How to knit the half Fisherman’s rib

Fisherman’s rib is currently very hip. While the trend is focussed on the fisherman’s rib, there are other variants of the knitting pattern. I’ll show you how you can knit a nice pattern with half the effort for a true fisherman’s rib. I look closely to the half fisherman’s rib, show you tips and tricks and how to knit increases and decreases in the pattern.

Tutorial donnarossa half fishermans rib

Fisherman’s rib – or brioche – is one of the most popular stitch patterns at the moment. But most people only know the full fisherman’s rib. There are four main types of patent patents: true fisherman’s rib, half fisherman’s rib, mock fisherman’s rib and Netzpatent.

The true and half fisherman’s rib have the distinctive, thick ribs in common. Both are voluminous and warm. You have to knit two rows until you can see a row. As a result, much more yarn is consumed than, for example, in the case of stockinette stitch. The additional yarn creates a zigzag in the depth, which can be seen on both sides.

The pattern is not firm – which isn’t necessarily a disadvantage. It can easily spread in the width and the increased weight can also change the length.

What you’ll learn

Comparison true and half fisherman’s rib

Stitch pattern of half fisherman’s rib

Decreases in half fisherman’s rib

Increases in half fisherman’s rib

Common abbreviations in Brioche and half fisherman’s rib knitting

brk brioche knit: knit the stitch together with its yarn over

k1b knit one st in the row below

sl1yo with yarn in front, slip the next stitch purlwise and yarn over

Comparison true and half fisherman’s rib

I take a closer look at the true and half fisherman’s rib. Both stitch patterns look the same at first sight. But if you look more closely, the differences are recognizable.

Patent Vergleich tutorial brioche comparison fisherman rib donnarossa

True fisherman’s rib – or brioche

The true fisherman’s rib (1 + 2) looks the same on both sides. It is knitted as follows:

Set-up row (WS): (K1, sl1yo) to last stitch, k1.

Row 1 (RS): P1, brk, (sl1yo, brk) to last stitch, p1.
Row 2 (WS): (K1, sl1yo) to last stitch, k1.

Half fisherman’s rib – or half brioche

The name half fisherman’s rib (3 + 4) expresses exactly what you do: half of the true fisherman’s rib. You knit alternately a row of true fisherman’s rib and a row or round (k1, p1) **.

In contrast to the true fisherman’s rib, the half fisherman’s rib doesn’t look the same on both sides. The “restless” side (4) is the wrong side. The front of the half fisherman’s rib (3) looks similar to the true fisherman’s rib. On the basis of the stitches between the “V” s and the wrong side, however, you can see whether it is a true or half fisherman’s rib.

Stitch pattern

Cast-on

In the case of fisherman’s rib, I recommend the use of a stretchy cast-on such as, for example, the provisional tubular cast-on.

If you knit in rows, cast on an odd stitch number. When you knit in rounds, cast on an even stitch number.

Selvedge stitches

For a simple selvedge stitch, I recommend knitting the selvedge stitches as follows:

Row 1 (RS): P1, […], p1.

Row 2 (WS): K1, […], k1.

If you want a nice edging, like for a scarf or a shawl in a fisherman’s rib, I recommend knitting the following selvedge – like an I-cord edge: don’t knit the first and last 3 stitches in the fisherman’s rib stitch pattern. Knit the knit stitches and slip the purl stitches purlwise with the yarn in front of the work like follows:

Row 1 (RS): Sl1 wyif, k1, sl1 wyif, […], sl1 wyif, k1, sl1 wyif.

Row 2 (WS): K1, sl1 wyif, k1, […], k1, sl1 wyif, k1.

If you’re knitting cardigans or sweaters in a fisherman’s rib, you will need a firm edge to sew the pieces together later. I recommend in this case the first and last stitch to purl. This gives a firm nodal margin. An odd number of stitches is applied to the individual parts. The stitches next to the edge stitches should be purl stitches on the front. With the mattress stitch, you insert the needle in the middle of the purl stitches of the two parts. After sewing, the seam is hardly recognizable as it’s recessed in the knitting fabric.

