Gina’s Brioche Hat and Cowl
Like all members of the Purl family, I live in a world where color rules. If you shop at our store in Soho, you’ve probably seen me restocking shelves and cutting fabric. I’m the one wearing a colorful dress (that I made myself, most likely out of lovely Liberty of London!) and the reddest red lipstick. In my view, nothing perks up a gray day more than a brightly hued ensemble. Top it all off with a handknit scarf or hat, and I’m happy!
But in all that colorific bliss hides a small problem. How to limit myself to just one color, especially when I’m surrounded by a veritable rainbow of temptation all day! Luckily, I recently discovered the Brioche Stitch. Brioche knitting is a simple multicolor technique that creates a beautiful fabric of ridges and valleys. The color play of fair isle or intarsia without the bother of tangled balls of yarn and pesky tails? Yes, please! And better still, Brioche fabric is truly as lofty and luxurious as its namesake, the light and buttery brioche bun, making it just right for cozy cold weather accessories. I’m completely obsessed!
Yarn lovers, if you adore the yarn used in this project, you’ll love exploring all of our other yarn collections! Discover over 45 thoughtfully designed yarns in nearly every natural fiber and in every spectacular color you can imagine. Only available here at Purl Soho’s online yarn store, where every skein is created with care and your creativity in mind!
For my perfectly simple Brioche Hat and Cowl, I chose Manos Del Uruguay’s Maxima and Blue Sky’s Suri Merino. I love how the vivid intensity of Maxima peeks out from between the soft, fuzzy clouds of Suri. A two color project that’s twice as nice! -Gina
UPDATE: Brioche Cowl in Cashmere!
March 2012
We loved it so much, we re-did Gina’s Brioche Cowl using two different weights of Jade Sapphire’s sumptuous 100% Mongolian cashmere. To make a version like the one pictured above, you will need the same needles as the original, 2 skeins of Jade Sapphire’s Zageo 6-Ply Cashmere for Yarn A, and 3 skeins of Jade Sapphire’s 8-Ply Cashmere for Yarn B.
Designed by Purl Soho designer, Gina Rockenwagner.
Share your progress and connect with the community by tagging your pics with #PurlSoho, #PurlSohoBusyHands, and #PurlSohoGinasBriocheHatAndCowl. We can’t wait to see what you make!
MATERIALS
HAT
- Yarn A: 1 skein of Blue Sky Alpaca’s Suri Merino, 60% Baby Suri, 40% Merino, 164 yards required. We used the color Snow.
- Yarn B: 1 skein of Manos Del Uruguay’s Maxima, 100% Extra Fine Merino Wool. Each skein is 219 yards/ 100 grams; approximately 219 yards required. We used the color Highlighter.
- US 5 (3.75 mm), 16-inch circular needles
- US 5, double pointed needles
COWL
- Yarn A: 2 skeins of Blue Sky Alpaca’s Suri Merino, 60% Baby Suri, 40% Merino, 328 yards required. We used the color Snow.
- Yarn B: 2 skeins of Manos Del Uruguay’s Maxima, 100% Extra Fine Merino Wool. We used the color Highlighter.
- US 6 (4 mm), 32-inch circular needles
Shop our wonderful collection of aran + worsted-weight yarn to find a suitable substitute for this project, and remember that it’s always a good idea to check your gauge before you cast on… Our All About Gauge Tutorial shows you how!
GAUGE
HAT
20 stitches and 24 rows = 4 inches in stitch pattern
COWL
18 stitches and 25 rows = 4 inches in stitch pattern
SIZE
HAT
9½ inches tall x 20 inches circumference, un-stretched
COWL
10¼ inches tall x 56 inches circumference, un-stretched
NOTES
SLIP STITCHES
Slip all slipped stitches purlwise with yarn in back.
STITCH MULTIPLE
Hat
This pattern works over a multiple of 8 stitches.
Cowl
This pattern works over an even number of stitches.
BRIOCHE ABBREVIATIONS
YOS (yarn over slip): Bring yarn forward, slip 1 purlwise, bring yarn over right needle.
BK2TOG (brioche knit 2 together): Knit the next stitch together with its paired yarn over.
BP2TOG (brioche purl 2 together): Purl the next stitch together with its paired yarn over.
For tips on working the steps of Brioche Stitch, please visit our Brioche Stitch Tutorial!
SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS
After working a round with Yarn B, leave yarn hanging at front of work.
After working a round with Yarn A, leave yarn hanging at back of work.
BRIOCHE HAT PATTERN
Rolled Brim
With Yarn A, loosely cast on 88 stitches. We used a basic Long Tail Cast On.
Place a marker and join for working in the round, being careful not to twist the stitches.
Knit 5 rounds.
Body
Join Yarn B to begin working 2-color brioche, leaving Yarn B tail hanging in front of work and Yarn A hanging in back.
Round 1: With Yarn B, *YOS (see Notes), p1, repeat from * to end of round, leaving Yarn B hanging in front of work (see Special Instructions).
