Light and fluffy pâte à choux pastry is a staple of French bakeries: the basis for cream puffs, eclairs, and many other delightful treats.

The brioche stitch that is the basis for the Pâte à Choux shoulder cozy is likewise a rich, fluffy, and delightful thing from which many other delightful things are created. It’s worked here in two colors that swap out — or syncopate— to create an intriguing pattern and a versatile layering piece that can be styled in a variety of ways.

Pâte à Choux is the perfect pattern for learning or practicing brioche syncopation. The pattern includes instructions for working the technique, and you’ll practice doing it enough times to be really comfortable with the technique.

Difficulty Level: Intermediate

Skills/Techniques: knitting in the round, I-cord cast on (video tutorial), I-cord bind off (video tutorial), brioche knitting (written instructions included), syncopated brioche (written instructions included)

Yarn: Morehouse Farm 3-Strand Worsted 100% Merino, 140 yards/ 128 m per 2 oz skein, or another soft, worsted or light Aran weight yarn, in two contrasting colors.
MC: Periwinkle, 2 (2, 2, 3, 3) skeins / 280 (280, 280, 320, 320) yds/ 256 (256, 256, 293, 293) m
CC: Wisteria 2 (2, 2, 3, 3) skeins / 280 (280, 280, 320, 320) yds/256 (256, 256, 293, 293) m

Needles: #8 US (5 mm) circular needles at least 32” (80 cm) in length, or size to obtain gauge
#10 US (6 mm) circular needles at least 32” (80 cm) in length, or two sizes larger than needles used to obtain gauge

Notions: tapestry needle, stitch marker, scissors

Gauge: 11 stitches and 17 rounds (34 passes) per 4”/10 cm in two-color brioche stitch

Five Sizes:
12” high
34 (43, 52, 61, 70)” 86.5 (109, 132, 155, 179) cm around top edge
36 (45, 54, 63, 72)” 92 (114.5, 137cs1 , 160, 183) cm around bottom edge
Choose a size whose bottom edge is large enough to fit around your shoulders.