Have a go at brioche knitting with our pearl brioche stitch blanket, which was designed by Caroline Birkett for Simply Knitting magazine issue 186. It's worked in two colours, with large and small stripes to add a stylish visual touch, and of course the pearl brioche stitch for that all-important texture.
When you knit brioche the resulting fabric is cushiony and squishy, and springs back when you tug on it. Because of that, springy fibres such as wool or wool blends are good ones to use, as they blend well. We've chosen cotton and acrylic to give this blanket a slightly lighter feel, so it's perfect for using in spring and summer, but you could easily make a snugglier winter version by changing the yarn to wool.
Love this pearl brioche stitch blanket? Discover two-colour brioche knitting with our beginner's guide on how to knit brioche stitch and more advanced brioche knitting tutorial.
To make this pearl brioche stitch blanket you'll need:
- Bergère de France Coton Fifty (50% cotton, 50% acrylic, 50g/140m) 8 balls of each: Yarn A Bengele (24660) Yarn B Rouge (10443) Buy this yarn from Ebay.
- A 4.5mm circular needle, 80cm long Buy from The Knitting Network.
- A pair of 4mm double-pointed needles (DPNs) Buy from The Knitting Network.
More blanket knitting patterns
Find out how to knit a blanket for beginners and try colourwork with our baby blanket knitting pattern and free baby blanket pattern to knit. Plus choose the best yarn for baby blankets, and find more blanket inspiration in our round-up of easy knitting patterns for beginners.
Pearl brioche stitch blanket
Tension
15 sts and 26 rows to measure 10x10cm (4x4in) over pearl brioche stitch using 4mm needles and yarn held double
For more on tension, see our guide to knitting tension squares.
Measurements
81 x 87cm (32 x 34in)
Abbreviations
This pattern uses our standard knitting abbreviations, plus:
Sl1yo Bring working yarn to front under the needle, slip 1 stitch purlwise, at the same time as making a yarn over. The slipped stitch and the yarn over count as one stitch and will be worked together on the next row
Brk1 (brioche K1) Knit the stitch that was slipped in the previous row together with its yarn over
See our how to knit section for knitting tips and stitch tutorials, including how to cast on knitting and how to cast off knitting.
Pearl Brioche stitch
Row 1 (WS) K2, *sl1yo, K1; rep from * to end.
Row 2 (RS) K1, *brk1, K1; rep from * to last st, K1.
Row 3 K1, *sl1yo, K1; rep from * to last st, K1.
Row 4 K2, *brk1, K1; rep from * to end.
Blanket pattern
Note Work back and forth on a circular needle to accommodate the large number of stitches.
Cast on 118 sts using 4.5mm needles and 2 strands of Yarn A.
Stripe sequence
In Yarn A, work 24 rows of pearl brioche stitch.
*In Yarn B, work Rows 1 and 2.
In Yarn A, work Rows 3 and 4.
Rep from * 2 more times.
In Yarn B, work 24 rows of pearl brioche.
**In Yarn A, work Rows 1 and 2.
In Yarn B, work Rows 3 and 4.
Rep from ** 2 more times.
Repeat Stripe Sequence 3 more times, ending the last repeat after 24 rows of pearl brioche using Yarn B.
Cast off.
Blanket edging
Cast on 3 sts using 4mm DPNs and 1 strand of Yarn A together with 1 strand of Yarn B and a provisional cast on.
Row 1 (WS) ***K2, sl1, pick up 1 stitch from the edge of the Blanket, psso.
Slip the remaining 3 sts to the other end of the DPN, pull the yarn across the back of the cord.
Rep from ***, picking up 1 stitch for every stitch across the cast-on and cast-off edges and 1 stitch for every 2 rows up side edges. When all four sides are complete, graft the final row of sts to the first row using Kitchener stitch.
Weave in ends and gently block to measurements, following any yarn care instructions on the ball band. See how to weave in ends in knitting and how to block knitting projects for finishing tips and tutorials.
Download the pearl brioche stitch blanket pattern
Get the free pattern here: Pearl brioche stitch blanket PDF
For more free project ideas, take a look at our knitting patterns collection.