Round 2: With Yarn A, *bk2tog (see Notes), YOS, repeat from * to end of round, leaving Yarn A hanging at back of work (see Special Instructions).
Round 3: With Yarn B, *YOS, bp2tog (see Notes), repeat from * to end of round.
Round 4: With Yarn A, *bk2tog, YOS, repeat from * to end of round.
Repeat Rounds 3 and 4 until piece measures 6¾ inches from rolled brim.
Repeat Round 3 one more time.
Crown
NOTE: When decreasing to shape the crown of the hat, you will k3tog, knitting the next 3 stitches together, NOT counting yarn overs as stitches.
Round 1: With Yarn A, work 9 stitches in established pattern, k3tog, [work 19 stitches, k3tog] 3 times, work to end of round. [80 stitches]
Round 2: With Yarn B, *YOS, bp2tog, repeat from * to end of round (working the resulting stitch from the k3tog as a purl, rather than a bp2tog).
Round 3: With Yarn A, *bk2tog, YOS, repeat from * to end of round.
Round 4: With Yarn B, work 8 stitches, k3tog, [work 17 stitches, k3tog] 3 times, work to end of round. [72 stitches]
Round 5: With Yarn A, *bk2tog, YOS, repeat from * to end of round (working the resulting stitch from the k3tog as a knit, rather than a bk2tog).
Round 6: With Yarn B, *YOS, bp2tog (see Notes), repeat from * to end of round.
NOTE: Transfer stitches to double pointed needles when work becomes too narrow to fit on circular needle.
Round 7: With Yarn A, work 7 stitches, k3tog, [work 15 stitches, k3tog] 3 times, work to end of round. [64 stitches]
Rounds 8 and 9: Repeat Rounds 2 and 3.
Round 10: With Yarn B, work 6 stitches, k3tog, [work 13 stitches, k3tog] 3 times, work to end of round. [56 stitches]
Rounds 11 and 12: Repeat Rounds 5 and 6.
Round 13: With Yarn A, work 5 stitches, k3tog, [work 11 stitches, k3tog] 3 times, work to end of round. [48 stitches]
Rounds 14 and 15: Repeat Rounds 2 and 3.
Round 16: With Yarn B, work 4 stitches, k3tog, [work 9 stitches, k3tog] 3 times, work to end of round. [40 stitches]
Rounds 17 and 18: Repeat Rounds 5 and 6.
Round 19: With Yarn A, work 3 stitches, k3tog, [work 7 stitches, k3tog] 3 times, work to end of round. [32 stitches]
Rounds 20 and 21: Repeat Rounds 2 and 3.
Round 22: With Yarn A, work 2 stitches, k3tog, [work 5 stitches, k3tog] 3 times, work to end of round. [24 stitches]
Rounds 23 and 24: Repeat Rounds 5 and 6.
Round 25: With Yarn B, work 1 stitch, k3tog, [work 3 stitches, k3tog] 3 times, work to end of round. [16 stitches]
Rounds 26 and 27: Repeat Rounds 2 and 3.
Round 28: With Yarn A, k3tog, [work 1 stitch, k3tog] 3 times, work to end of round. [8 stitches]
Cut Yarn A. Continue with Yarn B.
Next Round: [K2tog] 4 times.
I-Cord
Transfer four remaining stitches to one double pointed needle. Work an I-cord for 5 rows. Cut yarn and pull tail through stitches. Using a tapestry needle, bring tail through center of I-cord to inside of hat.
Finishing
Weave in all ends and gently wet block.
BRIOCHE COWL PATTERN
Begin
With Yarn A, loosely cast on 218 stitches.
Place marker and join for working in the round, being careful not to twist the stitches.
Knit 5 rounds.
Brioche Stitch
Join Yarn B to begin working in 2-color brioche stitch, leaving Yarn B tail hanging in front of work and Yarn A hanging in back.
Round 1: With Yarn B, *YOS (see Notes), p1, repeat from * to end of round, leaving Yarn B hanging in front of work (see Special Instructions).
Round 2: With Yarn A, *bk2tog (see Notes), YOS, repeat from * to end of round, leaving Yarn A hanging at back of work (see Special Instructions).
Round 3: With Yarn B, *YOS, bp2tog , repeat from * to end of round.
Round 4: With Yarn A, *bk2tog, YOS, repeat from * to end of round.
Repeat Rounds 3 and 4 until work measures 9¾ inches from rolled edge, ending with Round 3.
Cut Yarn B and continue working with Yarn A.
Next Round: With Yarn A, *bk2otg, p1, repeat from * to end of round.
Knit 5 rounds.
Bind off loosely to end of round.
Finishing
Weave in all ends and gently wet block.
Looking for more inspiration? Explore all of our free knitting patterns and knitting tutorials, buy one of our many knitting kits and yarn bundles, and shop for beautiful yarn. We have over 35 gorgeous natural fiber yarns in 100’s of magnificent colors, designed to bring integrity, beauty, and joy to your next knitting project and only available at Purl Soho!
