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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The other day I saw a post from Pinterest about trends for summer and it said one of them was “cultivating whimsy.”

Well, I don’t know where Pinterest has been all this time, but we’ve been cultivating whimsy here at Craft Gossip for a long time. I love sharing projects that are a little different, things that make you smile when you see them, and will make you smile when you knit them and wear them or use them.

Such it is with the Tutti Frutti tee knitting pattern from Bea Creative Knits.

This cute little baby tee is worked top down in the round with contiguous shoulder construction to shape the sleeve caps. There are short rows for the neckline and folded hems with picot edging at the hemline, neckline and edges of the sleeves.

All of this would be great on its own, but then there’s the addition of a super cute fruit icon, which is added with duplicate stitch. There are a lot of options, including strawberry, banana, orange, cherries, watermelon, lemon, blueberries, kiwi, peach, dragon fruit, apple and pear, so it’s likely you can add on your favorite fruit.

It is offered in eight sizes, to fit a bust measurement ranging from 28-30 inches (71-76 cm) to 56-58 inches (142-147 cm). The design is meant to be worn with around 6.3 inches/16 cm of negative ease, but you can choose the fit you prefer. There’s also optional bust and waist shaping included in the pattern if you want to make it even curvier.

This is considered an advanced beginner or intermediate project because of all the skills involved, but it’s sure to be a lot of fun even if some of these techniques are new to you.

Grab a copy of the pattern for yourself form Bea Creative Knits on Etsy.

[Photo: Bea Creative Knits]

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