Brioche Masterclass

We’re looking at brioche – not the kind you’ll find in the bakery but the (equally scrumptious!) knitting technique. Brioche looks scary, as the instructions can be long, but the most important thing is in recognising the stitches and remembering that where you make a yarnover and slipped stitch (sl1yo) these two stitches count as a single stitch and are worked as one.

Brioche is unusual in that each row is effectively worked twice. In colour brioche this will be once in the main colour and once in the contrasting colour. This has the effect of creating a fully reversible fabric with one colour dominant on one side (side A) and the contrast colour dominant on the other (side B) – magic!

Brioche essentials

There are many brioche stitches and stitch combinations, but once you have mastered the essentials using my handy guide, you’ll be able to tackle any brioche project with confidence.

The first thing to note with brioche is that where a stitch is paired with a yarnover, this counts as a single stitch.

Slip 1 yarnover (sl1yo)

1. Bring the working yarn to the front of the work and insert the RH needle into the next stitch on the LH needle purlwise (as if you were going to purl the next stitch)

2. Keeping the yarn in front, slip the stitch onto the RH needle without working it. Take the yarn over the RH needle and hold to the back of the work ready for the next stitch

Brioche knit 1 (brk1) (also called ‘bark’ in some patterns!)

1. Following the sl1yo the working yarn comes from the front of the work, over the RH needle. Insert the RH needle into the paired yarnover and slipped stitch from the previous row. Note how in colour brioche the yarnover and slipped stitch are different colours. (Here the yarnover is pink, the slipped stitch yellow)

2. Knit the yarnover and slipped stitch together as one stitch (like a regular k2tog)

Brioche purl 1 (brp1) (also referred to as ‘burp’!)

Again, this stitch is usually worked following a sl1yo

1. Bring the working yarn to the front of the work and slip the next stitch purlwise

2. Bring the working yarn between the needles to the front of the work, wrapping it round the RH needle

3. Insert the RH needle up into the front of both the yarnover and the slipped stitch from the previous row (here the yarnover is pink, the slipped stitch yellow)

4. Purl the slipped stitch and yarnover as one (like a p2tog)

Brioche left slanting decrease (brLsl dec)

Used to decrease 2 stitches at once and create a slant to the left. This keeps the alignment of the sl1yo and brk1 (or brp1) pattern by removing a pair of stitches

1. Slip the next stitch knitwise (as if to knit)

2. Knit the next 2 stitches together as one stitch (like a normal k2tog)

3. Lift the slipped stitch over the k2tog

4. With the slipped stitch dropped off the RH needle two stitches have been decreased (one is the k2tog the other the stitch passed over)

Brioche right slanting decrease (brRsl dec)

This decrease also removes two stitches at once but creates a slant to the right

1. Slip the next stitch knitwise

2. Knit the next stitch

3. Pass the slipped stitch over the one just knitted

4. Transfer the stitch just worked back to the LH needle

5. Use the tip of the RH needle to lift the following stitch on the LH needle over the one you just transferred

6. Return this stitch to the RH needle. Two stitches have been decreased

Brioche knit, yarnover, brioche knit into same stitch (brk1, yo, brk1)

This is a paired increase which creates two new stitches by working twice into a brk with a yo in the centre.

1. Following a sl1yo, knit into the next brk but don’t allow the stitch to drop off the LH needle

2. Create a yarnover by bringing the working yarn between the needles and around the RH needle to the back

3. Knit into the brk a second time

4. Two stitches increased

Brioche knit, yarnover, brioche knit, yarnover, brioche knit into same stitch (brk1, yo, brk1, yo, brk1)

This stitch creates 4 increases by working a brk1 three times with yarnovers between each brk1

1. Following a sl1yo, knit into the next brk but don’t allow the stitch to drop off the LH needle

2. Create a yarnover by bringing the working yarn between the needles and around the RH needle to the back

3. Knit into the brk a second time

4. Create a second yarnover

5. Knit into the brk a third time

6. Four stitches increased

Top tips

• Take your time!
• Be careful to make your yarnovers – it can be easy to forget when you get into a rhythm
• When starting a round or moving the needles be particularly careful to make sure the yarnover is in place and that the work isn’t twisted (yarnover at start of round)

• Use a padlock stitch marker to indicate the end of the round
• At the end of a round when you are changing colours, keep the yarn you have just used to the front of the work ready for the next round
• Lost your place? The colour of the yarnover indicates the colour you should be working. Check which is the MC and CC and the colour will then show whether you are on a brk or brp round.
• Watch for the yarnover drifting ahead of the stitch in front. Tease it back over the slipped stitch if necessary.

Find out more about this fabulous issue!

Happy knitting,

Jo