Brioche Knitting: How to Decrease and Knit a Two Color Flat Brioche Scarf
To decrease the top of a two-color brioche knit hat, the simplest decrease is worked in three rows and is called br-ssk (brioche-slip, slip, knit).
To perform the decrease, you will need to learn these abbreviations:
wyif – with thread in front
sl 2 yo – slip the next two stitches one after the other, then wrap the yarn around the back like a normal yarn over. You will have two slip stitches accompanied by one loop.
To decrease bicolor brioche in the round:
Round 1: Work brioche up to 2 sts before the stitch you want to decrease (you can put a marker at this stitch if that helps). Slip next st as if to knit twice. Br-k the next st (the marked st). You will have two sts of the same color next to each other. I work in brioche until the end of the round.
Row 2: Work in brioche until the two sts of the same color are next to each other. Wyif, SL 2 years. I work in brioche until the end of the round.
Round 3: Work brioche to the two slipped stitches. Br-k the two slipped sts together with your turn. I work in brioche until the end of the round.
To knit a two-tone brioche scarf you will need a needle that has two ends, since you will have to slide your work from one end of the needle to the other, to repeat the row with the other color. Either double pointed needle or a circular needle will work, although two DPNs (double pointed needles) will be easier because there is no wire to get in the way of what you are doing.
Practice on the next sample. Keep in mind that you are going to cast on an odd number of stitches and work each edge stitch as an edge stitch so that the edges are even. Again, we designate LC as “light color” and DC as “dark color”.
Two-tone brioche fabric – flat:
Using both DPNs together (this makes the cast on looser) and with DC, CO an odd number of sts (eg 13 sts). Delete a DPN. Turn.
DC configuration row: with DC, (p1, yf sl1yo) until the last st, end p1.
Do not turn on work. Slip sts to the other end of needle.
LC configuration row: sl 1, with LC (br-k1, yf sl1yo) until the last st, sl 1 wyif. Turn.
Row 1: DC, k1, (yf sl1yo, br-k1) to last 2 sts, yf sl1yo, k1. Don’t turn around. Slip sts to the other end of needle.
Row 2: sl 1, with LC (br-p1, yf sl1yo) to last st, sl 1 wyib. Turn. Row 3: DC, p1, (yf sl1yo, br-p1) to last st, finish p1.
Don’t turn around. Slip sts to the other end of needle.
Row 4: sl 1, with LC (br-k1, yf sl1yo) to last st, s 1 wyif. Turn.
Repeat rows 1-4 until ready to bind off. With DC, BO with any elastic auction.
Now you can make a beautiful two color reversible brioche scarf. Try it with different types and combinations of yarn: fine yarn on larger needles will give you a light and airy effect.