Why does beautiful Brioche have such amusing acronyms for the stitches? Well, it just does. As you knit a stitch with its yarn over, that's called brioche knit, also known as a bark. In the next round, you'll purl a stitch with its yarn over, and that's a brioche purl, also know as a burp. Once you are familiar with working in Brioche, you can make increases, decreases, cables, and more. As I tried working a couple hat patterns, I soon noticed I was not familiar enough with Brioche to do any of those, so I developed this pattern, to practice basic Brioche, and would like to share it with you.
Brioche Basic Beanie
Marilynn Blacketer '15
Brioche for beginners! I thought we might benefit from
a really basic Brioche beanie pattern with lots
of Brioche, and a quick crown. The beanie is designed to be very
tall, creating a deep fold-up brim to highlight the reversible
brilliance of Brioche. Although the pattern is titled basic, this
may be considered an intermediate level pattern because knowledge of
stitch construction, and
research about Brioche is helpful.
Finished
size:
Adult: flat18”, stretches to 24”circumference;
height 10”
Child:
flat 16”, stretches to 22”circumference; height 8”
Infant: flat 14”, stretches to 20” circumference;
height 6”
Gauge:
Worsted,
#5 needles, loose Brioche stitch: 5 stitches = 1”
Materials: Yarn: superwash wool in 2 colors
MC
= Main Color for the front of work and the knit stitches
CC
= Contrasting Color for the back of work and purl stitches. (I
used purple for purl!)
Adult: 200 yards /3.5oz; MC 100 yards and CC 100 yards
Adult: 200 yards /3.5oz; MC 100 yards and CC 100 yards
Child: 180 yards /3.25oz; MC 90 yards and CC 90
yards
Infant: 160 yards /3 oz; MC 80 yards and CC 80 yards
Photo: size Adult: MC: Worsted Merino Superwash Solids
by Plymouth Yarn; 100% Merino wool;
218
yards/ 100grams; color #7 soft gray CC: Painted Sky by Knitting
Fever; 100% Superwash Wool; 218 yards/ 3.52oz; color #205 Wine Violet
(this project used 210
yards/104grams of yarn)
Needles:
Size
US #8, 16” circular needles (one size larger than yarn label
recommendation for CO)
Size
US #5, 16” circular needles, (two sizes smaller than yarn label
recommendation for beanie)
and Size US#5
set of double pointed needles
Notions:
Stitch
markers, needle caps, tapestry needle
(I
used a very small “end of round” marker, to avoid a tangle in the
first BrK. When I set down my work, I used green needle caps if
working a knit round, and purple caps for a purl round.)
Abbreviations:
CO = cast on CC =
contrasting color MC = main color k = knit p = purl
k2tog = knit 2 stitches together Rnd/s = round/s sl = slip
all stitches purlwise st/s = stitch/es BrK
= brioche knit BrP = brioche purl BrK2tog = brioche knit
2stitches together
sl,yof = slip one stitch,
yarn over&forward yf, slyo = yarn
forward, slip one stitch&yarn over needle
Special Stitches:
BrK
= brioche knit,“bark”= Knit the MCslipped
stitch together with its CCyarn
over.
BrP = brioche purl, “burp”= Purl the
CCslipped stitch
together with its MCyarn over.
BrK2tog = brioche knit 2 stitches together =
MCslipped stitch and CCyarn
over are considered one stitch, together with the CCpurl (you'll
have 3 loops), knit those “2”
stitches together.
yf, slyo
= Bring the MCworking
yarn under the needle to the front of the work, slip the CCstitch
purlwise. Then bring the MCyarn
over the needle(and over the CCslipped stitch)to
the back, ready to work the BrK. This “yf,slyo”
is considered one stitch.
sl,
yof
= slip one stitch, yarn over&forward = With the CCyarn
already in front, slip the MCstitch
purlwise, then bring
the CCyarn
over the needle(and
over the MCslipped stitch), and
under the needle to the front, ready to work the BrP. This “sl,
yof” is considered one stitch.
Resources/ Research:
(I
found “2- Color Brioche Knitting on Circular Needles”:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tgRgfCgQTPA;
to be very helpful. If you knit continental, watch Brioche
Stitch with Nancy Wynn:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8TjJelUaxog.)
KnittingBrioche, by Nancy Marchant
is an excellent resource for inspiration and getting
started.
KnittingWithout Tears, by Elizabeth
Zimmerman, p95-97, A
Watchcap is knit in the flat, but offers a quick look
into Brioche.
