Whoo-hoo! We are back! Flo and I decided that we both probably needed a little break from the KAL just to get some things done in life. I needed a little time to refocus to get ready to study for a beast of an exam. She needed some time for a nice vacation. And believe me, as soon as I can schedule a vacation, I will be taking a very long one.
But, until then, we will have some swatches to keep us busy. This week we will be learning the brioche stitch. Even though it is very similar to the fisherman's ribbing that we did 2 weeks ago, I have always been really hesitant about trying this stitch. Some people even hold 2 different strands of color to beautiful effect. I'm not sure if I will try that at this point. I really dislike color-working and only do it when I can't get a similar look with texture. So let's dive into this one together. And if you have any tips, be sure to let me know. I'm sure I'm going to need it.
Materials Worsted Weight Yarn US size 8 knitting needles Tapestry Needle Measuring Tape
BRIOCHE STITCH
Notes
Earlier in the knit along we tried out Fisherman’s Rib. Brioche Stitch creates a very similar ribbing texture with a ton of depth and texture. This swatch starts off with one set-up row, followed by just a single row repeat to create the pattern! Note that when counting rows for gauge in Brioche Stitch, each visible “V” stitch is composed of two knitted rows, rather than one.
P.S. This block will be similar to the fisherman's ribbing. There will still be 2 stitches along the side borders, but in order to keep those edges straight (because each row of the ribbing is kind of 2 for 1) we will be working a selvedge stitch at the beginning of each row.
Gauge
17st x 36r =4 x 4" (10cm)
Tip: pay attention to this, especially if you are modifying the pattern.
Abbreviations
BRK - Brioche Knit: knit the stitch on your left needle together with the yarn over from the previous row
P - Purl
RS - Right side
SL - Slip stitch
SL1K WYIB - Slip 1 knitwise with yarn in back
SL1P WYIF - Slip 1 purlwise with yarn in front
WS - Wrong Side
YO - Yarn over
Finished Size
Do NOT measure the stockinette border. This will be used for seaming and shouldn't contribute to the finished size of the sweater.
Sizes are width x length
XS: 9 x 11.25 in (23 x 28.5 cm)
S: 10 x 11.5 in (25.5 x 29.5 cm)
M: 11 x 11.75 in (28 x 29.5 cm)
L: 12 x 11.75 in (30.5 x 30 cm)
XL: 13 x 12 in (33 x 30.5 cm)
2X: 14 x 12 in (36 x 30.5 cm)
3X: 15 x 12 in (38.5 x 30.5 cm)
4X: 16 x 12.25 in (41 x 31 cm)
5X: 17 x 12.25 in (43.5 x 31 cm)
Instructions
Cast on 42 (46, 50, 56, 60) (64, 68, 72, 76) sts
Row 1: Knit across (rs)
Row 2: Purl across (ws)
Row 3 (set-up row): SL1K WYIB, K1 (for border), *YO, SL1PW, K1* repeat from * to * until 2 stitches remain, K2 (for border)
Row 4: SL1P WYIF, P1 (for border), *YO, SL1PW, BRK1* repeat from * to * until 2 stitches remain, P2 (for border)
Repeat row 4 for a total of 100 (104, 104, 106, 106) (108, 108, 110, 110) rows OR until indicated length, ending with a ws row (again, do not measure or count the first 2 stockinette rows).
Note: the stitch does stretch vertically, so I opted to go with the row count used for the last block. See what you think works best.
Row 7: Knit across (rs)
Row 8: Purl across
Bind off
If you are going to alter the pattern, the gauge for this is:
17st x 36r =4 x 4" (10cm)
Plug this into the final equations for the Bust Blocks:
Gauge st x gauge row = 4 x 4 inches
_____ (bust block width) x ( _____Gauge st / 4”) = # sts _____
_____ (bust block length) x ( _____Gauge rows / 4”) = # rows _____
Once you have your stitch and row count, use those numbers in the pattern instructions above.
Still having some trouble?
Here are two video tutorials that may help:
Brooklyn Tweed has a great introduction to Brioche HERE
Post this graphic to your social media if you're taking part in the KAL, and use the hashtag #swatchitup21 so we can see your progress.
Check back here next week to learn a new stitch.