Learn the Basics of Brioche Knitting

Brioche knitting has been popular for a while now, and it’s easy to see why. This squishy, stretchy fabric is fun to knit and not actually that difficult once you get the basics down.

But like a lot of things in knitting, it has its own language and particular techniques that you need to get comfortable with before you take on a big project.

Over at Our Daily Craft I wrote up an overview of the basics you need to know to knit simple, one color, flat brioche knitting, plus a simple headband pattern to try while you’re getting used to the movements. Or you can check out the video version below.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ovHF7eMgxLY]

Once you’ve gotten that little project under your belt (it will really only take a couple of hours) you can move on to more complex brioche if you like.

Have you knit brioche before? I think this is the year I finally knit a brioche sweater!

Looking for Brioche Patterns? Check these out on Etsy

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It’s been well documented that I love a knitting pattern with a bit of whimsy, so when I saw the Mine! Pullover from Sarah L. Kelly recently I knew I had to share it with you.

I mean, who wouldn’t want to knit a sweater with a yoke full of seagulls? And another seagull at the waist? Chasing little crabs?

The story behind the sweater (and you knew there had to be one, right?) is that while Sarah was traveling around Europe there were a lot of cheeky seagulls about. They reminded her of the scene in Finding Nemo where the seagulls say “mine, mine, mine” and thus the Mine! series of patterns was born.

Oh yes, there’s a whole set. It was the sweater I saw first but there’s also a pair of socks (and the pattern says there’s a cowl, too, but I couldn’t find it as of this writing. If you see it let me know and I’ll add the link here!) so you can totally deck yourself out in pesky seabirds if you want.

But back to the sweater for now. This is worked in DK weight yarn from the top down in the round. The yoke and a section at the bottom are worked in stranded colorwork, with stripes on the body, though you could make the body a single color if you wanted. Details like the beaks and eyes are added with duplicate stitch to make the knitting a little easier.

The colorwork sections are charted. The pattern comes in 10 sizes, with a finished chest circumference ranging from 32 to 68 inches, or 80 to 170 cm.

The socks are worked in sock yarn and come in three sizes. There worked from the cuff down and change needle sizes to accommodate the less stretchy nature of stranded colorwork. You can choose from a side profile or a seagull that’s looking out from the sock. Make a matching pair or mix it up.

Both patterns are available on Ravelry: sweater and socks. If you make them I’d love to hear about it!

[Photo: Sarah L. Kelly]

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