Directions:
Directions are
written for size adult [child, infant are in brackets] (Notes
are in italic)
With
MC, size US#8needles, use the long-tail cast-on method, loosely cast
on 72 [64, 56]
stitches.
Place marker & join together by knitting first stitch being careful not to twist.
Continue
with MC, size US#5needles, knit one round.
Set up round:
Set up round:
With
size US#5needles, leave MC in back, introduce/pull CC to front, *
sl, yof, p1; repeat to end.
(With CCyarn toward the front, slip MCstitch, bring CCyarn over needle and to the front, purl 1 stitch)
(With CCyarn toward the front, slip MCstitch, bring CCyarn over needle and to the front, purl 1 stitch)
Hat: (Work hat with size US#5needles)
Rnd 1: with MC, * BrK, yf, slyo; repeat to end
(MC
BrK, MCyarn forward, slip CCstitch and bring MCyarn over
top needle, ready to BrK again.)
(The
very last stitch of the round: MCyarn forward, slip CCstitch, and the
MC will just flop)
Rnd
2: with CC in front, * Sl, yof, BrP; repeat to end
(with
CCyarn in front, slip MCstitch, bring CCyarn over needle and to the
front, CC BrP)
(The
very last stitch of the round: be sure to hold-up the floppy MCstitch
to work the BrP. Then tuck the MCyarn under the needle tips, ready
to slip the marker, and BrK the first stitch of the next round.)
Complete Hat rounds
1- 2 until hat reaches desired height,11” [9”, 7”] ending on
rnd 2.
(Work hat with Brioche rounds 1 & 2 for
11”[ 9”, 7”]
ending on rnd 2.
For
a shorter “cap”, work fewer rounds of Brioche before starting
the crown. This pattern has a quick crown decrease, adding no height
to the finished hat.)
Crown Decreases as
follows: (Work stitches on double pointed needles when needed.)
Rnd 1: with MC, BrK 1,
*BrK2tog; repeat from * to end, k1 (the last purl stitch)
(MC BrK just once, then
repeat BrK2tog = brioche
knit 2 stitches together = MCslipped stitch and CCyarn over are
considered one stitch, together with the CCpurl (you'll have 3
loops), knit those “2” stitches together. Repeat to the end, but
you'll find one remaining purl, knit that stitch.)
Rnd 2: Remove marker,
with MC, *K2tog;
repeat from * until 10sts remain.
Finishing:
Cut 12” yarn and thread end
through remaining 10 stitches.
Pull
together, and tie off neatly for a very reversible hat. Weave in
ends.
This
pattern is available on MarilynnsGardenKnitDesign.blogspot.com
Pattern pdf is available at Ravelry.com (login needed)
Copyright 2015, Marilynn Blacketer. All rights
reserved. 4/15/15
For pattern support please contact:
marilynnblacketer@gmail.com
Let me share the back story:
Ravelry Notes: 3/28/15 Brioche challenge! The manager of the LYS Creative Beginnings has been working on an intriguing Brioche cowl. She also shared a magazine, cast on, Nov'14-Jan'15, with the article "Best of Brioche". Arriving home, I started a Brioche hat pattern search, and printed two. I really read details, and project notes. Many notes said, check You-Tube. I found “2- Color Brioche Knitting on Circular Needles” to be the most helpful. If you knit continental, watch Brioche Stitch with Nancy Wynn. I also read project notes about Brioche and Fisherman’s Rib (working a stitch below the stitch), and took another look at my Knitting Without Tears by Elizabeth Zimmermann. Years ago, I had knit the “Prime Rib” watchcap. It was worked in the flat with one color. It was challenging, but fun.
#8 needles, CO 64sts, (brim 16” circumference)
#6 needles to knit 5 rounds, and work the Brioche hat.
Color B = green; Color A = purple for purl!
I used a very small “end of round” marker, to avoid a tangle in the first BK2tog. When I set down my work, green needle caps if working a knit round, and purple caps if it was a purl round. I kept working a few more inches (5.5"), then work the crown decreases.
The public library called. Knitting Brioche, by Nancy Marchant arrived through the inter-library search! I walked to the library!
3/29/15 Finished! I was pleased I had the Knitting Brioche because the author said to use "hanging markers for placement of decreases." I did that for the decrease sequence. With other stash yarn, I also CO 64sts, worked just a few rounds of Brioche, then worked the decreases three attempts/times to be happy with the look and feel. Modifications: (64sts)Started at rnd 4: p3tog for the purl rounds. I didn’t get the raised ridges as in the photo, but p3tog kept the “working in established pattern” established! I was very pleased with the project, and selected yarn for another.
