Brioche Celtic Knot Cowl

Free Cowl Knitting Pattern

This two-tone cowl features a motif of Celtic knots created by mixing in Brioche lattice with the regular Brioche stitch. This is a great pattern for anyone looking to get into Brioche knitting!

Skills required: to knit this cowl, you have to know how to knit 2-color brioche stitch in-the-round, and make brioche decreases and increases.

Finished measurements: about 6.5" (17 cm) high and 22" (55 cm) circumference length

Materials: Knit Picks (affiliate link) Wool of the Andes 100% wool worsted weight yarn 110 yards (101 meters) / 50 grams, color Claret Heather – 1 skein. (DC)
Knit Picks (affiliate link) Wool of the Andes 100% wool worsted weight yarn 110 yards (101 meters) / 50 grams, color White – 1 skein. (LC)

Needles: US 4 (3.5 mm) 21” (52 cm) circular needles and double pointed needles (dpn) for the top of the hat, OR SIZE NEEDED TO OBTAIN GAUGE

Gauge: 18 sts x 20 rows = 4" (10 cm) in brioche stitch
Please note, that 1 round of brioche consists of 2 rounds: 1 round of LC and 1 round of DC

Abbreviations

Please note that I use Nancy Marchant's terminology for brioche stitch. I highly recommend her books Knitting Brioche: The Essential Guide to the Brioche Stitch and Knitting Fresh Brioche: Creating Two-Color Twists & Turns, as well as her lessons on craftsy.com.
yf - yarn forward: bring the yarn to the front, between the tips of the needles.
yb - yarn back: take the yarn to the back, between the tips of the needles.
sl1yof - slip 1, yarn over, yarn to front: with working yarn in front, slip the next stitch purlwise, then bring the yarn over the needle and the slipped stitch, then bring yarn back around to the front, ready to purl the following stitch.
yfsl1yo - yarn forward, slip 1, yarn over: bring the working yarn between the tips of the needles to front of work, slip the next stitch purlwise, then bring the yarn over the needle and the slipped stitch. Leave yarn in back, ready to knit the next stitch.
brk - brioche knit: knit the stitch together with its accompanying yarnover
brp - brioche purl: purl the stitch together with its accompanying yarnover
brsssk (left slant 2-stitch decrease) – work to marked st, slip the next 2 sts (the marked st with its yarn over and the next single st) knitwise, one at a times, onto the right needle. Bark the following st, then pass the 2 slipped sts over.
LS – light side
DS – dark side
LC – light color
DC- dark color
pm – place marker
mm – move marker
k – knit
p – purl
br3-3 (brioche gathered 3 into 3 st) –slip the next st (the marked st with its yarn over) knitwise, onto the right-hand needle.

Brk together 2 next sts (sl1yo and next brk), inserting right-hand needle into brk first, DO NOT take these 2 sts off the left-hand needle, yo, insert right-hand needle into these 2 sts again and pull another st (now you have 3 sts made out of those 2 sts), with left needle pass the slipped st over 3 sts.

with left needle pass the slipped st over 3 sts.

Pattern Notes:

Two-Color Brioche Stitch in rounds

Please note that one brioche round consists of 2 rounds, one worked in LC and the other in DC.

Even number of stitches
Set up round (LC): *k1, yfsl1yo, repeat from * to the end of the round. Bring the LC yarn forward and leave it hanging in front of the work.
Set up round (DC): yf, *sl1yof, brp1, repeat from * to the end of the round. Bring the DC yarn back.
Round 1 (LC): yb, *brk1, yfsl1yo, repeat from * to the end of the round. Bring the LC yarn forward and leave it hanging in front of the work.
Round 1 (DC): yf, *sl1yof, brp1, repeat from * to the end of the round. Bring the DC yarn back.
Repeat round 1 (DC and LC)


Short Overview of the pattern

The cowl is knitted in-the-round in 2-color brioche stitch. The cowl begins with rounds of regular brioche stitch, which is worked for 1" (2.5 cm). Then the body of the cowl is worked in a combination of regular brioche and brioche lattice, which is achieved by working br3-3 (brioche gathered 3 into 3 st). The top of the cowl is regular brioche st.


Cowl

Using 2 strands of yarn (LC and DC), cast on 96sts, join to the beginning of the round and continue to work in-the-round. Place marker to mark the beginning of the round.

Round 1 (LC): (K1, yf sl1yo) × 48 times. (96 sts)
Round 1 (DC): (Yf sl1yo, brp) 48 times.

Round 2 (LC): (Brk, yf sl1yo) 48 times.
Round 2 (DC): (Yf sl1yo, brp) 48 times.

Rounds 2-6 (LC): Repeat round 2.
Rounds 2-6 (DC): Repeat round 2.

Round 7 (LC): (br3-3, yf sl1yo, br3-3, (yf sl1yo, brk) × 4, yf sl1yo) 6 times.
Round 7 (DC): (Yf sl1yo, p1, yf sl1yo, brp, yf sl1yo, p1, (yf sl1yo, brp) × 5) 6 times.

Round 8 (LC): Repeat round 2.
Round 8 (DC): Repeat round 2.

Round 9 (LC): (Brk, (yf sl1yo, br3-3) × 2, (yf sl1yo, brk) × 3, yf sl1yo) 6 times.
Round 9 (DC): ((Yf sl1yo, brp, yf sl1yo, p1) × 2, (yf sl1yo, brp) × 4) 6 times.

Round 10 (LC): Repeat round 2.
Round 10 (DC): Repeat round 2.

Rounds 11-26: Repeat rounds 7-10 (both LC and DC) four (4) more times.

Round 27 (LC): (Brk, yf sl1yo) 48 times.
Round 27 (DC): (Yf sl1yo, brp) 48 times.

Rounds 28-32: Repeat round 27 (both LC and DC).

Bind off.


Finishing

Weave in ends. Block.

Enjoy!

Click image to enlarge