Bonfire Briar

Bonfire Briar by Teresa Gregorio

What is Being Made

Bonfire Briar is a knitted garment designed to provide warmth during cool summer evenings around a campfire. This intermediate-level project creates a cozy layering piece using bulky spun wool yarn. The design is available in two sizes: S/M measuring 14 inches tall with a 38-inch circumference, and M/L measuring 15 inches tall with a 42-inch circumference.

Yarn and Materials

This project uses Lamb's Pride Burly Spun yarn in the colorway Fuchsia. The bulky yarn weight requires 2 hanks for the S/M size and 3 hanks for the M/L size. Knitters will need 8mm circular needles and 9mm circular needles to complete this project. The gauge is 2 stitches equaling 1 inch when worked on 9mm needles.

Techniques and Special Skills

Bonfire Briar incorporates several intermediate knitting techniques that add visual interest and texture to the finished piece. The pattern requires knowledge of the following methods:

• Cable work – featuring a dedicated cable panel that forms the structural foundation of the design
• Simple lace – incorporated as a leaf lace element within the cable panel
• Provisional cast on – used to begin the cable panel with flexibility for later finishing
• Picking up stitches – essential for constructing the garment from the cable panel base
• Chart reading – the pattern uses a written chart for the cable panel, with specific markers indicating where the leaf lace section begins
• Grafting stitches – used to seamlessly join sections of the finished piece
• Stockinette stitch – the primary stitch used throughout, with additional rows worked in stockinette for the M/L size after completing the cable chart

Pattern Structure

The cable panel serves as the core element of this design, created using a provisional cast on of 27 stitches on 9mm circular needles. Knitters work from a detailed cable chart, carefully placing markers when beginning the highlighted leaf lace section. For the M/L size, two additional rows of stockinette stitch are worked after completing row 68 of the chart before placing stitches on a holder. The construction method involves picking up stitches from the cable panel to build the remainder of the garment, demonstrating the intermediate skill level required for successful completion.

This downloadable PDF pattern from independent designer Teresa Gregorio provides a free resource for knitters seeking a straightforward yet visually effective project in chunky yarn weight.