Rust and Shadow Brioche Knit Scarf

Vines creep along stone walls, their shadows dancing in the frosted glow of streetlights. Stay snug, wrapped in the meandering lines of the Rust and Shadows Brioche Knit Scarf. Knit it from end to end or mirror the pattern across the back for a more symmetrical look.

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Cascade Eco+ Yarn

Cascade provided the bulky, Eco+ yarn for this brioche knit scarf design. The Peruvian highland wool is luxuriously soft and smushy, perfect for brioche knitting!

The palette is mostly neutrals and rich earth tones, including several heathered shades, with a few lighter and brighter colors in the mix. For this scarf I chose 9654 Campfire Heather and 9450 Smoke Heather.

2025 Two of a Kind Hat and Scarf KAL

This brioche knit scarf pattern is part of the Two of a Kind Hat and Scarf Knit Along, which I am co-hosting with Marie from Underground Crafter. This is number 10 of 12 patterns, 6 hats and 6 scarves, throughout the year. Each hat and scarf pair uses the same yarn, but I will design one, and Marie will design the other. Get all the details, other patterns, and the full schedule in the main KAL post.

Due to unforeseen circumstances, Marie’s coordinating hat design has been delayed (potentially for quite a while). When it becomes available, I will share it here.

2-Color Brioche Knitting

While it looks intimidating, there’s a comfortable rhythm to 2-color brioche knitting.

2-part rows

Each row is worked twice, once in each color. Work a right side row in color A, then shift all the stitches back to the other end of the needle and work another RS row, this time in color B. Then turn your work and repeat the process with color A and color B wrong side rows. In order to slide the stitches to the other end of the needle, you will need either a circular needle or double-pointed needles.

Each time you work across a row, work every alternate stitch, slipping the ones you don’t work. When you come back across with the other color, work the stitches you slipped earlier, and slip the stitches you worked earlier. That way each stitch is worked once on each row.

Yarn over slip stitches

The key to brioche is the yarn overs. When you slip a stitch, you also make a yarn over at the same time, which makes the yarn over wrap over the slipped stitch. The yarn over does not create another stitch, it moves along with the slipped stitch and they are worked together later.

Brioche abbreviations

Brioche stitches have funny abbreviations like “bark” (brk – brioche knit) and “burp” (brp-brioche purl). These just mean to work the knit and purl stitches you already know, but through both the slipped stitch and its associated yarn over at the same time.

Increases and Decreases

The movement in this brioche knit scarf pattern comes from paired increases and decreases. Just like with the knit and purl stitches, these are similar to the increases and decreases you already know. The only difference is that you always work the yarn overs with their associated slipped stitches wherever they appear.

Rust and Shadows Brioche Knit Scarf Tutorial

Need a little help with the pattern? Follow along step by step with this full video tutorial!

Rust and Shadow Scarf

Yarn weight and project level images source: Craft Yarn Council

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Size

9.75 x 66 inches / 24.5 x 165 cm

Gauge

In 2-Color Pattern: 11.5 sts x 13 rows = 4″ / 10 cm after blocking

Note: In 2-color pattern, part a and b together count as 1 row. This pattern grows significantly when blocked. Block swatch before measuring gauge. Exact gauge is not critical but will affect yardage needed.

Abbreviations used

• BO = bind off / bind-off
• br4st inc = brioche 4 stitch increase
• brk = brioche knit
• brkyobrk = brioche knit, yarn over, brioche knit
• brLsl dec = brioche left slanting decrease
• brp = brioche purl
• brRsl dec = brioche right slanting decrease
• CO = cast on / cast-on
• k = knit
• p = purl
• rep = repeat
• RS = right side
• sl = slip purlwise
• sl1yo = slip 1 with yarn over
• st(s) = stitch(es)
• WS = wrong side
• yo = yarn over

Recommended Resources

• Rust and Shadows Scarf Tutorial
• Long Tail Cast On – Lunchtime Live Ep61

Pattern Notes

Working needle is right-hand needle if knitting right-handed, and left-hand needle if knitting left-handed. Non-working needle is other needle.

This brioche knit scarf is worked continuously from one end to the other, with the 2 ends being different. If you would prefer the 2 ends to be the same (mirrored across center back), see Mirrored Pattern Option below for adjustments before beginning.

Special Stitches

Brioche knit (brk): K next st together with its associated yo.

Brioche purl (brp): P next st together with its associated yo.

Brioche knit 2 stitch increase (brkyobrk): Brk in next st without removing it from non-working needle, yo, brk again in same st, remove st from non-working needle. 2 sts inc.

Brioche knit 4 stitch increase (br4st inc): Brk in next st without removing it from non-working needle, [yo, brk again in same st] twice, remove st from non-working needle. 2 sts inc.