Two different ways how to knit true / half fisherman’s rib

As with the true fisherman’s rib, the stitch pattern can also be knitted in two different ways: stitched in the row below – also known as the French brioche – or with yarn overs and slipped stitches.

For the stitched in the row below stitches, you drop a stitch. Keep in mind that this causes difficulties with certain effect yarns because the stitch doesn’t drop.

HINT
When the stitches are slipped – no matter if in the row below or paired with the yarn over, the stitches appear only in every second row as V. If, for example, you have to count the rows for a gauge, count the Vs and double the number. This results in the number of rows or rounds you knitted.

Half fisherman’s rib in rows

To knit the half fisherman’s rib in rows, you cast on an odd number of stitches.

Set-up row (WS): K1, (p1, k1) to end.**

Halbpatent tiefer gestochen donnarossa tutorial how to fisherman rib knit below

Row 1 (RS): P1, (k1b, p1) to end.

Row 2 (WS): K1, (p1, k1) to end.

Repeat rows 1-2.

Set-up row (WS): K1, (sl1yo, k1) to end.

Halbpatent Patent linke Masche abheben mit Umschlag slip purl stitch yarn over tutorial donnarossa

Row 1 (RS): P1, (brk, p1) to end.

Row 2 (WS): K1, (sl1yo, k1) to end.

Repeat rows 1-2.

Halbpatent Patent rechte Masche mit Umschlag knit yarn over tutorial donnarossa

Half fisherman’s rib in rounds

To knit the half fisherman’s rib in rounds, you cast on an even number of stitches.

Round 1: (k1, p1) to the end.**

Round 2: (k1b, p1) to the end.

Repeat these two rounds.

HINT
If you work the half fisherman’s rib in rounds with stitches stitched in the row below, you can sometimes forget in which round you are. In this case, look at the knit stitches more closely.

Halbpatent prüfen in welcher Runde how to tutorial donnarossa half fisherman rib

If there are two threads around the knit stitch from the round below, then you should knit the next stitches and you’re in round 1: (k1, p1).

Set-up round: (sl1yo, p1) to the end.

Round 1: (Brk, p1) to the end.

Round 2: (Sl1yo, p1) to the end.

Repeat rounds 1-2.

**Because in fisherman’s rib with stitches stitched in the row below, in every second row / round is every other stitch dropped, it doesn’t matter how you work the stitch to be dropped.

Halbpatent zwei verschiedene tiefer gestochen tutorial halbpatent donnarossa

Knitted in rows, this looks as follows: You knit the WS row (k1, p1) or knit all stitches.

Knitted in rounds, this looks as follows: In round 1 you knit either (k1, p1) or purl all stitches.

Decreases in half fisherman’s rib

The half fisherman’s rib (as well as the true fisherman’s rib) is composed of two stitches. To keep the stitch pattern, 2 stitches are decreased simultaneously. The decreases are always worked over k1, p1, k1 stitches on the right side. The last knitted stitch is a purl stitch.

 

left leaning decreases

Halbpatent links gerichtete Abnahme tiefer gestochen Schritt 1 tutorial how to donnarossa fisherman rib decrease left

Step 1: Insert the right needle in the row / round below as if to knit and slip it from the left needle.

Halbpatent links gerichtete Abnahme tiefer gestochen Schritt 2 left decrease fisherman rib how to tutorial donnarossa

Step 2: Knit the next two stitches on the left needle together.

Halbpatent links gerichtete Abnahme tiefer gestochen Schritt 3 left decrease tutorial how to fisherman rib donnarossa

Step 3: Slip the second and thrid stitches on the right needle over the first stitch.

Halbpatent links gerichtete Abnahme tiefer gestochen fisherman rib left decrease how to tutorial donnarossa

Halbpatent links gerichtete Abnahme mit Umschlag Schritt 1 fisherman rib decrease left yarn over tutorial

Step 1:  Slip the knit stitch with its yarn over knitwise.

