Casting on for brioche

If you're like me, you love working brioche stitches, but aren't as crazy about the oft-suggested Italian cast-on. While it's pretty easy to work, it's not always easy to work from. It can be hard to tell which strands are the stitches and which strands are the strands between stitches.

I prefer a tubular cast-on, which is beautiful for any k1-p1 rib. And it also makes a tidy-looking and clear start for a brioche project.

A standard tubular cast-on, however, is a too snug for the spacious brioche stitch, which is why I've adapted tubular cast-on techniques especially for brioche knitting. On this page we work a tubular cast-on for 1-color brioche projects worked in the round. Also see these links for

- 1-color brioche in the flat
- 2-color brioche worked flat
- 2-color brioche in the round

Tubular Cast-on for 1-Color Brioche - worked in the round

With smooth waste yarn and circs or dpn's cast on half-the-number-of-stitches-desired and join for working in the round.

With working yarn purl 2 rnds.
Next Rnd: * P1,


ytb, locate purl bump between 1st and 2nd sts of first working-yarn row,


insert left needle tip from top to bottom


and knit it tbl (untwisted);


rep from * to end.


The last knitted stitch is between the last purl stitch and the first stitch of the round.

Cast-on is complete, and desired number of stitches should now be on needle.


Following are typical brioche setup rows.
If you're new to brioche, you'll find some basic Brioche Terms at the bottom of this page.
Brioche Rnd 1: [Slyo, brk] to end.
Brioche Rnd2: [Brp, slyo] to end.

Repeat Brioche Rnds 1 & 2.



Here we are after a few rows of brioche knitting.


To remove waste yarn:



Starting at the looped end of the waste yarn, pull the strand closest to the working yarn, drawing it through.

Once that strand has been pulled out, the waste-yarn cast-on row will peel away easily.


RS cast-on edge


WS cast-on edge

Brioche Terms

Basic Brioche Abbreviations
brk - brioche knit: Knit next double-stranded stitch with both strands together, as if it were one stitch.
brp - brioche purl: Purl next double-stranded stitch with both strands together, as if it were one stitch.
slyo - create a yarnover while at the same time slipping a stitch: Ytf, sl 1 (purlwise), bring ytb above the needle so that it crosses diagonally over the top of the slipped stitch.

Notes on the slyo: The slyo results in a double-stranded stitch (the slipped stitch together with its yarnover will form a narrow "X" above the needle) and those double strands will be worked together on the next row or round - either as a brk or brp, or as part of an increase or decrease.

Depending on ones knitting method, the slip and the yarnover portions may be worked nearly simultaneously.
- When the slyo is worked before a knit or brk stitch, the yo is a partial yarnover, moving just from front to back above the needle, ready to work the knit stitch.
- When the slyo is worked before a purl or brp stitch, the yo forms a complete yarnover - moving from front to back above the needle, then to the front under the needle ready to work the purl stitch.

Brioche increases
brinc - brioche increase: Brk 1 leaving left st on ndl, yo, brk 1 removing st from ndl (increases 2 sts) (aka: brkyobrk).
dbl-brinc - double brioche increase: * Brk 1 leaving left st on ndl, yo; rep from * once more, brk 1 removing st from ndl (increases 4 sts) (aka: brkyobrkyobrk)

Brioche decreases - Important note: When working the following decreases, the double-stranded slyo from the previous row or round is treated as one single stitch.
brLdec - left leaning brioche decrease: Sl 1 knitwise, k2tog, pass slipped stitch over knitted stitch (decreases 2 sts) (aka: brLsl dec)
brRdec - right leaning brioche decrease: Ssk, slip stitch just worked back onto left needle, pass 2nd stitch on left needle over slipped stitch, slip stitch to right needle (decreases 2 sts)
(this decrease has a similar result but is worked somewhat differently than a brRsl dec).



More Resources: These terms are just a few basics. For a comprensive guide to all things brioche, see Nancy Marchants lovely website: www.briochestitch.com.