeybee like appearance. Everyone I have talked to about this color has the same initial reaction and it is absolutely undeniable. My original inspiration for this color (black/gold) came to me soon after I visited the King Tut exhibit at the De Young museum in San Fransisco, and I knew that Brioche was the only yarn that could truly pull it off. However, after I crochet and knit my first sample swatches of the finished product, I realized, all I could think about was bees, bees, and more bees! And so I made my first Honey Bee Mini.









































After completing my first project in Brioche, I don't want to stop! I can imagine so many different types of projects for this yarn, the ideas are limitless- I dare say my creative mind is buzzing!
Because of its durability, I can imagine a variety of accessories such as belts, bags, straps, or hats. I can also fantasize jackets, shorts, skirts, bathing suits, and leg/ arm warmers. Brioche is perfect for any project that you will expect to handle a lot of wear and tear while keeping its original shape over time. It also has the potential for fancy dresswear because of the nylon shine but can also add an intellectual twist to any casual project. Brioche is also suitable for machine knitting!
You can find Brioche in the Artfibers catalog through this direct link:

click here for Brioche!


Dyers:
As you probably already know, we sell dye hanks for customers who prefer to further personalize their project and explore their own creative potential. I am an extreme supporter of this and will offer advice and tips regarding preparation, chemistry, and techniques (without revealing any Artfibers recipe secrets of course) for your success and satisfaction. Brioche is one of the most difficult to dye because it requires opposite chemistry and double processing, but the challenge is most rewarding!

Till next time,
happy creations!