The Blue Sky merino is in my app, Yarn U, but I have to try it, but I serously want to try the Maxima. It looks delish. And I love the white and green combo. It looks seriously cozy.
Such a lovely colour!
Love this and I can imagine it in so many colors! I l love color too~thanks for sharing!!
What a terrific looking project! I especially like the look of the cowl. I'm afraid the Brioche Stitch in the Round Tutorial link is broken, though. Would love to try it out…
You always want to make me put down my current WIP and cast on for a new one … right now!! This is lovely — going to the top of the queue now (after I finish the current one, though!)!
oooh…..I love the look of this!!!
The link for the Brioche stitch in the round tutorial doesn't work. I would really love to see this. Could you please check it. Thank you.
Gina, this looks like a wonderful, not-to-difficult pattern. I would love to try it but I'm allergic to wool!! Can you suggest a non-wool yarn that might work up well in this pattern? Thanks for any help you can give–Karen
the brioche stitch tutorial has gone missing !
Hi Missy-
Thanks for pointing that out. It should be fixed now!
You guys are one of the few places that incorporate the neon colors and really makes it look good. It opened a whole new word of color to me. I love it…REALLY love it =)
– Sarah
http://agirlintransit.blogspot.com/
Gina-
I know just who you are! I visited NYC and purlsoho over the weekend and picturing you brings a smile to an otherwise routine Monday.
Hi Karen-
Blue Sky Cotton would work really well! The worsted weight, not the "skinny" cotton. You will need two skeins of each color you choose. Here is a link:
https://www.purlsoho.com/purl/products/item/721-Blue-Sky-Blue-Sky-Cotton
The multi colored skeins of the same yarn are also a great choice but they have only 100 yards, so you would need three for the cowl. Here is a link to them: https://www.purlsoho.com/purl/products/item/6614-Blue-Sky-Blue-Sky-Multi-Cotton
Thanks for the question!
I am always amazed by other people's talent.
sandy toe
I just wanted to say thank you for all the kind & wonderful help I got when I visited your store last Sunday. I live in Pennsylvania & adore New York & now when I visit I know where to get all my yarny goodness. I was loving the yak braids in the basket fr spinning. I should've bought one!. Thank you again. Everyone was so kind & helpful! I love the yarn I purchased there too. Spud & Cloe sock 🙂
I love your site. Everything is so colorful and your work is gorgeous.
I love all of the projects you guys post, but am hesitant without seeing it modeled on a person. I would *love* to see accessories/sweaters/etc on a live human. xo-
Hi there,
I started this beautiful hat but subtituted the yarn. It wasn't successful. The hat was way too big. I used Bernat Roving, #5 bulky yarn with 5mm needles. My guage was 18×18 over 4" in the brioche. You would think that isn't far off the guage but it made a huge difference. Of course, I did not test guage, and should have for sure.
What could I have done to make this yarn work for the pattern?
Hi!
Thanks for the pattern. I'm a beginner and would love to try that brioche stitch. But I don't understand how to YOS. Could you perhaps link a very detailed tutorial?
Thanks!
Do you know hen you will be getting more suri merino "snow" color in stock?
Hi Jen-
Please send an email to customerservice AT purlsoho DOT com and they can let you know when we are expecting more of this yarn in.
Thank you so much for getting in touch!
Molly
The brioche stitch tutorial is not working (again?). Why did you use two different weights of yarn for the cashmere cowl? Does this make the color pop differently or keep the cowl from bring too heavy?
Thank you for this pattern!
Hello Priscilla,
Thank you so much for letting us know about the broken link. The tutorial is now accessible from the hyperlink.
The two different weights of yarn creates an added interest. It helps pronounce the valleys and peaks of the ridges/ribbing. Also, with the bright color in a heavier weight, it makes if feel as though it is really shinning up through and between the white. You can work this project with two yarns of the same weight, but it won't have the exact play between the ribbing as ours does here. And, yes, as you suggested, it will be heavier.
Thank you again,
Laura
Dear all,
I was wondering if finishing the cowl as described (knit five rounds) does not double the number of stiches (compared to cast-on) as I would be knitting the yarn overs as well. Or am I completely mistaken??? I am about to finish my cowl and up to now all went well and it looks lovely – great pattern, and so easy. 🙂
Best
Kerstin
Hi Kerstin,
Great question. I will work on making this pattern more clear.
On your first of the five rounds of stockinette stitch, you actually want to knit the knit ridge along with its yarn overs. Then continue the remaining 4 rounds of stockinette evenly.
Thanks for writing in and pointing this out.
Best,
Laura
Hi Purl Soho,
I am just about to start the cowl and was wondering, do you think this would work as a scarf if I don't join it in the round and made the diameter a little thinner? Or is the brioche stitch too springy?
Cheers,
Eliz
Hi Eliz,
A Two-Color Brioche Stitch scarf would be beautiful and is a wonderful idea. This pattern is written for working Two-Color Brioche in the round. And unfortunately, with out re-writing the pattern, working it flat would not render the same fabric or look.