Brioche right slanting decrease (brRsl dec): Sl next st together with its associated yo knitwise, k next st (center st), pass slipped st and yo over center st, sl center st back to non-working needle, pass next st together with its associated yo over center st, slip center st back to working needle. (2 sts dec)

Brioche left slanting decrease (brLsl dec): Sl next st together with its associated yo knitwise, k next 2 sts and associated yo together, pass slipped st and yo over st just k. (2 sts dec)

Slide work: Slide all sts to opposite end of needle to work another row in same direction with other yarn color.

Slip 1 with yarn over (sl1yo): Bring yarn to front of work if not already there. Sl1, bring yarn to back of work over needle, creating a yo. This yo is not a separate st and is not counted separate in st counts (no sts are increased). The yo will be worked together with the slipped st on the next row.

After completing sl1yo, if next st is a k, leave working yarn at back, ready to k. If next st is a p, bring yarn to front again between needles, ready to p.

Instructions

Scroll down for Chart and Mirrored Pattern Option.

Starting Single Color Hem

With A, CO 29 sts with long tail cast-on or preferred cast-on method.

Row 1 (RS): K1, [sl1yo, k1] across.

Row 2 (WS): K1, brk, [sl1yo, brk] to last st, k1.

2-Color Pattern

In 2-color brioche, each row has 2 parts: Part a is worked with A, and part b is worked in the same direction with B.

Row 3a (RS): With A, k1, sl1yo, [brk, sl1yo] to last st, k1, slide work.

Row 3b (RS): Sl1, with B, brp, [sl1yo, brp] to last st, drop B at RS of work, sl1.

Row 4a (WS): With A, k1, sl1yo, [brp, sl1yo] to last st, k1, slide work.

Row 4b (WS): Sl1, with B, brk, [sl1yo, brk] to last st, drop B at RS of work, sl1.

Row 5a: With A, k1, sl1yo, [brRsl dec, sl1yo, brkyobrk, sl1yo] twice, brk, sl1yo, [brkyobrk, sl1yo, brLsl dec, sl1yo] twice, k1, slide work.

Row 5b: Sl1, with B, *[brp, sl1yo] twice, p1, sl1yo; rep from * 3 times more, brp, sl1yo, brp, drop B at RS of work, sl1.

Rows 6a-6b: Repeat Rows 4a-4b.

Rows 7a-14b: [Repeat Rows 3a-6b] twice.

Rows 15a-16b: Repeat Rows 3a-4b.

Row 17a (RS): With A, k1, sl1yo, brk, sl1yo, brRsl dec, sl1yo, brkyobrk, sl1yo, brRsl dec, sl1yo, br4st inc, sl1yo, brLsl dec, sl1yo, brkyobrk, sl1yo, brLsl dec, sl1yo, brk, sl1yo, k1, slide work.

Row 17b (RS): Sl1, with B, [brp, sl1yo] 3 times, p1, sl1yo, [brp, sl1yo] twice, [p1, sl1yo] twice, [brp, sl1yo] twice, p1, [sl1yo, brp] 3 times, drop B at RS of work, sl1.

Rows 18a-18b: Rep Rows 4a-4b.

Rows 19a-210b: [Repeat Rows 3a-18b] 12 times.

To adjust length, work more or fewer repeats, ending after a WS row. Adjusting length will affect yardage needed.

Cut B, leaving a tail to weave in later.

Ending Single Color Hem

Row 211 (RS): With A, k1, sl1yo, [brk, sl1yo] to last st, k1.

Row 212 (WS): K1, brk, [sl1yo, brk] to last st, k1.

Rows 213-214: Rep Rows 211-212.

Bind-Off (RS): K1, *k1, pass 2nd st on working needle over first st, brk, pass 2nd st on working needle over first st; rep from * until all sts are bound off and 1 st remains on working needle. Cut working yarn, pull up on final st (making it bigger) until tail comes all the way out.

Finishing

Weave in ends. Wash and block gently if desired.

Chart

Mirrored Pattern Option

To make the pattern mirrored across the center back so that both ends of the scarf match, make the following adjustments:

With waste yarn, CO 29 sts using preferred provisional cast-on method.

First Half of Scarf

Row 1a (RS): With A, work Row 1 of Starting Single Color Hem.

Row 1b (RS): Work Row 3b of 2-Color Pattern.

Rows 2a-16b: Work Rows 4a-18b of 2-Color Pattern.

Rows 17a-104b: [Work Rows 3a-18b of 2-Color Pattern] 5 times, then work Rows 3a-10b once more.

To adjust length, work more or fewer repeats, ending after a WS row. Adjusting length will affect yardage needed.

Rows 105-106 & Bind-Off: Work Rows 211-212 and Bind-Off of Ending Single Color Hem.

2nd Half of Scarf

Remove waste yarn from CO edge and place live stitches on needles. Since you are picking up between stitches of first row, you will have only 28 sts. Pick up one extra st from either end of CO edge to make 29.

Beginning with a RS row, repeat First Half of Scarf.

Finishing

Weave in ends. Wash and block gently.

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