The Big Easy - Free Pattern

I learned to knit brioche in the fall of 2013 making essentially this same project during a local yarn festival and was instantly enchanted.

Brioche is such an interesting stitch, and once you learn it you can do some really incredible things. A lot of people I’ve met, though, have told me they find brioche impossible. And, to be fair, learning to knit brioche flat can be a headache. There’s a lot going on, and with all the flipping around, switching sides and colors. It took me awhile to get into the swing of it when I finally got around to trying my first brioche shawl in the summer of 2017, so I totally get it. The simple truth is the easiest way to learn brioche is in the round, and with this stitch it doesn’t take a crazy amount of effort to get a stunning end product. Pick the right yarns and let them do all the work!

It took me awhile, but I finally got to write down my “recipe” for the basic brioche cowl I learned on. I chose to do it in a bulky weight (though as with almost all of my patterns it’s really easy to change it up) so you can finish your first brioche project in a couple of hours. By the end, you’ll have an awesome, squishy cowl and all the tools you’ll need to tackle more advanced projects! --Angela

Materials

• US 11 16” (24”) circular needle

• 200 (400) yards bulky weight yarn, 100 (200) yards in each of 2 contrasting colors – we suggest MollyGirl Rock Star XL! The small sample shown here was made using 1 skein each of Unexpected Song (solid purple) and Whistle Down The Wind (variegated). The large sample was made using 2 skeins each of Bat Out Of Hell (solid dark navy) and Party At A Rich Dude’s House (speckle).

• 1 stitch marker

• Tapestry needle or crochet hook for weaving in ends