How to knit decreases in brioche stitch when knitting in the round.

While researching my latest brioche stitch pattern I tried to find a way to do decreases when knitting brioche stitch in the round. The two-stitch right-leaning and left-leaning decreases were easily found by consulting Nancy Marchant's book "Knitting Brioche", however she made no mention of a four stitch decrease when working brioche stitch in the round. 

I had a look at the two stitch decreases and decided that if I used a brssk next to a brk2tog then the result should be a brioche four stitch decrease. I tried it and it worked! Read about this and information on how to perform two-stitch brioche decreases in the round below.

The result is my newest pattern, the "Abutilon Cowl" in two color brioche stitch. Available to buy on loveknitting,  Abutilon pattern on loveknitting.com, ravelry.com Abutilon pattern on ravelry.com or on etsy.com Abutilon pattern on etsy.com. 

Below is a written explanation of the decreases when knitting brioche in the round.

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First it is necessary to understand the left and right leaning two stitch decreases:  

Explanation/abbreviations:

brssk:  Slip one stitch knitwise (a stitch with yarnover counts as one stitch), slip next stitch knitwise, insert the left hand needle into the fronts of these two stitches and knit them together.

brk2tog: Reach under the yarnover and brk the next two stitches together. The yarnover then falls behind the stitch when it is slipped off the needle.

sl2yo:  With yarn in fornt, slip two stitches and take yarn over needles and forward to brp the next stitch.

sl3yo:  Slip three stitches and take yarn over needles and forward to brp the next stitch.

brcdd:  Slip two stitches together knitwise under the yarn over while leaving it in

place, brk the next stitch with the yarn over, pass the two slipped stitches over the brk stitch. This is a symmetrical decrease. By avoiding the yarnover until you knit the third stitch the contrasting yarn will not be worked into it but sit behind it.

Brioche right leaning decrease (worked in the round):

This is a two st decrease.

First step: Work to sl1yo, the next stitches on the left hand needle are a MC

stitch with a yo, a CC stitch and another MC stitch with yo. Brssk the first two together and (without doing a yo) immediately, brk the next stitch. This decreases the stitch count by one and there are two MC sts next to each other.

Second step: In the brp round work to the two MC sts. Slip both together purlwise

and take the yarn over the needle to brp the next stitch.

Third step: Work to the two MC sts next to each other with a shared yo. Brk these two stitches together with the yarnover, again decreasing the stitch count by one.

For one-colour brioche stitch this works in exactly the same way but all stitches are the same colour. 

Brioche left leaning decrease (worked in the round):

This is a two stitch decrease.

First step: Work to sl1yo, brk the next stitch. Without doing another yo, immediately brk2tog.

This decreases the stitch count by one and puts two MC sts next to each other.

Second step: In the brp round, work to the two MC sts which are next to each other. Slip both together purlwise and take the yarn over the needle to brp

the next stitch.

Third step: Work to the two MC sts which are next to each other with a shared yo.

Brssk these two stitches.

This step also decreases the stitch count by one again and by two stitches in total.

The same method is used for one-colour brioche stitch.

Brioche four stitch decrease (in the round):

Step 1: Work: brssk, brk brk2tog. There are three MC sts next to each other.

Step 2: In the next round, work these three stitches as follows: sl3yo.

Step 3: In the next round, leave the yarnover in place on the needle when you slip the first two stitches, brk the next stitch with the yarnover, then pass the two slipped stitches over it. 

In total four stitches have been decreased, two in step 1 and two in step 3.

In this way, I have made a cdd into a brcdd (brioche central double decrease). I feel as if I have invented it or perhaps re-invented it, if ever anyone has invented it before. If so I am perhaps the first person to write it down. Let me know. Either way, the instructions for it are above or you can try it out by purchasing my "Abutilon Cowl" pattern. Abutilon pattern on ravelry.com

Happy Knitting! 

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