We will definitely keep this request in mind though. (PS: Keep a look out for Sunday's post, if might be of interest to you!)
Thanks,
Laura
Do you offer a simple knit pattern for two color brioche not in the round?
Hi Jen-
We don't have a pattern like that at the moment but thank you so much for the suggestion. We'll keep it in mind going forward.
Thank you!
Molly
Do you think you could suggest an alternative for the Suri Merino? I have completed one cowl with Maxima & Suri Merino and would like to do another. I love the texture of the Merino but do not like the shedding of the Suri Merino.
For the completed cowl, I had used size #6 needles but the completed stitches did not look as tightly knit as the pictures above. Did youby any chance use smaller needles? If I want to use smaller needles, how small can I go with the Maxima?
Hi Julz,
I'd be happy to give some alternative to the Suri Merino…
Jade Sapphire's 6-ply Mongolian Cashmere (as pictured in the pink cowl above) https://www.purlsoho.com/purl/products/item/3744-Jade-Sapphire-Zageo-6-ply-Cashmere
Swan's Island's Worsted (this is a light weight worsted, blocks very soft) https://www.purlsoho.com/purl/products/item/6280-Swans-Island-Worsted
Koigu's Kersti https://www.purlsoho.com/purl/products/item/870-Koigu-Wool-Designs-Kersti-Merino-Crepe-Solids
As for the needle size… Naturally, people knit very differently from one another. Where one person would use a US6 another would use a US4 or US7. I encourage you to make a swatch. Have you seen out circular gauge tutorial? https://www.purlsoho.com/create/knitting-tutorials-working-rnd/2012/3/16/swatching-for-circular-gauge.html
I made a Brioche Cowl as a gift once and used a smaller needle than Gina, but I can't remember how small I went. Perhaps a US5. Play around. The most important thing is that you end up with a fabric and finished product that you like!
Please let us know if you have any other questions.
Laura
GRACIAS son magnificos todos lo aportes que nos dan o comparten este es muy bonito pero lo tengo qu ver mas detalladamente para entenderlo.
Hi Laura your designs are so amazing. I loved both the colours u used in the cowls. Laura can u do me a favour plz. Can u send me the pattern details of trinity stitch n how to knit it in the round in detail. In case you r unable to post on your site can u e-mail me the pattern.
Thanks
Yvette
Hi Yvette,
Thank you for the kind words. This is actually Gina's design, but I've been fielding some of the questions here in the comment section. I will pass along your compliments.
As for trinity stitch… Is there a specific pattern on the Purl Bee to which you are referring? I don't believe I've done that stitch in any of my patterns and am blanking on which projects it may be use it.
Thanks for writing in Yvette.
Laura
Gina!
I love the helpful website you have and your generosity to share. I love this pattern so much I shared it on my blog knitandcrochetpatternchat.blogspot.com so my followers can come visit your website and see your beautiful work.
Thank you for sharing. Your work is so pretty. Love it! Can't wait to try the brioche stitch.
Kathy
Hi
Beautiful, cozy looking cowl. I was wondering what the repeat is so I can make it a bit smaller in the round. Thanks so much!
Hi Lori!
For this pattern, you just need an even number!
Happy Knitting!
Thomas
I would like to know whether you can add a cable to the this cowl.
Hi Shirleen!
If you want the cable to be made from the brioche stitch, it would be pretty easy I think! Just make sure that you cable even numbers over even numbers, and always include both the slipped part of the stitch and it’s paired YO as well.
Happy Knitting!
Thomas
I have a silly beginner question for the cowl. How do you join Yarn A when the round begins with a YOS?
Cheers,
Virginia
Hi Virginia!
That’s not a silly question at all! Sometimes, the word “join” is misleading in patterns. What is really meant is that you will start following the directions with the new yarn. For the first YOS with the new yarn, I would simply leave a 6 inch tail, and slip the next stitch while wrapping the new yarn around the top of the right needle. You’ll hide the end later when you weave in your ends!
Hope this helps! Thanks for your question!
Thomas
I have done the decrease round one on my hat and now when I come around on round 3 as directed I have 3 stitches (no yarnovers) of the color B. How do I work these ?? I see no way to work them in pattern. Any help would be be appreciated.
Hi Pat, Thanks for writing in with your question. Is it possible you may have accidentally worked a stitch that was supposed to be slipped in the last round? That would explain an extra stitch in the wrong color. If this is the case, you will need to rip back one round and reknit. Let me know if that helps! All my best, Gina
I have officially become a brioche lover, and I adore this cowl! I bought some of your line weight yarn a few months ago that I intended to use for a different project, which ended up not working out. Now I’m thinking it could be great to use for this project, though I realize it’s very far from a worsted weight! A much smaller scale 2-color brioche cowl knit in the round sounds lovely and perfect to wear during this extra cold winter!
Any suggestions about how many stitches to cast on if I’m using line weight instead?
Thanks for your help and for your beautiful patterns!
Hi Shayne! Great idea! I’d love a Brioche cowl in Line Weight myself!
