Cozy Countess Brioche Cape Tips to Get Started
The Cozy Countess Brioche Cape is one of three cape designs for Kraemer Yarns by Vanessa Ewing. Brioche stitches create a squishy, reversible fabric with pronounced ribs. The technique looks fancy but is really no harder than turning a heel or working short rows - it just takes a little extra attention as you learn the steps.
Brioche knitting in the Cozy Countess design requires a few set up rounds, which we’ll focus on today. After you have cast-on the stitches for your chosen size, you’ll join to work in the round, being careful not to twist, and knit a few rounds. Now it’s time to get into the good stuff, or get set up for the good stuff. Brioche fabric is achieved by alternating columns of slipped stitches with yarnovers and knit stitches. The working yarn is not carried in front or in back of a slipped stitch, but as a yarn over with the slipped stitch that gives the stitch a little shawl!
The first set up round instructs you to *Sl1yo, p2tog; repeating the * to the end of the round.
You’ll see a stitch count at the end of Setup Round 1 and you’ll notice it is much less than the number of stitches you started with. Do not panic! Remember how we mentioned above that the yarn over with the slipped stitch is a “shawl”? This shawled stitch (the slipped stitch and yarn over) is counted as ONE STITCH. That is why the stitch counts are so different.
After this setup round, you’ll begin using colors A and B, but only one color per round as instructed. The special stitches, BRK or BRP, involve knitting the stitch together with its yarn over (BRK) or purling the stitch together with its yarn over (BRP).
Our instructions indicate if you are to use color A or color B on each row. Shown above is the second round in the If you aren’t sure, you can look to the yarn over of the row just worked, that’s the last color that you used.
Know that it will take eight or ten rounds to begin to see the brioche fabric emerge. We are not in any rush, so just take it one stitch at a time. You might want to use post-it notes or highlighter tape, or a notepad, to help keep track of your placement in the pattern.
We hope you’ll give brioche knitting a try! Currently in January and February we are having a Cape KAL, and we would love for you to join in. Share your progress with us on your favorite social platform: Facebook, Instagram, or Ravelry, either tag us (@KraemerYarns) or use the hashtag #KraemerYarnsCapeKAL. We have kits for the Cozy Countess Brioche Cape ready to ship. If you already have Naturally Nazareth in your stash, you can purchase the pattern separate from the kit.
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