As soft and tasty as its namesake, these Fluffy Brioche Hats showcase the richness of our new Cashmere Merino Bloom, our most sumptuous yarn yet. Putting a toasty Fluffy Brioche Hat on your head is about as nice as putting a warm pastry in your belly!

Fluffy Brioche Hat | Purl Soho

Filled with textural interest, the fluffy brioche stitch creates space and dimensionality, giving the cashmere room to bloom. A twisted rib cuff contrasts nicely and adds great structure where you need it most.

Fluffy Brioche Hat | Purl Soho

From sweet heathered Honey Pink to helix-spun Charcoal Onyx, Cashmere Merino Bloom’s nine-color palette has something for everyone. Pick your favorites and kick off your fall knitting with this very special yarn! –Laura

Designed by Purl Soho designer, Laura Ferguson.

Share your progress and connect with the community by tagging your pics with #PurlSoho, #PurlSohoBusyHands, #PurlSohoFluffyBriocheHat, and #PurlSohoCashmereMerinoBloom. We can’t wait to see what you make!

Materials

Fluffy Brioche Hat | Purl Soho
  • 1 (1, 1, 1, 2) skeins of Purl Soho’s Cashmere Merino Bloom, 75% extra fine merino wool, 25% cashmere. Each skein is 218 yards/ 100 grams; approximately 135 (154, 175, 218, 250) yards required.
  • US 4 (3.5mm), 16-inch circular needles (Kid and Adult sizes only)
  • Set of US 4 double pointed needles (all sizes)
  • US 7 (4.5mm), 16-inch circular needles (if using a Long Tail Tubular Cast On, all sizes: if using a Long Tail Cast On or similar, Kid and Adult sizes only)
  • Set of US 7 double pointed needles (Baby size only)
  • 4 stitch markers, including one unique

We used the following colors for our samples (NOTE: many of these colors are no longer available)…

  • Baby: Heirloom White and Dove Gray
  • Kid Small: Lavender Moon and Rose Granite
  • Kid Large: Honey Pink and Ballet Pink
  • Adult Small: Tide Pool and Charcoal Onyx
  • Adult Large: Salt + Pepper

Gauge

24 stitches = 4 inches in Twisted Rib on larger needles

20 stitches and 44 rounds = 4 inches in Fluffy Brioche on smaller needles

NOTE: For some tips on how to make these gauge swatches, visit our Swatching for Circular Gauge Tutorial. Here, you’ll want to cast on an even number of stitches and use the stitch patterns given in their respective sections, below.

Sizes

Baby (Kid Small, Kid Large, Adult Small, Adult Large)

  • Finished Circumference: 14 ½, (16, 17 ½, 19 ¼, 20 ¾) inches
  • Finished Height (un-cuffed): 7 ¾ (8 ½, 9 ½, 10 ¾, 11 ¾) inches

Notes

Slip all slipped stitches purlwise.

bk2tog (brioche knit 2 together): Knit next stitch together with its paired yarn over.

NOTE: When counting stitches in a brioche pattern, you don’t include yarn overs in the stitch count. Each yarn over is paired with a knit stitch, and you count this pair as a single stitch.

Pattern

Cast On

NOTE: I used a Long Tail Tubular Cast On because it’s nice and stretchy, but a basic Long Tail Cast On would also be beautiful (and less complicated!) If you do a Long Tail Tubular Cast On, be aware that, because this rib is twisted, the Foundation Rows are slightly different than in our tutorial.

IF YOU DO A LONG TAIL TUBULAR CAST ON…

Cast 72 (80, 88, 96, 104) stitches onto the larger circular needles.

Do not join for working in the round.

Foundation Row 1 (wrong side): *Knit 1, slip one with yarn in front (wyif), repeat from * to end of row.

Foundation Row 2 (right side): *Knit 1 through the back loop (tbl), slip 1 wyif, repeat from * to end of row.

NOTE: If you are knitting the Baby size, once you’ve completed the Foundation Rows, distribute your stitches evenly on the larger double pointed needles. The 16-inch circular needles are too long for the circumference of the smallest hat.

IF YOU DO A LONG TAIL CAST ON OR SIMILAR…

Cast 72 (80, 88, 96, 104) stitches onto the larger double pointed needles, for the Baby size, or onto the larger circular needles, for all other sizes.

Continue on to the next section, Work in Twisted Rib.

Work in Twisted Rib

Place unique marker and join for working in the round, being careful to not twist the stitches.

Round 1: *K1 through the back loop (tbl), p1 tbl, repeat from * to end of round.

Repeat Round 1 until piece measures 1 ¾ (2, 2 ¼, 2 ½, 2 ¾) inches from cast-on edge.

Work in Fluffy Brioche

Change to smaller double pointed or circular needles.

Round 1: *P1, slip 1 with yarn in front (wyif), yo, repeat from * to end of round.

Round 2: *K1, bk2tog (see Notes), repeat from * to end of round.

Round 3: *Slip 1 wyif, yo, p1, repeat from * to end of round.

Round 4: *Bk2tog, k1, repeat from * to end of round.

Repeat Rounds 1-4 until piece measures approximately 6½ (7, 7 ¾, 8 ¾, 9 ¾) inches from cast-on edge or approximately 1¼ (1½, 1 ¾, 2, 2) inches from finished desired height.

Next Round: Repeat Round 1.

Shape Crown

Set-Up Round: [(K1, bk2tog) 9 (10, 11, 12, 13) times, place marker] four times, not placing marker on last repeat.

Round 1 (decrease round): [K1tbl, p2tog, p1, *slip 1 wyif, yo, p1, repeat from * to two stitches before next marker, p2tog tbl, slip marker (sm)] four times. [8 stitches decreased]

Round 2: [K1tbl, k2, *bk2tog, k1, repeat from * to one stitch before next marker, k1, sm] four times.

Repeat Rounds 1 and 2 four (five, six, seven, eight) more time(s). [32 stitches]

Next Round (decrease round): [K1 tbl, p2tog, p1, slip 1 wyif, yo, p1, p2tog tbl] 4 times. [24 stitches]

Next Round: [K1 tbl, k2, bk2tog, k2] 4 times.

Next Round (decrease round): [K1 tbl, p2tog, p1, p2tog tbl] 4 times. [16 stitches]

Next Round (decrease round): [K1 tbl, s2kp] 4 times. [8 stitches]

Cut yarn and thread onto tapestry needle. Draw needle through remaining stitches and pull taut. Draw needle to inside of hat and weave in tail to secure.

Finish

Weave in remaining ends and block as desired.

Fluffy Brioche Hat | Purl Soho