Step 2: Knit the next two stitches (the knit stitch with its yarn over and the purl stitch) together.

Step 3: Slip the knit stitch and its yarn over over the first stitch.

right leaning decreases

Halbpatent rechts gerichtete Abnahme tiefer gestochen Schritt 1 fisherman rib right decrease tutorial how to donnarossa

Step 1: Insert the right needle in the third stitch, one row below…

Halbpatent rechts gerichtete Abnahme tiefer gestochen Schritt 2 fisherman rib right decrease tutorial how to donnarossa

Step 2: … and knit the three stitches on the left needle together.

Halbpatent rechts gerichtete Abnahme tiefer gestochen

Halbpatent rechts gerichtete Abnahme mit Umschlag how to tutorial donnarossa decrease right fisherman rib

Insert the right needle into the third stitch (with its yarn over) and knit the three stitches together.

Halbpatent rechts gerichtete Abnahme mit Umschlag fertig

 

Increases in half fisherman’s rib

As with the decreases, two stitches are increased at the same time to maintain the stitch pattern. However, compared to the decreases, the increases don’t lean in one specific direction.

Halbpatent Zunahme tiefer gestochen Schritt 1 donnarossa tutorial how to fisherman rib

Step 1: Insert the right needle in the stitch below.

Halbpatent Zunahme tiefer gestochen Schritt 2 donnarossa tutorial how to fisherman rib

Step 2: Knit one stitch – but don’t drop the stitch from the left needle.

 Halbpatent Zunahme tiefer gestochen Schritt 3 donnarossa tutorial how to fisherman rib

Step 3: Make a yarn over.

Halbpatent Zunahme tiefer gestochen Schritt 4 donnarossa tutorial how to fisherman rib

Step 4: Repeat step 2 once again through the same stitch. After the third stitch has been worked, drop the stitch on the left needle.

Halbpatent Zunahme mit Umschlag Schritt 1

Step 1: Insert the right needle in the knit stitch with its yarn over.

Halbpatent Zunahme mit Umschlag Schritt 2

Step 2: Knit one stitch – but don’t drop the stitch from the left needle.

Halbpatent Zunahme mit Umschlag Schritt 3

Step 3: Make a yarn over.

Halbpatent Zunahme mit Umschlag Schritt 4

Step 4: Repeat step 2 once again through the same stitch. After the third stitch has been worked, drop the stitch on the left needle.

half fisherman rib tutorial donnarossa how to increases decreases

Pattern ideas to try your new skills

26 Responses

  1. Tone
    | Reply

    This page is a great help. Thanks!!

    • donnarossa
      | Reply

      Great,that you like it!

      • Deepi
        | Reply

        Thank you, this is such a helpful post!

        • donnarossa
          | Reply

          I really appreciate your feedback. Thank you :-)

  2. Ranjitha
    | Reply

    I don’t see instructions for right leaning decreases. Only left leaning decrease is visiting when I click on the plus sign.

    • donnarossa
      | Reply

      Hi Ranjitha,

      the half fisherman rib can be knitted in two ways (in the stitch below or with the yarn over). I listed both ways how to do increases and decreases. When I click the + sign, it will show the matching pictures and description.

      The right-leaning decrease is very similar to knit 3 together – tough with either in the stitch below or the yarn overs.

  3. Ulrikka
    | Reply

    Hi Donnarosa,

    Thank you so much for your information on half fisherman’s rib. I find it difficult to find information about that in general. I want to do a raglan increases in half fisherman’s rib, so I was wondering if I can do increases in the purl stitch on every second row (on the right of the work). I hope you understand my question. I’m not quite sure how to phrase it. It is to het the raglan even.