If you knit the line weight at a gauge of 24 sts to 4 inches, you would need to cast on 336 stitches to knit the cowl. Make sure to make a gauge swatch before you begin, to ensure you are getting the gauge I’ve estimated. Let me know how you like the stitch in that yarn and gauge. If it’s not exactly how you pictured it, I can tweak the numbers. Thanks for writing in with your question! Kind regards, Gina
Hi! Thank you for posting this beautiful pattern. I’d love to knit it, but am having trouble with something. For the scarf, when I introduce yarn A, the first instruction is to YOS, but I don’t understand how to create a yarn over with yarn that isn’t attached or joined to the piece yet, if that makes sense. Do I first join yarn A by knitting it into the first stitch of this round, or by possibly knitting it into the last stitch of the previous round? I’m confused. Hope you can help!! Thanks!
Hi Rachael, Thanks so much for writing us! Did you try tying the new yarn you’re joining in to the old yarn? Tie the tail of the new yarn around the old yarn at the back of the cowl. When you finish knitting the cowl, you can go back and untie the knot you used to join in the new yarn. Let me know if that helps or if you have any more questions! -Gina
Great idea, Gina! I’ll try this. Thanks so much!!
Thanks so much Rachael. Let me know if you need any more tips! All my best, Gina
magnificas ideas gracias
I completed the first decrease round, but then when I work the next round and come to bp2tog where I’ve decreased, there’s only the one stitch to work. If I just purl the one, but am YOS, i’ll be putting the same number of stitches back on that I decreased. If I purl it with the next stitch, it messes up the pattern!
Totally confused!
Hi Sarah,
I’m sorry that you’re having trouble! After you completed the first decrease round, do you know how many stitches you had on your needles? Was it 80? Somehow the sequence of your stitches is off and I’m trying to figure out where this may have happened. Let me know if you had 80 stitches and we’ll go from there to figure this out!
Kristy
Thanks for responding so quickly. I had to unknit back to the last round before the decrease and re-do that round. Not counting the yarn overs, I do have 80 stitches. What seemed to throw it off last time was the row after the decrease (row 4.) When I’d get to the stitch that was the decrease on the previous row, there wasn’t the usual yarn over, so to continue in pattern didn’t really work. But to add a yarn over back in seemed to defeat the purpose of the decrease.
Hello Sarah!
While I’m not the engineer of this pattern, since the decrease is k3tog and not just a usual k2tog, you are decreasing two stitches with each decrease stitch. If you didn’t have the yarn over to counteract each 3 stitch decrease, then you technically would be decreasing 16 stitches from that row, but you only should be decreasing 8, since you start with 88 and should end up with 80.
Continue adding the yarn overs when necessary to maintain the brioche pattern even throughout the decrease rows. You are almost there! Best of luck! -Alyson
You might add that your cast on should be divisible by 8. I started with 52 stitches to make it smaller and now my “sides” are 13 which make me end up with unmatched decreases. =(
Hello Angie!
Yes you’re correct, the decrease rounds eliminate stitches 8 at a time, so it will be important to cast on a multiple of 8. We’re so sorry this was difficult for you to figure out! Thanks for writing in–you’ll definitely be helping others! Best of luck! -Alyson
I am not sure what happened…my scarf ended up being 56 inches wide but I only got 5.5 inches (not including the rolled edges). I used 2 skeins of manos maxima (1 in each color)…
Hi Jessica,
Thanks for writing in! I think that I see where the issue may be. For Gina’s Cowl, 2 skeins of Manos Maxima and 2 skeins of the Blue Sky Suri Alpaca are used. If you were to use 2 different colors of the Maxima, you would need a total of 4 skeins of the Maxima, 2 in each color.
I hope that this information helps!
Cassy
Hi, I’m trying to do a variation of the cowl. Instead I’m trying to make a standard scarf with the color duet shown here. Any advice? I am getting a little stuck – it seems like I would have to keep 4 stands going at once to keep each of yarn A and yarn B active and available at both ends. Does this make sense?
Hi Susan,
Working 2 color brioche flat will require using DPNs. There are many tutorials available via YouTube but we have not created a 2 color brioche scarf. If you like the look of 2 color brioche, you may want to consider a 2 color fisherman’s rib such as we used in our Color Dipped Scarf. The look is fairly similar and far simpler to accomplish!
I hope that this information helps!
Cassy
Hi. I am trying to knit the brioche hat and cannot find the tutorial. The link says it is not existing. Can you please help. I see that there’s have made a similar request.
Thanks
Lily
Hi, Lily!
Thank you so much for writing in! Sorry about the trouble with the link, we recently updated our website and the links are still a bit off. You can find the tutorial here: https://www.purlsoho.com/create/2011/10/16/brioche-stitch-2-color-brioche-in-the-round/. If you have further questions please let us know.
Happy knitting,
Kumeko
Hello. The tutorial is still not active or found 🙂
Hey, Lily!
