Good Hair Hat - a lesson in brioche stitch

This summer I designed a simple brioche stitch hat and posted on my blog. Since I had several friends talking about wanting to learn the brioche stitch. I finally decided it was time to write up the instructions for knitting this stitch. I've put the pattern and instructions up on Ravelry and it is now available for everyone to give this simple, airy stitch a try.

Good Hair Hat pattern

Good Hair Hat

Really poor picture of Brioche and Garter stitch Hat

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I don't have much to post but I've been playing around with some bulky yarn I was given at Yarnover in April. This hat is a loose fitting hat because I have a friend who hates her hair being smashed down by the normal fit of hats. Brioche stitch (the body) is a very loose stitch but is double layer so nice and warm. It's quick to make up and I keep forgetting this lovely stitch but - it spoke to me for this project. The brim is garter stitch - another looser fitting stitch.



The hat took one ball of Lion Brand Jiffy and less than one evening's time. I will evenually write it up as a proper pattern but until then - if you want to try it out, here's the basics....



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Good Hair Hat

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Bulky yarn. Sample was 1 ball of Lion Brand Jiffy

Size 11 needles

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CO 60

Knit garter st for 8 ridges (16 rows)

Knit brioche st for 36 rows

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Top shaping:

Row 1: (k1, p1 catching the purl st and loop), repeat across

Row 2: k1, p1 across

Row 3, 5, 7: ssk across row

Row 4, 6: p across row

Run the stitches on needle thru yarn, pull tight and sew side of hat.

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Brioche stitch: The stitch is one set up row and then repeat the next row for length needed.

Set up Row: * k1, bring yarn to front between needles, slip one st as if to purl, knit next st bringing yarn over right needle to the back creating a loop over the slipped st; repeat from * until last st; yarn forward between needles and slip last st.

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Working row: *k1, yarn forward between needles, slip one st as if to purl, knit next st and loop over it bringing yarn over right needle to the back creating loop over slipped st; repeat from * until last st; yarn forward between needles and slip last st.

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Sorry about the formatting- for some reason blogger isn't letting me put in blank rows lately so I'll put in a row with one dot just to split things up a bit and this creates some blank row and the dot row - go figure......

Quick Hat and Scarf pattern for you

As Christmas approaches many knitters are in panic mode. Their plans are bigger then their time. I have been enjoying this month because the knitting is done and I've been doing - just cause I feel like it knitting. What a great feeling! No deadlines to worry about. (are you jealous?)

One of the things I finished up already is a pair of gloves of a friend. I'll be giving them tomorrow night and he doesn't read the blog so I'm safe posting a pic. I have wrapped them already before I realized I didn't have a finished pictures so - here's an in-progress picture. - with the traditional assistance of one of the boys.


These gloves are from the Cigar Gloves pattern on Knitty but I made full fingers. The yarn is Swish from Knit Picks. I enjoyed the feel of the yarn and hope they hold up well. The pattern was a bit odd in shaping. As you can see from the partial glove on top it breaks off for the thumb as usual but also put the pinky fingers on hold while a bit more length was added to the body of the glove.

Quick and Easy Brioche Stitch Hat

Just in case you're still in need of a quick present. Here's a Brioche Hat we used to make 20+ years ago at the shop I used to work at. It's made from bulky yarn on big needles. The hat was a few hours of TV watching and knitting and the scarf is in process. This set will end up being for a new friend and will easily be done before Christmas. The yarn is a 20+ year old yarn from Bernat called Venetian it took less than 1 skein of 50gm - yardage not listed on ball band. I'll write up the hat and scarf more formally when I've finished the scarf but right now I don't know how much yarn it will take.

Here's the basic pattern - done in brioche stitch which is a slip stitch rib.

Brioche Hat and Scarf

Needles - size 11-15 (depending on bulk of yarn) I used 11

Bulky weight yarn (1 skein for hat, 1-2 for scarf- I'll let you know later)

HAT

CO 36 sts very loosely.

Row 1 (set up row): *K1, bring yarn forward as if to purl, slip next st as if to purl. Bring yarn to back over right needle creating a diagonal loop. Repeat from *, ending last st with yarn forward, slip last st as if to purl.

Row 2: K1, * yarn forward between needles, sl next st as if to purl, bring yarn back over right needle as in row 1, k2tog (st and sloppy loop). Repeat from *, ending with yarn forward, sl 1 as if to purl.

Work row 2 until piece is 7-11" (desired length). My hat was 10".

Decrease row: K1, P2tog across row.

Next 3 rows continue in K1, P1 rib as set in previous row.

Next row: Sl 1 st, K1 st, pass slipped st over K st (SSK). repeat across row.

Next row: P

Next row: K

Next row: P

Next row: K2tog across row

End off and pull remaining sts end. Sew side seam.

SCARF

CO 20 sts very loosely.

Knit row 1 of hat

Follow pattern of hat (row 2) to desired length.

Bind off loosely.

Cat and Projects Update

Sometimes I wonder why I have cat hair all over everything and then I step back and look and what goes on at the house.

Chief with the Christmas letters

Anytime I start up a new project I get way too much help. Chief comes first. Checks things out and then settles in. Shortly after Bert appears and repeats the process. If the printer is involved Bert investigates that much more closely.

Bert gets in the act

Well - with all this help I still don't have Mom's Christmas cards quite finished. It's been tough writing a letter to her Christmas list to let anyone that was missed before know that Mom is no longer with us. But tough or not some things just need to be done with as much grace as possible.

Time to get back to knitting the scarf.....