Dive into the Deep End of Brioche Knitting

I have only done really basic brioche knitting (pretty much just straight pieces in one or two colors) and it’s a lot of fun but I’ve been hesitant to do a project with shaping because it looks scary.

Of course I know it’s only knitting and like any new skill it’s only intimidating until you try it, so maybe my winter project will be something a little more complex.

If you’re ready to dive into the deep end of the brioche pool, check out Deep End by Michele Bernstein. This two-color hat sis worked from the bottom up and includes both left and right leaning brioche double decreases, if you wanted to know what the deep end looks like.

There’s also lots of simple ribbing and two different motifs — a staghorn style cable and a gull stitch variation. There are a couple of different options for the top.

Being brioche this is a super stretchy project so it will fit a variety of heads, and three sizes are included. It’s worked in worsted weight yarn for extra warmth and squish.

Grab the pattern on Ravelry or Payhip.

[Photo: Michele Bernstein.]

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I talked the other day about how much I am enjoying vests lately. Another reason I’m liking them is that they give me an excuse to knit something sweater adjacent without actually knitting sweaters, since I have about 24 knit sweaters and don’t really need more right now.

I recently designed a completely basic, bulky V-neck sweater worked in two pieces from the bottom up as a way to teach people how to design a basic garment for themselves.

This vest fulfilled a dream of mine because I’ve always wanted to make something with Lion Brand Wool Ease Thick & Quick‘s Hudson Bay colorway, and I happened to be at my local Joann (before all the bankruptcy sales started) and there were exactly three skeins of this colorway, all of the same dye lot, so I figured that was a sign that I needed to take them and make something.

Three skeins isn’t a huge amount of yardage (about 318 yards) so I thought a vest would be a great choice. And it worked out perfectly that I could make the vest I wanted in the right size for me and used almost exactly all the yarn (I think I have about 2 yards left). And that was with only doing a round of single crochet around the neckline and slip stitches around the armholes because I didn’t have enough yarn to do ribbing.

I love it just as it is, though, and the process the post walks you through could be used to make a vest of any size and in any gauge that you want. But to be honest I kind of want to knit another one exactly the same in a different colorway, and maybe with some ribbing next time.

If you’d like to knit your own vest or just see how I made mine, check out the post over at Our Daily Craft. I think this is a great way to learn the basics of designing on a small scale and an easy way to build knitting confidence.

[Photo: Our Daily Craft]

Twist Your Stitches for a Fun Vest Knitting Pattern

Knit a Vest with Cabled Details

A Beyond-Basic Vest to Knit for Fall or Spring

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