Thank you for letting us know! You can find the tutorial here: https://www.purlsoho.com/create/2011/10/16/brioche-stitch-2-color-brioche-in-the-round/. Again, thank you for writing in!
Best wishes,
Kumeko
Hi,
I struggled for a long time with the brioche stitch in 2 colors, and even more in one color. The problem occurs when you have 2 yarn overs, right next to each other, one at the end of round 2 (brp) and one at the beginning of round 3, (brk). You purl the last round over in round 2 and then no round over as you approach round three. The yarn is in the knitting position, and you just knit the brioche knit stitch.
This video helped me.
http://www.socalmeaghan.com/blog/2015/5/5/how-to-one-color-brioche-in-the-round
I hope it helps someone else.
Barbara
When the decreases start for the hat, pattern says to repeat rounds 4 and 3 a few times. Should that read 3 and 4? Hope to hear from you.
Hi Vicki,
You read correctly! There are instances where you will repeat rounds 4 and 3 in that order as well as 3 and 4 in the order. This is to maintain the brioche pattern between the decrease rounds correctly.
I hope that this helps!
Cassy
I have been admiring this pattern for a very long time 🙂 I would like to take the plunge and knit it using your Purl Soho yarns – what yarn combo would you recommend for a similar gauge? (ie. worsted twist, mulberry Merino?) I just love the Purl Soho colours and am starting to become familiar with them so it it easier since I am ordering on line.
Thanks so much!
Hello, Pastille!
Thank you for writing in! Sorry for the delayed response! The Worsted Twist would be the most similar in gauge and feel to the Maxima that used in the pattern. The Alpaca Pure would also be a lovely substitute for the Maxima. You could use the Mulberry Merino in place of the Suri Merino with either the Alpaca Pure or Worsted Twist.
Best,
Kumeko
Just a note that the link for your Brioche Stitch in the Round Tutorial is not working.
Hello, Vanessa!
Thank you for writing in! We are still working out the kinks in our new website, sorry! You can find the tutorial here.
Thank you for letting us know about the broken link!
Best,
Kumeko
Hello! Do you have any patterns/advice for a flat brioche scarf in two colors? I see this cowl and I see your one-color brioche scarf, but I’m looking for a nice, simple pattern for two-colors worked flat.
Thank you!
Hi Becca,
Great question! We do not currently have a two color brioche pattern that is written flat. We do however have a pattern for a scarf that is knit flat using fisherman’s rib. It is called the Color Dipped Scarf. Brioche and Fisherman’s Rib have a very similar, if not identical, final look. While the pattern for this scarf has just a short two color section, you could easily knit the whole thing in two colors.
I hope that this helps!
Cassy
Hi – how would you adjust the pattern for a sport weight yarn? And what size needles would you use? Thank you!
Hi Karen,
Thanks for your question. Depending on your gauge you can cast on any even number. I wouldn’t increase by that many stitches since the Suri Merino used in the pattern is a DK. Let us know how it goes and if you should have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact us again!
-Adam
So beautiful! I have a question about the decreases: they are all worked while brioche knitting with either yarn A or B (no longer brioche purling)? Thank you!
Hi Joanne,
Thanks for writing in! For decreasing for the crown on this hat, you will continue with the established pattern of brioche knitting and purling as are decreasing. In the rows for the crown, it will say “work 9 stitches in established pattern” and then there after “work 8 stitches” in following rows. This indicates that you will be working the correct brioche stitches for these stitch runs as you had were the pattern continuing without the decreases. So on Yarn A rounds you will be brioche purling and on Yarn B rounds you will be brioche knitting.
I hope that this clears things up!
Cassy
Hello would you do a video tutorial on 2 color brioche in the round.
Hi Robin,
Thanks for writing in to us! We don’t have a video tutorial for this technique but if you click here you can see a photo tutorial. Let us know how it goes!
-Adam
I would like to make my daughter this cowl and she’s only 18 months. How many stitches would you cast on and using what cable length for a toddler sized version?
Hello Jana,
Thanks for writing in! To determine the number of stitches to cast on you will first need to decide how many inches you want the circumference of the cowl to be. Once you have this number you can multiply your stitches per inch, determined by your gauge swatch, by your desired circumference and you will get your cast on number! You just want to be sure that it is an even number. For a toddler sized cowl I would recommend a 20″ cable.
Good luck with your project, and please let us know if you have any further questions!
-Marilla
This is my first try at brioche stitch and I am making the hat in the round. I have ripped it out several times because when I change from one color to the next,it doesn’t come together correctly if I stick with the pattern. II have tried to improvise but that doesn’t seem to work. Help. Thanking you in advance.
Hello Lucille,
Thank you for reaching out! I’m sorry you are having such a frustrating experience. It is a little tricky to advice you without being able to see your project, however the pattern is correct and should be working out. What does your project look like? What specifically is happening when you change colors? I hope I can help!
-Marilla
Hi. I have ripped this hat out 90 times! Same problem. I figured it out by accident.
At the transition, when using color B at the beginning of a row, just purl the yarn over stitch without the extra prewrap.
