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 (click here to find our Brioche Stitch in the Round Tutorial). 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!
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, 3 skeins of Jade Sapphire’s 8-Ply Cashmere for Yarn A, and 2 skeins of Jade Sapphire’s Zageo 6-Ply Cashmere for Yarn B. Visit the post for more info!
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 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. (NOTE: We no longer offer Manos Del Uruguay’s Maxima, but choose from one of our other worsted weight yarns.)
- Yarn B: 1 skein of Blue Sky Alpaca’s Suri Merino, 60% Baby Suri, 40% Merino, or 164 yards of another worsted weight yarn. We used the color Snow.
- US 5 (3.75 mm), 16-inch circular needles
- US 5, double pointed needles
COWL
- Yarn A: 2 skeins of Manos Del Uruguay’s Maxima, 100% Extra Fine Merino Wool. We used the color Highlighter.
- Yarn B: 2 skeins of Blue Sky Alpaca’s Suri Merino, 60% Baby Suri, 40% Merino or 328 yards of another worsted weight yarn. We used the color Snow.
- US 6 (4 mm), 32-inch circular needles
NOTE: To make both the Hat + Cowl, you will need 2 skeins of Maxima and 3 skeins of Suri Merino (or 492 yards of another worsted weight yarn), total.
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
COWL
10¼ inches tall x 56 inches circumference, un-stretched
NOTES
SLIP STITCHES
Slip all slipped stitches purlwise with yarn in back.
STITCH MULTIPLE
The Brioche Hat pattern works over a multiple of 8 stitches.
The Brioche Cowl pattern works over any even multiple 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
ALTERNATING COLORS
After working a round with Yarn A, leave yarn hanging at front of work.
After working a round with Yarn B, leave yarn hanging at the back of work.
BRIOCHE HAT PATTERN
Begin with Rolled Edge
With Yarn B, 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.
Brioche Stitch
Join Yarn A to begin working in two color Brioche stitch.
Start with Yarn A, leaving yarn B hanging in back of work.
Round 1: With Yarn A, *YOS (see Notes), p1, repeat from * to end of round.
Leaving Yarn A hanging at front of work, continue working in Yarn B.
Round 2: With Yarn B, *Bk2tog (see Notes), YOS, repeat from * to end of round
Leaving Yarn B hanging at back of work, continue working with Yarn A.
Round 3: With Yarn A: *YOS, bp2tog (see Notes), repeat from * to end of round. Leave Yarn A in front of work.
Round 4: With Yarn B): *Bk2tog, YOS, repeat from * to end of round. Leave Yarn B in back of work.
Repeat Rounds 3 and 4 until piece measures 6¾ inches from the rolled edge.
Repeat Round 3.
Shape 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.
Decrease Round 1: With Yarn B, work 9 stitches in established pattern, k3tog, [work 19 stitches, k3tog] three times, work to end of round. (80 stitches)
Repeat Rounds 3 (working the resulting stitch from the k3tog as a purl, rather than a bp2tog) and 4 one time.
Decrease Round 2: With Yarn A, work 8 stitches, k3tog, [work 17 stitches, k3tog] three times, work to end of round. (72 stitches)
Repeat Rounds 4 (working the resulting stitch from the k3tog as a knit, rather than a bk2tog) and 3 one time.
NOTE: Transfer stitches to double pointed needles when work becomes too narrow to fit on circular needle.
Decrease Round 3: With Yarn B, work 7 stitches, k3tog, [work 15 stitches, k3tog] three times, work to end of round. (64 stitches)
Repeat Rounds 3 (working the resulting stitch from the k3tog as a purl, rather than a bp2tog) and 4 one time.
Decrease Round 4: With Yarn A, work 6 stitches, k3tog, [work 13 stitches, k3tog] three times, work to end of round. (56 stitches)
Repeat Rounds 4 (working the resulting stitch from the k3tog as a knit, rather than a bk2tog) and 3 one time.
Decrease Round 5: With Yarn B, work 5 stitches, k3tog, [work 11 stitches, k3tog] three times, work to end of round. (48 stitches)
Repeat Rounds 3 (working the resulting stitch from the k3tog as a purl, rather than a bp2tog) and 4 one time.
Decrease Round 6: With Yarn A, work 4 stitches, k3tog, [work 9 stitches, k3tog] three times, work to end of round. (40 stitches)
Repeat Rounds 4 (working the resulting stitch from the k3tog as a knit, rather than a bk2tog) and 3 one time.
Decrease Round 7: With Yarn B, work 3 stitches, k3tog, [work 7 stitches, k3tog] three times, work to end of round. (32 stitches)
Repeat Rounds 3 (working the resulting stitch from the k3tog as a purl, rather than a bp2tog) and 4 one time.
Decrease Round 8: With Yarn A, work 2 stitches, k3tog, [work 5 stitches, k3tog] three times, work to end of round. (24 stitches)
Repeat Rounds 4 (working the resulting stitch from the k3tog as a knit, rather than a bk2tog) and 3 one time.
Decrease Round 9: With Yarn B, work 1 stitch, k3tog, [work 3 stitches, k3tog] three times, work to end of round. (16 stitches)
Repeat Rounds 3 (working the resulting stitch from the k3tog as a purl, rather than a bp2tog) and 4 one time.
Decrease Round 10: With Yarn A, k3tog, [work 1 stitch, k3tog] three times, work to end of round. (8 stitches)
Cut Yarn A. Continue with Yarn B.
Next round: [K2tog] 4 times.
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.
Weave in your ends. Block gently.
BRIOCHE COWL PATTERN
Begin
With Yarn B, loosely cast on 218 stitches.
Place marker and join for working in the round, being careful not to twist the stitches.
Knit 5 rounds.
Join Yarn A to begin working in two color Brioche stitch.
Brioche Stitch
Start with Yarn A, leaving yarn B hanging in back of work.
Round 1: With Yarn A, *YOS (see Notes), p1, repeat from * to end of round.
Leaving yarn A hanging at front of work, continue working in yarn B.
Round 2: With Yarn B, *bk2tog (see Notes), YOS, repeat from * to end of round
Leaving Yarn B hanging at back of work, continue working with Yarn A.
Round 3: With Yarn A, *YOS, bp2tog , repeat from * to end of round. Leave yarn A in front of work.
Round 4: With Yarn B, *bk2tog, YOS, repeat from * to end of round. Leave Yarn B in back of work.
Repeat Rounds 3 and 4 until work measures 9¾ inches from the rolled edge, ending with Round 3.
Cut Yarn A and continue working with Yarn B.
Next Round: With Yarn B, *bk2otg, p1, repeat from * to end of round.
Knit 5 rounds.
Finish
Bind off loosely.
Weave in your ends and block gently.
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