Garter Stitch Revival

I was recently given a copy of Garter Stitch Revival and fell hard for several of its patterns. I loved the concept of the entire collection - taking the most basic of stitch patterns and using it to add texture, to highlight unusual construction methods, to play a supporting role alongside more fanciful stitches.

It was that last category that really caught my eye in the form of Jesse Ksanznak's Boardwalk Brioche Cowl. I had never attempted the brioche stitch before and had been itching to give it a try. Alternating small sections of two-color brioche with small sections of striped garter stitch sounded like the perfect way to dip my toes into a new technique. And who doesn't love a reversible fabric?

I searched my stash for suitable worsted but came up empty handed. So I resorted to a couple sport-weight yarns leftover from other projects - Madelinetosh Pashmina in Tern and Cascade 220 Superwash Sport in Kelly Green. To account for the thinner yarn, I used a needle two sizes smaller than recommended and cast on enough extra stitches for another pattern repeat.

I thoroughly enjoyed working up this pattern, and the notes in the book walked me through the brioche stitch step by step and made it very easy to learn.

I also enjoyed playing with different ways to style this cowl. How do you like the turned up, Pharaoh collar look? It probably wouldn't stay like that on a human person anyway, but it's fun to experiment with Rosy during photo shoots.