Doing the extra prewrap creates an extra stitch that throws the pattern off.
Hi Lily,
Thanks for writing in with your tip! This modification will change the look of the join from what we have done hear but the wonderful thing about knitting is that you can always change things to work best for you!
Best,
Cassy
djinnj has a video in 2 parts showing how to handle the transition zone in the cowl. Purl row yarn is left hanging in front, knit row yarn hangs in back. Do not twist the two coloured yarns together, leave them separate . The trick part is end of row and beginning of row yarnovers, they are free floating , not secured. Just make sure they are draped over needle and then knit the slip/yo pair as indicated in pattern using the yarn that is dangling. Her vid is American combo knitting but the handling of the transition is good. Expat knitter on YouTube also explains how to transition. I struggled like you. I even tried to improv like you lol. If you watch both these vids it will become clear. Hope this helps. good luck!
Hi
I would like to make this with a bulky weighted yarn, how would I modify the total amount of cast on stitches? Would there be any other adjustments that would need to be made?
Thank you!
Hello Virgo,
Thank you for writing in! To knit this in a bulkier yarn you will need to go up i needle size and down in your cast on. The first thing you will want to do is knit a gauge swatch with your desired needle size to see how many stitches per inch you are getting. Once you have this number you can use it to figure out your cast on number. The only part that might be a little tricky is figuring out where to place your decreases in “shape the crown” section. I hope this helps and let me know if you have any further questions!
Happy knitting,
Marilla
Thanks Marilla!
For the cowl if using a bulky yarn weight, how many stitches would you suggest to cast on?
Thanks again 🙂
Hello Virgorunner,
Thank you for your question! To determine your cast on number you will first need to knit up a gauge swatch to see how many stitches per inch you are getting. Once you have this number you can use it to determine your cast on number. You will just need to make sure it is an even number.
I hope this helps and happy knitting!
-Marilla
Is it important for the yarns used to be two different weights? Or could this be done with two colours of the same yarn?
Hi Sarah,
Thanks for writing in! You can certainly use two yarns of the same weight here! Brioche is very forgiving and can work well using different gauges used together or the same gauge used together. Just make sure that you can get gauge (this is much more critical for the hat) with the yarn that you would like to use and you should be good to go!
Best,
Cassy
Do you have instructions for a one color brioche cap in the round? I have been unsuccessful following the 2 color instructions.
Thank you?
Hi Anita,
Thanks for reaching out! The only other brioche hat pattern we have is our Fluffy Brioche Hat, which uses a brioche variation that creates a quite different look. However, this pattern should work in a single color! You will simply ignore any instructions regarding yarn color. The part that is probably the most confusing when working this stitch in a single color is the transitions between rounds 4 and 3. Round 4 ends with a YOS, and round 3 begins with a YOS, so to work those two stitches in a row, when you are at the last stitch of Round 4, you will bring your yarn forward, slip the last stitch purlwise, slip your marker, then wrap the yarn all the way over the top of the needle and bring it back to the front to create the first yarn over, slip the first stitch of Round 3, then wrap the yarn around the needle again to create the second yarn over and bring the yarn back to the front to prepare for the following BP2tog. It feels odd when you are doing it, but it should result in two YOS’s in a row with your stitch marker in between!
I hope that helps!
Julianna
Thank you for your reply. Now I have another issue. In decreasing for the crown of the hat, at the end of Round 2 (a BK rouond), it says to continue with rounds 4 and 3. Round 4 is also a BK round and therefore, I don’t see how the pattern can be maintained throughout the crown. Am I mis-reading? Thanks for your help!
Hi Anita!
I’m glad you’ve had success with the hat so far! It looks to me like, although you will be working k3tog for the decreases, Decrease Round 2 should be a brioche purl row. Before beginning the crown, the body of the hat ended with a Row 3, which is a brioche purl row. Decrease Row 1 is then a brioche knit row, and it is followed by Row 3, a purl row, and Row 4, a knit row. Decrease Row 2 should therefor be a brioche purl row, and you will follow this pattern throughout the rest of the crown shaping so that the decrease rows alternate between brioche knit and brioche purl rows.
I hope that clears things up! Please let me know if you have any other questions!
Julianna
Still not clear (see above). If a decrease row is a Bp, should the 3 stitch decrease be a knit stitch in order to maintain the pattern? Please clarify and consider re-writing the instructions. Thank you.
Hi Anita,
I think I understand now! No matter whether the row is a brioche purl or brioche knit row, you will always be working the decreases as K3tog to create an attractive and somewhat decorative line of stacked decreases. I will pass your suggestion along to the design team!
Best,
Julianna
Thank you, but what confusing directions from the get-go. I highly recommend a total re-write with clarity and more detail.
I wholeheartedly agree that this pattern is poorly written. The decreases are a mess, because there is no explanation of whether to do yarn overs before or after the Knit 3 together. It’s either a sloppy mess, or I have to go back repeatedly to rip it out and figure out how to do it. Patterns should not require this much guesswork.
