Get a Brioche Checkerboard Look with the Ginny Cardigan

I share a lot of knitting patterns here at Craft Gossip, and the vast majority of the time I haven’t seen the actual pattern I’m writing about. If the pattern is free sometimes I will download it to verify that the project is constructed the way I expect or to check on sizing, but for patterns that are not free I don’t usually own them when I write about them (even if they are something I want to knit).

But with this one I’m super tempted to buy the pattern just to be able to better explain what’s going on here. Not that it’s confusing, I’m just interested in how it comes together.

The Ginny Cardigan from Susanne Sommer combines blocks of brioche and garter stitch to make a patchwork gingham design that’s also striped, so it changes color and texture throughout the piece. It’s super clever and I’m pretty sure it’s easier than it looks if you have a handle on basic brioche knitting.

This boxy cardigan has a modified drop sleeve design and is meant to be worn open at the front. It’s knit from the top down and includes afterthought pockets.

The bust and hip measurements are the same on the garment and range from 35.5 to 70.75 inches (that’s 90 to 180 cm) and comes in six sizes. It is meant to have between 4 and 12 inches/10-30 cm of positive ease. It calls for four colors of DK weight yarn.

If you like the look of this pattern and want to add some accessories, or try the technique on a smaller project first, the designer also has a cowl (which is actually a pretty big project, but has no shaping) and a bandana cowl pattern that use this same stitch pattern with worsted weight yarn.

You can find all three patterns on Ravelry: cardigan | cowl | bandana cowl.

[Photo: Susanne Sommer]

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Many times when I write these posts I will say something like “you can use any yarn you want” or “this would be a great stash-busting project.” That’s just how my mind works. And my stash, too, since I probably have sweater quantity of two or three yarns at most, but tons of singles and odd balls and leftovers.

Blankets are generally a really good way to use up those bits, but in this case, I think you’re going to want to plan it out a bit better.

Looking at photos of the Color Study Blanket from Purl Soho, it looks like it’s made with two yarns held together, and that block in the center is worked with one of each color from the adjoining sides to make a mixed up color.

But that’s not actually how it’s done. This is three separate colors (four, really, with the neutrals in the corners) chosen form a yarn with an expansive palette so they play off each other. The project calls for a worsted weight superwash wool, which is a great choice for a blanket that’s both warm and washable.

This pattern was originally designed by Laura Ferguson and was updated by Hiromi Glover. It is worked in one piece in garter stitch intarsia, which is a great way to learn the intarsia technique if you don’t already know it. It comes in crib or throw sizes.

Despite the introduction to this post, I am going to go ahead and say that, yes, of course you could do this blanket with scraps or odd balls or even just choose five colors that don’t blend together so easily. But I really do love the look of the color play, and I think it would be worth your time to find colors that play well together to get a similar effect.

This pattern is available for free from Purl Soho.

[Photo: Purl Soho]

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