The first two pieces of 2010!
I love the coziness of this cowl. The Blue Sky Alpaca sportweight was perfect for this piece given that the alpaca fiber blooms after blocking. Cast on100 sts and work in brioche until desired length or, in my case, the yarn runs out. Brioche stitch is the wonderful stitch that creates an incredibly elastic, vertical, ribbed fabric without using up too much yarn. A skein of each color (approximately 200 yds total) was used.
Brioche Stitch (multiple of 2)
Set up round (MC): K1, yo, slip 1
Round1 (CC): Yf (yarn is placed over needle to back), s1, (move yarn over needle from back to front), p2tog
Round 2 (MC): K2tog, yf, s1
The stitch is a bit tricky to get the hang of, but once you do, the pattern is rather simple and moves along fairly quickly. Work the stitch in a single color, two colors, or even a solid and a variegated together for interest.
In actuality, there is not just one form of the brioche stitch, but rather, many many many. B. Walker, in her A Treasury of Knitting Patterns, informs us that the “Brioche Stitch is the basic member of a large family of patterns of Eastern origin (i.e., Double Brioche, Waffle Brioche, Syncopated Brioche, Tunisian Brioche, etc.,).” There is even a website devoted to this interesting stitch. Should you want to knit a brioche sweater, turn to EZ’s The Opinionated Knitter!
This Feather & Fan cowl was casted on during my stay in the hospital while I was waiting for the cervidil to take effect. Knitting this cowl achieved two purposes: it gave me an opportunity to do a bit of lace knitting and helped to use up stash yarn. This pattern was selected because despite its popularity, I had yet to knit it. It’s actually enjoyable, looks very pretty, and is so simple! Yarn: Kidsilk Haze. I casted on 144 sts.
Feather & Fan Stitch (multiple of 18)
Round 1 (RS): Knit
Round 2: Purl (knit, if working in the round)
Round 3: (K2tog) 3 times, (yo, k1) 6 times, (k2tog) 3 times
Round 4: Knit (purl, if working in the round)