Hello Sarah,
Thank you for reaching out! I’m sorry to hear that you are having such a frustrating experience and I hope I can help! When you are knitting in the established pattern you will be thinking of your yarn overs and paired brioche purl or brioche knit as one stitch rather than two stitches. This means that each stitch will have a paired yarn over except for your k3tog.
I hope this makes sense but let us know if you have any other questions!
Best of luck,
Marilla
Hi,
can I also knit this as a cross stripe scarf? So instead of knitting in the round to knit in very long rows?
Thanks
Hello Kristin,
Thanks for reaching out! Unfortunately this pattern will only work out as written in the round, and we do not currently have a two color brioche pattern that is written flat. We do however have a pattern for a scarf that is knit flat using fisherman’s rib. It is called the Color Dipped Scarf. Brioche and Fisherman’s Rib which is a very similar stitch. While the pattern for this scarf has just a short two color section, you could easily knit the whole thing in two colors.
I hope that this helps!
Marilla
Hi! I’m loving this hat but having difficulty understanding the decreases so before I keep going I’d like some clarification.
Theoretically I get it- but after the first decrease round, you work 9 stitches then there is no yos in the next three, due to the fact the row prior did a k3tog of a (stitch, yos stitch, stitch) creating just a stitch…. so when you work pattern for 2 rows, what do you do with those?
To clarify- ending with an A row makes the first 12 stitches look like (and I’ll use s=stitch and yos=yarnoverstitch):
Yos,s,yos,s,yos,s,yos,s,yos,s,yos,s
Decrease row using color B results in:
S, yos,s,yos,s,yos,s,yos,s,s,s…
So going back to A pattern, what do you do with that? Do you pretend it’s a yos? Or what??
Hello Veronica,
Thank you for reaching out! When decreasing to shape the crown of the hat, knitting the next 3 stitches together, you are NOT counting yarn overs as stitches. This means that when you go to repeat rows 3 and 4 after your decreases your yarn overs will be in the correct place.
I hope this helps and happy knitting!
-Marilla
Can you provide the yardage needed for the cowl? Most of the links to the yarns you used are broken, so I don’t know how much yarn I would need. Thanks.
Hi Laurie,
Thank you for writing in, and I apologize for the broken links above! We’ll get those fixed as soon as possible! For the cowl, we used about 320 yards of each yarn.
I hope that helps!
Julianna
Hi just started this and I don’t see instructions for the decreases in the notes . How are the decreases done ?
Thanks
Suzette
Hello Suzette,
Thank you for reaching out! Your decreases are knit three together (k3tog). When decreasing to shape the crown of the hat, you will k3tog, knitting the next 3 stitches together, NOT counting yarn overs as stitches.
I hope this helps and let us know if you have any further questions!
Happy knitting,
Marilla
Hi all,
Thanks for all your hard work and sharing!
I made the cowl with line weight and the vertical lines are slanted the way through.. did I do something wrong? The transition part of each row is fine.
Hi Judy,
Thanks for reaching out! Sometimes brioche can bias and develop a slant to the left or right, depending on yarn choice and knitting style. I’m sure it looks beautiful just the way it is! Doing a generous swatch in your yarn before you start can let you see the way the stitch pattern and yarn will behave. I hope this helps!
Happy Knitting!
Jessica
Hello! Almost finished with the cowl, what BO do you recommend? I often find my bind offs to be tight and would not want that on a cowl!
Thank you!
Hi Cori,
Thanks for asking about this! I’ve found that if I use a needle two sizes larger during the binding off process, I can avoid the too-tight bind off problem more easily. Because the beginning of this cowl starts with stockinette, a basic bind off would work well to match. You can take a look at all of our bind off tutorials here: Knit Tutorials: Bind Offs
I hope this helps – happy knitting!
Cassandra
Hi,
I’m keen on recreating the Cowl using a 70% Alpaca / 7% Merino / 23% Nylon Yarn.
The recommended needle size is a 8… how long of a circular needle should I get, and has there been any tried adaptions to Alpaca yarn (hence be able to know how to adapt the number of stitches?)
Best,
Hi Sophie,
Thanks for reaching out! For the cowl we recommend a US 6 32″ circular needle! Depending on what the weight of the yarn is, you can work a Gauge Swatch on an appropriate needle size for the yarn and then calculate the number of stitches to cast on from there!
Please feel free to reach out with any more questions! Happy Knitting!
Gianna
Hello, I’d like to make this cowl in a cooler/lighter yarn choice than merino or cashmere….I work in a nursing home and the heat is often cranked up in there! What would you suggest as an alternative yarn, more of a light weight summer yarn, and one that might avoid the slanted stripes someone mentioned earlier. Thank you. Beautiful pattern!
Hi Linda,
Thanks for reaching out! I would recommend using Blue Sky’s Worsted Cotton! It is a worsted weight so it should be consistent with the pattern but I recommend working a gauge swatch before beginning to make sure you are accurate or if you need to make any adjustments!
Warmly,
Gianna