Gina's Brioche Hat and Cowl

This New Year's one of our trusty shop employees, Thomas, was commissioned to make a pink cashmere version of Gina's Brioche Cowl. Thomas happily took the gig, excited to work up the Jade Sapphire yarns in such a stunning pattern. See the results! Isn't it electric? The materials used for this new pink version of the cowl are listed below.

Materials for the Pink Version!

• 2 skeins of Jade Sapphire's 6-ply Cashmere (100% Mongolian Cashmere, 150 yards) in Ivory
• 3 skeins of Jade Sapphire's 8-ply Cashmere (100% Mongolian Cashmere, 100 yards) in Pink Panther
• A US #6, 32 inch circular needle

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!

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! 

The Materials: Brioche Hat

• 1 skein of Manos Del Uruguay's Maxima (100% Extra Fine Merino Wool; 219 yards). This color is Highlighter.  (If you are making both the Brioche Hat and Cowl, you will need 2 skeins of the Maxima, total.)
• 1 skein of Blue Sky Alpaca's Suri Merino (60% Baby Suri, 40% Merino; 164 yards). This color is Snow.  (If you are making both the Brioche Hat and Cowl, you will need 3 skeins of the Suri Merino, total.)
• A US #5, 16 inch circular needle.
• A set of US #5 double pointed needles. 

The Pattern: Brioche Hat

Guage

20 stitches and 24 rows = 4 inches in pattern stitch

Finished Measurements

9 1/2 inch tall by 20 inch circumference

Pattern Notes

• For "Yarn A", I used the Highlighter color of Maxima, and for "Yarn B", I used the Snow colored Suri Merino.
• 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.
• How to Yarn Over Slip or YOS: Bring yarn to front of work, slip one as if to purl, carry yarn to back of work over right needle.
• When decreasing to shape the crown of the hat you will have to k3tog, which means to knit the next 3 stitches together, not counting yarn overs as stitches.

Begin 

Using Yarn B, loosely cast on 88 stitches.

Place a 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 1A (Using Yarn A): *YOS (see Pattern Notes), p1, repeat from * to end of round.

Leaving yarn A hanging at front of work, continue working in yarn B.

Round 1B (Using Yarn B): *K2tog (yarn over from previous round + following stitch), YOS, repeat from * to end of round

Leaving Yarn B hanging at back of work, continue working with Yarn A. 

Round 2A (Using Yarn A): *YOS, p2tog (yarn over from previous round + next stitch), repeat from * to end of round. Leave yarn A in front of work.

Round 2B (Using yarn B): *K2tog (yarn over from previous round + following stitch), YOS, repeat from * to end of round. Leave Yarn B in back of work.

Repeat Rounds 2A and 2B until work measures 6 3/4 inches from the rolled edge, ending with Round 2A.

Shape Crown

Transfer stitches to double pointed needles when work becomes too narrow to fit on circular needle.

Decrease Round: With Yarn B, work 9 stitches in established pattern, K3tog, [work 19 stitches, k3tog] three times, work to end of round. (80 stitches)

Repeat Round 2A and 2B one time.

Decrease Round: With Yarn A, work 8 stitches, K3tog, [work 17 stitches, k3tog] three times, work to end of round. (72 stitches)

Repeat Rounds 2B and 2A one time.

Decrease Round: With Yarn B, work 7 stitches, K3tog, [work 15 stitches, k3tog] three times, work to end of round. (64 stitches)

Repeat Round 2A and 2B one time.

Decrease Round: With Yarn A, work 6 stitches, K3tog, [work 13 stitches, k3tog] three times, work to end of round. (56 stitches)

Repeat Rounds 2B and 2A one time.

Decrease Round: With Yarn B, work 5 stitches, K3tog, [work 11 stitches, k3tog] three times, work to end of round. (48 stitches)

Repeat Round 2A and 2B one time.

Decrease Round: With Yarn A, work 4 stitches, K3tog, [work 9 stitches, k3tog] three times, work to end of round. (40 stitches)

Repeat Rounds 2B and 2A one time.

Decrease Round: With Yarn B, work 3 stitches, K3tog, [work 7 stitches, k3tog] three times, work to end of round. (32 stitches)

Repeat Round 2A and 2B one time.

Decrease Round: With Yarn A, work 2 stitches, K3tog, [work 5 stitches, k3tog] three times, work to end of round. (24 stitches)

Repeat Rounds 2B and 2A one time.

Decrease Round: With Yarn B, work 1 stitch, K3tog, [work 3 stitches, k3tog] three times, work to end of round. (16 stitches)

Repeat Round 2A and 2B one time.

Decrease Round: 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 5 rows in I-cord. To bind off, 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.

The Materials: Brioche Cowl

• 2 skeins of Manos Del Uruguay's Maxima (100% Extra Fine Merino Wool; 219 yards). This color is Highlighter. (If you are making both the Brioche Hat and Cowl, you will need 2 skeins of the Maxima, total.)
• 2 skeins of Blue Sky Alpaca's Suri Merino (60% Baby Suri, 40% Merino; 164 yards). This color is Snow. (If you are making both the Brioch Hat and Cowl, you will need 3 skeins of the Suri Merino, total.)
• A US #6, 32 inch circular needle.

The Pattern: Brioche Cowl

Guage

18 stitches and 25 rows = 4 inches in pattern stitch

Finished Measurements

56 inch circumstance by 10 1/4 inches wide, un-stretched

Pattern Notes

• For "Yarn A", I used the Highlighter color of Maxima, and for "Yarn B", I used the Snow colored Suri Merino.
• 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.
• How to Yarn Over Slip or YOS: Bring yarn to front of work, slip one as if to purl, carry yarn to back of work over right needle.

Begin 

Using 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 1A (Using Yarn A): *YOS (see Pattern Notes), p1, repeat from * to end of round.

Leaving yarn A hanging at front of work, continue working in yarn B.

Round 1B (Using Yarn B): *K2tog (yarn over from previous round + following stitch), YOS, repeat from * to end of round

Leaving Yarn B hanging at back of work, continue working with Yarn A. 

Round 2A (Using Yarn A): *YOS, p2tog (yarn over from previous round + following stitch), repeat from * to end of round. Leave yarn A in front of work.

Round 2B (Using yarn B): *K2tog (yarn over from previous round + following stitch), YOS, repeat from * to end of round. Leave Yarn B in back of work.

Repeat Rounds 2A and 2B until work measures 9 3/4 inches from the rolled edge, ending with Round 2A.

Cut Yarn A and continue working with Yarn B.

With Yarn B, Knit 5 rounds.

Bind off loosely.

Weave in your ends. Block gently.