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To Bri- or Not To Bri-. . . Brioche, That Is

The cold weather is definitely here, and as such it only seems fitting to make some cold weather accessories. This knit hat (Intortus Hat pattern by Dory Ferguson) is very dense and warm.
But after finishing this and another hat, I thought it might be time to make a scarf. The last scarf I made was also my very first knitting project, and well. . . let's just say it took a while. And so began the 'Great Scarf Pattern Quest'.
Many stitches were tested, including some small cables, zigzag rib, and assorted texture stitches. Broken chevron was a favorite, but it felt a little thin for a super warm and cozy scarf. Since I'd already decided on a recipient for the scarf, and I know he spends a lot of time outdoors, I wanted a pattern that would be extra warm. And I wanted to do stripes. Because why not? Stripes are cool, and a new knitting technique to practice.
 

Brioche, Anyone?

Suddenly, I found 2-color brioche knitting. Ok, it wasn't all that sudden. I found a couple of new rib patterns, one of which was fisherman's rib, which is also 1-color brioche. And then I closed the tab on my browser by accident, and while trying to find it again, I found 2-color brioche. It looked hard, much the same way double knitting looked hard when I first found it. But it was also intriguing. It was described as very thick and warm, and. . . . it even had stripes! Not the horizontal stripes I was planning on, but vertical stripes. And it was a new technique to practice. So I clicked on the pattern.
Alas, confusion. It had strange abbreviations. Barks. Burps. Yes, it was charming in a whimsical sort of way. But was brioche knitting really so cool?
As it turns out, yes. Five videos later I got the hang of it, along with a new cast on. I have since found this video that I think explains it really well, and is very clear and easy to follow: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e6sTUBEGHaQ.  
Now I didn't quite have a pattern; the patterns I found used long tail cast ons and I wasn't really happy with the selvedge edges. Not that there's anything wrong with long tail cast ons, but I've yet to get mine to actually stretch. I am a tight knitter though, so perhaps that's the problem. It's also very rare that I estimate the right amount of yarn, and I end up doing the cast on several times before I get a long enough tail.
It took a little experimenting, but I came up with scarf pattern that used a short tail cast on and has garter stitch edges on the sides. It's a pretty basic pattern. The stripes are asymmetrical, but I did go back and rework it to make a symmetrical version as well. Both versions can be found below. Here's how the finished scarf came out:
The conclusion? Brioche knitting is neat! It's reversible, super soft, fluffy, and squishy. The stripes of the two-color method add visual interest. And some of the advanced patterns I found with leaf and geometric designs are amazing! Sure, it sounds a little weird if you happen to get caught muttering things like 'slip yarn over burp', and it can seem like a confusing knitting method at first. But the end result is definitely worth it.  Happy brioche knitting!
 
Super Easy 2-Color Brioche Scarf
By Lyn C.

The finished scarf measures approximately 8" wide unstretched. However, for a narrower scarf, reduce the number of stitches by 2s. Likewise, increase by 2s to make a wider scarf.

Abbreviations:
K = knit
P = purl
Brk = brioche knit; knit st and YO together
Brp = brioche purl; purl st and YO together
Yf = yarn forward to the front of the work under the right needle
Sl1 = slip 1 st purlwise, left to right
YO = yarn over the top of the right needle
WS = Wrong side (some patterns may call this the dark side, or DS)
RS = Right side (Some patterns may call this the light side, or LS)
 
Materials:
  • Size 6 DPNs or circular needles
  • Tapestry needle
  • Color 1 worsted weight yarn
  • Color 2 worsted weight yarn
Amount needed of both colors depends on desired scarf length; a 72" scarf used about 475 yds per color. Actual amount needed may vary.
 
Directions For Asymmetrical Scarf (easier):

Cast on 36 sts with the Chinese Waitress Cast On (or other stretchy short-tail cast on) using Color 1.
Turn work.

Begin the following set-up row in Color 2:

Set-up row (do not repeat): K2, *K1, yf, sl1, yo; repeat from * to last 2 sts, K2

Turn work; tie the two short tails together in a knot to secure them

Row 1 (RS, Color 1): K2, *brk, yf, sl1, YO; rep from * to last 2 sts, K2. Slide sts to opposite end.

Row 2 (RS, Color 2): P2, * yf, sl1, YO, brp; rep from * to last 2 sts, P2. Turn work.

Row 3 (WS, Color 1): P2 *yf, sl1, YO, brp; rep from * to last 2 sts, P2. Slide sts to opposite end.

Row 4 (WS, Color 2): K2, *brk, yf, sl1, YO; rep from * to last 2 st2, K2. Turn work.

Continue these 4 rows until the scarf is desired length.

 
Directions For Symmetrical Scarf:

Cast on 37 sts with the Chinese Waitress Cast On (or other stretchy short-tail cast on) using Color 1.
Turn work.

Begin the following set-up row in Color 2:

Set-up row (do not repeat): K2, *Yf, sl1, YO, K1; repeat from * to last 3 sts, Yf, sl1, YO, K2

Turn work; tie the two short tails together in a knot to secure them

Row 1 (RS, Color 1): K2, *brk1, yf, sl1, YO; rep from * to last 3 sts, brk1, K2. Slide sts back to knit with Color 2.

Row 2 (RS, Color 2): P2, * yf, sl1, YO, brp1; rep from * to last 3 sts, yf, sl1, YO, P2. Turn work.

Row 3 (WS, Color 1): P2 *Brp1, yf, sl1, YO; rep from * to last 3 sts, brp1, P2. Slide sts back to knit with Color 2.

Row 4 (WS, Color 2): K2, *Yf, sl1, YO, brk1; rep from * to last 3 st2, yf, sl1, YO, K2. Turn work.

Continue these 4 rows until the scarf is desired length.
 

 
Finishing For Both Scarves:
Turn work.

Final Row (RS, Color 2): K2, *K1, p1 to last two sts, K2
(For symmetrical pattern: K2, *K1, p1 to last 3 stitches, K3)

Turn work; cast off with double chain method.
 
Double Chain Cast Off (Color 2):
Video tutorial of Ann Kingstone’s double chain cast off can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ns30iCTkNFg)
  1. Purl the first stitch, wrapping the yarn under the needle instead of over.
  2. YO
  3. Purl the second stitch in the same way as the first, yarn under the needle.
  4. Pass YO and first stitch over the 3rd stitch
Repeat steps 2-4 until 1 st is left

Break yarn, pull tail through the last stitch.

Tie Color 1 and Color 2 together to secure both ends.

Weave in ends (run the tails under the YOs of the same color).
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