Half brioche

Name: O – The Skirt - The Statement Skirt
Brand: Cosymonday
Price: 130.0 NOK
Availability: InStock

Half brioche is the technique that turns up in more of my patterns than any other. Forty-five of them, to be exact. Here's what it does, why I use it so often, and which garments you'll find it in.

What half brioche is

Half brioche is a rib where every other stitch is worked together with a yarn over from the previous round. It gives a fabric with more air, more depth and more stretch than an ordinary rib.

«Half» because the technique is only worked on one side. Full brioche, or English rib, is worked on both, and gives an even thicker, more reversible look.

In practice that means the garment gets volume without getting heavy, and that it follows the body instead of hanging straight down.

What half brioche does to the garment

Half brioche adds volume and stretch, and makes the garment both soft and elastic. On a jumper with raglan decreases it gives an airy structure that holds its shape. On a dress it gives a close-fitting top that can be let out into width further down.

That's also why I combine it with bobbles and puff sleeves so often: the structure can take decorative details without looking messy.

Blocking — the most important tip

Half brioche comes into its own after washing. Block the garment lightly to bring out the structure. That's when the half brioche settles, gets its characteristic airy look, and any bobbles take on their three-dimensional shape.

Skip the blocking and the garment looks flatter than it should. Mohair also tends to get even softer after the first wash.

Yarn, needles and gauge

Half brioche uses more yarn than stocking stitch, because the structure pulls together. Take that into account when you buy.

In my patterns the pattern is fairly clear:

7 mm needles are the main needle in 36 of the 45 patterns, often combined with 5 or 6 mm for ribbing and cuffs.
Gauge 12 stitches × 17 rounds = 10 × 10 cm is the house standard.
Mohair dominates — especially Påfugl in Paris from House of Yarn and Ballerina Chunky Mohair from Sandnes Garn. Kos and Fluff work well too.
The hats in the Anastasia series sit lower, at 3 to 4.5 mm.

If you want to swap the yarn, it's the gauge that decides, not the brand.

How to knit half brioche

I've made a video that shows it. It's in the Knitting School, Part 3.

If you want the rest of the techniques in the same order, they're in Knitting School Part 3, along with two kinds of eyelet pattern and the Calla Bassas border.