Menai

This cowl, similar to a mini poncho, features a spectacular two-colour brioche stitch leaf pattern. It’s worked top down, with a lower garter stitch border; stitches are picked up to work the brioche collar after the cowl has been blocked and it is finished with a sewn brioche cast-off.

It only uses 2 x 400m/100g of 4ply yarn in contrasting colours, so it's an ideal stash-buster. With brioche increases and decreases on both knit and purl rows and the sewn brioche cast-off, you could also extend your repertoire of brioche stitches!

Yarn

UK Alpaca Hand Knitting Sock Yarn (4ply; 75% Superfine Alpaca, 25% Nylon; 400m/437yds per 100g skein)

Light Colour (LC): Moss Green; 1 x 100g skein 

Dark Colour (DC): Cobalt; 1 x 100g skein

Or 2 x 400m/100g of any 4ply yarn in contrasting colours

Needles

3.75mm (UK 10-9/US 4) circular needles, 100cm long

1 pair 4.5mm (UK 7/US 7) knitting needles (to cast on and cast off only)

Notions

Tapestry needle for sewn collar cast off

Tension

18.5 sts and 26 rows to 10cm over two-colour brioche as used in Collar using 3.75mm needles, after blocking and relaxing.

Blocking Measurements (see Schematics)

First Block: 49 cm (19½”) inner length, 162.5 cm (65”) outer length and 32 cm (12¾”) depth

Second Block (collar): 49 cm (19½”) length and 5.5 cm (2¼”) height 

Finished Measurements

Length: 37.5 cm (15”)

Circumference at top: 49 cm (19½”)

Circumference at bottom: 158 cm (63¼”)

Notes

1. Yarns are referred to as LC (light colour) and DC (dark colour), following the convention in two-colour brioche knitting. Each row has two ‘passes’ which are written out separately and the light colour is always worked first. Rows are named by the Row number and whether that row is to be worked with LC or DC, eg Row 5 LC is Row 5 worked with the light colour and is followed by Row 5 DC.

2. Always work a stitch together with its yarn over as one stitch.

3. Always drop DC to the wrong side before the last slipped (LC) stitch, so that the edge stitches are always LC.

4. Remember that each row is worked twice. You must slide sts back to the right-hand end of the needle between the LC and DC rows. 

5. Only turn work after a DC row unless pattern says otherwise.

6. Many thanks to Nancy Marchant for her work on brioche stitches and terminology, which is used here.

7. Do use the Sewn Brioche Cast-Off to finish the collar (see Special Techniques). A knitted cast-off, however loosely worked, will not easily fit over the head.