2 Color Brioche Cowl

2 Color Brioche Cowl by Mimi Kezer

Project Overview

The 2 Color Brioche Cowl is an intermediate-level knitting project designed by Mimi Kezer that creates a luxurious, textured neck accessory using a two-color brioche knitting technique. This downloadable PDF pattern produces a finished cowl measuring 28 inches in circumference and 8 inches in depth, though the design is fully customizable by adjusting stitch counts and yarn quantities.

What Is Being Made

This project creates a cowl—a close-fitting, tubular neckwear piece that provides warmth and style. The cowl is worked in the round using brioche knitting, a specialized technique that creates a distinctive, reversible fabric with pronounced vertical columns and exceptional elasticity. The two-color construction alternates between Color A (Iron) and Color B (Coyote Road) from Juniper Moon Farms Moonshine Chunky yarn, producing visual depth and dimension in the finished piece.

Knitting Techniques Used

This pattern employs brioche knitting, an advanced stitch technique that creates fabric with a unique appearance and superior stretch. Brioche knitting involves working with yarn overs and slipped stitches in coordinated pairs, where each stitch is worked together with its paired yarn over from the previous round. The pattern uses a two-color brioche method, alternating between colors on consecutive rounds to build the textured design.

The construction technique includes:

• Brioche knit (brk) - knitting into the paired stitch to create the brioche texture
• Brioche purl (brp) - purling into the paired stitch for dimensional variation
• Slip stitches - slipping stitches purlwise to set up the brioche pairs
• Yarn overs - creating the loops that pair with slipped stitches for brioche construction
• Color work - alternating between two yarn colors on consecutive rounds for visual interest

Stitches and Stitch Patterns

The cowl is constructed using a repeating brioche stitch pattern worked in the round. The core pattern repeats across rounds 7 and 8, which form the basis of the cowl fabric:

• Round 7 - Worked with Color A using the pattern *brk (brioche knit), yfsl1 (yarn forward, slip 1 stitch purlwise)* repeated to the end of the round
• Round 8 - Worked with Color B using the pattern *slip around (slip 1 stitch purlwise, then yarn over), brp (brioche purl)* repeated to the end of the round

These two rounds are repeated consecutively until the cowl reaches the desired depth. The pattern requires casting on an even number of stitches to maintain the symmetry of the brioche pairs throughout the fabric.

Materials: Yarn and Needles

Yarn: The pattern calls for Juniper Moon Farms Moonshine Chunky, a super chunky weight yarn. The project requires 109 yards (100 meters) per 100 grams. One skein each of two colors is needed: Color A (Iron) and Color B (Coyote Road). The super chunky weight creates a quick-knitting, luxuriously thick fabric that showcases the brioche texture beautifully.

Needles and Tools: The pattern uses a US 10.5 (6.5mm) circular needle with a 16-inch cable for the main knitting. Additionally, a Size I (5.5mm) crochet hook is required for the cast-on method, providing a flexible and elastic foundation suitable for brioche knitting.

Gauge and Sizing

The pattern specifies a gauge of 9 stitches and 16 rows over 4 inches (10 centimeters) in the brioche stitch pattern. The finished cowl measures 28 inches in circumference and 8 inches in depth. Since the design is completely customizable, knitters can adjust the circumference by modifying the number of cast-on stitches (maintaining an even number) and can control the depth by working more or fewer pattern repeats. Adjusting yarn quantities accordingly ensures the project uses the appropriate amount of yarn for custom sizing.

Notions

A stitch marker is required to track the beginning of each round when working in the round on circular needles.