Nancy Marchant lives in Amsterdam where knitters are as familiar with brioche stitch as they are with ribbing. It was only natural, then, for Nancy to choose a brioche rib pattern for her capelet design. To add color interest to the strong linear stitch texture and give the fabric a shadowy effect, she alternates dark and light shades of a rich plum color. Nancy works the piece from the neck down and shapes it with accentuated increases along the shoulders.
43" (109 cm) circumference at lower edge, 17" (43 cm) circumference at neck edge, and 15" (38 cm) long.
About 270 yd (247 m) each of two colors of worsted-weight (Medium #4) yarn.
We used: Scheepjeswol Rigodon (50% wool, 50% acrylic; 90 yd [83 m]/50 g): #570 dark purple (dark color, D) and #582 light purple (light color, L), 3 balls each.
Size 6 (4 mm): 16" (40 cm) and 32" (80-cm) circular (cir). Adjust needle size if necessary to obtain the correct gauge.
A few yards (meters) waste yarn for provisional cast-on; size G/6 (4.25 mm) crochet hook; removable markers (m); tapestry needle.
15 sts and 42 rnds = 4" (10 cm) in two-color brioche stitch, with fabric relaxed and unblocked. To check your rnd gauge in brioche stitch, measure straight up along a single column of knit sts on the RS, and count each st in the column as 2 rnds (21 sts in column = 42 rnds).
With waste yarn and crochet hook, ch 66 (see Glossary, page 148, for crochet instructions). With L, shorter cir needle, and beg with second st from end of chain, pick up and knit 1 st in back loop of each of the next 64 chain sts—64 sts. Do not turn work. Set-up rnd: With RS still facing, change to D and work as foll: *Sl 1 yof (see page 109), p1 through back loop (tbl; thereby twisting the st); rep from *. Place marker (pm) and join for working in the rnd, being careful not to twist sts.
Brioche Rnd 1: (forms L “knit” columns, slips “purl” columns) With L, *brk1 (see page 109), sl 1 yo (see page 109); rep from *.
Brioche Rnd 2: (forms D “purl” columns, slips “knit” columns) With D, *sl 1 yof, brp1 (see page 109); rep from *.
Rep Brioche Rnds 1 and 2 fifteen more times, ending with Rnd 2—32 total rnds, 16 rnds in L knit column (see Notes); piece should measure about 3¼" (8.5 cm) from beg. Mark the 1st, 5th, 33rd, and 37th sts of the rnd with removable markers for increase lines.
Shape shoulders: Work incs as foll:
Inc Rnd 1: With L, *work Rnd 1 of right-slant inc (see page 109) in marked st, work in patt to next marked st, work Rnd 1 of left-slant inc (see page 109), work in patt to foll marked st; rep from * once more—4 sts inc’d this rnd; 2 L sts next to each other at each increase line.
Inc Rnd 2: With D, *work Rnd 2 of right-slant inc, work in patt to next marked st, work Rnd 2 of left-slant inc, work in patt to foll marked st; rep from * once more—4 sts inc’d this rnd; 8 sts inc’d total over both inc rnds; 72 sts total; patt alternates “knit” and “purl” sts again.
Work 2 rnds even in brioche patt. Rep the last 4 rnds (Inc Rnds 1 and 2, foll by Brioche Rnds 1 and 2) 8 more times, ending with Brioche Rnd 2, and changing to longer cir needle when necessary—136 sts. Work 2 rnds even in patt—70 rnds total; 35 rnds in L knit column; piece should measure about 6¾" (17 cm) from beg.
Reverse colors: From this point on, the colors exchange roles so that D forms knit columns on the RS (dominant color), and L forms purl columns on RS. Patt is worked using D for Brioche Rnd 1, and L for Brioche Rnd 2.
Inc Rnd 3: With D, *work Rnd 1 of right-slant inc in marked st, work in patt to next marked st, work Rnd 1 of left-slant inc, work in patt to foll marked st; rep from * once more—4 sts inc’d this rnd; 2 D sts next to each other at each increase line.
Inc Rnd 4: With L, *work Rnd 2 of right slant inc, work in patt to next marked st, work Rnd 2 of left slant inc, work in patt to foll marked st; rep from * once more—4 sts inc’d this rnd; 8 sts inc’d total over both inc rnds; patt alternates “knit” and “purl” sts again.
Work 8 rnds even in patt with colors in their new order. Rep Inc Rnds 3 and 4 once more—152 sts; 12 rnds total from color change; 6 rnds in D knit column (counted from beg of color change). Work 20 rnds even, then rep Inc Rnds 3 and 4 once more—160 sts; 34 rnds total from color change; 17 rnds in D knit column. Work even in patt for 52 more rnds, ending with a L rnd—86 rnds total from color change; 43 rnds in D knit column; piece should measure about 15" (38 cm) from beg, and 8¼" (21 cm) from color change. Bind-off rnd: Each st is worked with its opposite color so the BO sts that lie across the top of each column will match the column color. BO loosely as foll: Brk 1 with L, p1 with D, BO 1 st, *brk 1 with L, BO 1 st, p1 with D, BO 1 st; rep from * until 1 st rem. Cut yarns and fasten off last st.
Brioche stitch has the look of single rib, but not the elasticity—the vertical ribs do not draw in.
Weave in ends. Do not block.
Brk1 (brioche-knit 1): Knit the stitch that was slipped in the previous rnd together with its yarnover; this combined knit/yarnover is counted as 1 stitch unless otherwise specified.
Sl 1 yo: (use when the stitch following is a knit stitch) Bring working yarn under the needle to the front of the work, slip the next stitch pwise, then bring the yarn over the needle (and over the slipped stitch) to the back in position to knit again.
Brp1 (brioche-purl 1): Purl the stitch that was slipped in the previous rnd together with its yarnover; this combined purl/ yarnover is considered 1 stitch unless otherwise specified.
Sl 1 yof: (use when the stitch following is a purl stitch) Leaving working yarn in front, slip the next stitch pwise, then bring yarn over the needle (and over the slipped stitch), and back to the front between the needles in position to purl again.
Right-Slant 2-Rnd, 2-St Inc (right-slant inc):
Rnd 1: (“knit” column color) Work to marked st (shown by arrow at base of figure), pick up and knit 1 st from the rnd below marked st (Figure 1), brk1 (marked st tog with its yo; Figure 2), cont in patt—1 st inc’d; 2 same-color knit sts next to each other.
Rnd 2: (“purl” column color) Work to 2 same-color sts, sl 1 yof, pick up and purl 1 st in the “purl" color strand from the rnd below between the 2 same-color sts (Figure 3), sl 1 yof, cont in patt—1 st inc’d this rnd; 2 sts inc’d total over 2 rnds; patt alternates “knit” and “purl” sts again.
Left-Slant 2-Rnd, 2-St Inc (left-slant inc):
Rnd 1: (“knit” column color) Work to marked st (shown by arrow at base of figure), brk1 (marked st tog with its yo), pick up and knit 1 st from the rnd below the st just worked (will appear like 2 rnds below because the st has been worked; Figure 1), cont in patt—1 st inc’d; 2 same-color knit sts next to each other.
Rnd 2: (“purl” column color) Work to 2 same-color sts, sl 1 yof, pick up and purl 1 st in the “purl” color strand from the rnd below between the 2 same-color sts (Figure 2), sl 1 yof, cont in patt—1 st inc’d this rnd; 2 sts inc’d total; patt alternates “knit” and “purl” sts again.
