Before launching the Brioche Crochet Workshop, I published a survey and invited my blog subscribers and social media followers to answer several questions — mainly about their experience with brioche crochet, their preference for written instructions or step-by-step photos, and whether they can (and enjoy) reading crochet charts.
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A City Walk book with 12 modern brioche crochet patterns is available for a pre-order in my webshop HERE.
One of the questions was open-ended, where I asked respondents to share their fears, concerns, and questions about Brioche Crochet.
I received thousands of responses, which was amazing! It felt truly magical to reconnect with so many people and receive such overwhelmingly positive feedback.
I carefully read through every comment and selected the most common questions to answer here.
Is Brioche Crochet similar to Brioche Knitting?
No, it’s not. Just as crochet and knitting differ in many ways, so do their brioche versions. Brioche knitting is a well-established system of stitches and combinations, while brioche crochet is still an emerging technique. Often, when we talk about “brioche crochet,” we refer to creating a brioche-look fabric rather than following a formalized system.
In brioche crochet, we use front post and back post stitches (working around stitches of the same color from two rows or rounds below), combined with chain stitches, to achieve the signature layered texture.
Is Brioche Crochet fabric reversible — do both sides look the same?
No, brioche crochet fabric is not reversible. The cabled stitch pattern appears only on the right side, while the wrong side shows horizontal stripes in several colors.
Brioche Crochet creates a beautiful, dense fabric — how can I keep it from becoming too stiff?
Because brioche crochet is built in two layers, each new row or round is worked on top of the previous one. This double structure can make the fabric a bit stiff.
To achieve better drape:
- Choose softer yarns and use a slightly larger hook than usual for that yarn weight.
- Make your chain stitches looser, or add an extra chain in places. For example, use ch2 instead of ch1, or ch3 instead of ch2.
- Always make a gauge swatch before starting your project to adjust hook size and tension as needed.
What kind of yarn works best for Brioche Crochet?
Almost any yarn can work for brioche crochet — the best choice depends on your project type.
- For lighter projects (shawls, scarves, blankets), use finer, softer yarns for better drape.
- For home decor projects, thicker and stiffer yarns are great for holding shape.
Composition: not too critical, but yarns with a little fluff are ideal — they fill small gaps, hide unevenness, and improve drape.
Color: choose solid, high-contrast colors or variegated yarns with long color changes to highlight the brioche cables. Avoid short self-striping yarns or very similar shades, as they make the cables less distinct.
I’m wondering how many loose ends we’ll need to weave in because of all the color changes.
Actually, there are almost no ends to weave in! Each row or round is worked with just one color, and instead of cutting the previous yarn, it’s simply carried up on the wrong side to the next row or round. So, you’ll only have a loose end when it’s time to join a new ball of yarn.
How can I maintain proper tension?
Tension in brioche crochet is just as important as in any other crochet style — and by tension, we mean consistency. Because brioche crochet involves increases and decreases that form curved cables, maintaining even stitches takes practice.
If the edges of your project look wavy after a few rows or rounds, don’t worry — that’s normal. The fabric usually flattens out as more rows are added. Usually, patterns already account for this by using longer stitches in the following rows to even out the edges.
But since everyone crochets differently, you may occasionally need to adjust stitch height yourself if your fabric seems too tight or too loose (for example by making FPtr instead of FPdc, etc).
How can I make my stitches look neat — not too loose or too tight?
Beautiful stitches come with practice and consistency.
Many crocheters find decreases (like FPdc2tog or FPtr3tog) tricky to make look neat. Because brioche crochet benefits from a slightly looser gauge, these stitches can sometimes appear uneven.
Choosing the right yarn (with a little fluff) helps hide small inconsistencies and gives the fabric a smoother look. The place to insert the hook sometimes confuses me.
How do I know where to place the stitches?
In brioche crochet, you’re working with two layers, but in each row or round, you only work around stitches of the same color, skipping those of the opposite color.
A common mistake is not skipping the stitch of the same color that sits between the “legs” of a decrease from the previous row or round. When you encounter a decrease of the opposite color (e.g., FPdc2tog), you should skip it completely, along with the stitch of the same color between its legs.
It might sound complicated, but it becomes intuitive once you start crocheting.
Any tips for following the pattern correctly?
How can I use Brioche Crochet for clothing, like sweaters or vests?
Because brioche crochet fabric is double-layered, it can be warm and slightly stiff, which isn’t ideal for making an entire garment.
Instead, use brioche crochet as a design element:
A brioche yoke, with the rest of the sweater in regular crochet.
Brioche edging for hems, cuffs, or collars.
Thank you so much Tatsiana. I have admired your crochet so much but not had the courage to really give it a go. Your lessons were really clear. Really looking forward to trying something more challenging. You have an amazing talent. Thank you for sharing it with us. Alison x
ReplyDeleteHi Alison! Thank you so much for your kind words!
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