    Sincerely,
    Ulrikka

    • donnarossa
      | Reply

      Dear Ulrikka,

      I hear you about the information for half fisherman’s rib. I faced the same issue :-)
      When it comes to increases, I would always do them in the “knit” stitch as you will increase two stitches. With this type of increase, the “knit” column is highlighted.
      If you want to increase in purl stitches (in a purl column), then I would work a “pyop” in the same stitch: purl, leave the stitch on the left needle, yarn over, purl in the same stitch. I’ve never done that before in a half fisherman’s rib though. Maybe you should swatch it and check, if you like it.
      For raglan increases in brioche (or half fisherman’s rib), I would set 3 stitches for the raglan (1 purl, 1 knit and 1 purl column). Before and after these 3 stitches I would work the increases. (You could also do just one purl stitch for the raglan line, but in my experience this produces a harder raglan line then my previous suggestion.)

      Let me know if that answers your question or if you need further assistance :-)

      Sabrina

  4. Ulrikka Rueskov Honoré
    | Reply

    Thank you so much for your answer. So you would do the increases on both sides of the raglan? So that you increase with 4 stitches around each raglan line instead of the two that are more normal? I can see that that would solve the problem of an uneven raglan line, I just thought that perhaps it would be too many increases

    • donnarossa
      | Reply

      I wouldn’t work the increases every other round if I would increase on both sides of the raglan line. Instead, I would work the increases at least in every 4th (or more) round. It depends on how many stitches you want to increase.

      And yes, the increases can be done not equally (on body and sleeve stitches). It really depends on your calculations and measurements. And your preferences of the shape of the raglan line.

  5. Dorien
    | Reply

    Hi, thank you for this very clear guidelines!!

    I have one question before I get started on knitting a hat: when casting on with the tubular cast on, the stitches are already defined as knits or purls. You recommend to knit a selvedge stitch and then start with k1, p1 for the first row. If I knit the first stitch, the second stitch is supposed to be a purl stitch according to the stitches that were cast on. Can I just ignore that and follow your instructions for the first row, or do I have to switch all knit & purl stitches starting from the second stitch?

    Thanks!
    Dorien

    • donnarossa
      | Reply

      Hi Dorien,

      when knitting half fisherman’s rib in rounds, you don’t have a selvedge stitch. So you start straight with the k1, p1.

      BUT, when you start with the tubular cast-on (I wrote a tutorial to this technique https://donnarossa.ch/how-to-knit-the-provisional-tubular-cast-on/), I would recommend knitting first the 4 (or at least 2) foundation rows. Because this cast-on can get really fiddly in the first round. There you start with a purl stitch as the first stitch. When joining into the round, just move the beginning of the round one stitch ahead. Nobody will notice.

      Hope that helps and makes sense :-)
      Have a great day

  6. Kate
    | Reply

    Any thoughts on two color half brioche in the round? Trying to figure it out as I’ve seen it done and it’s just not clicking for me. Thanks!

    • donnarossa
      | Reply

      Hi Kate,

      for working two-coloured half brioche in the round, you use the same instructions as for knitting half brioche (one-coloured) and switch colours every round as follows:

      Set-up round: With light/foreground colour, (sl1yo, p1) to the end.
      Round 1: With dark/background colour, (brk, p1) to the end.
      Round 2: With light/foreground colour, (sl1yo, p1) to the end.

      Repeat rounds 1-2.

      Let me know, if that answers your question :-)

  7. Jan
    | Reply

    Hi
    When I have done fisherman’s rib, it is very difficult/ impossible to unpick because of the complexity of the stitch, so I have run a spare piece of wool through the stitches every so often.

    Is this the same with the half Fisherman’s rib?

    • donnarossa
      | Reply

      It’s never wrong to use lifelines. The stitch is very similar to fisherman’s rib, but as the title says, only half as difficult.

  8. ngaire
    | Reply

    Hello, I’m using a pattern which was written for Half fisherman’s rib, but I am kitting it in Full fisherman’s rib. If the pattern says knit 20 rows Half fisherman’s rib, would I knit 20 rows of Full fisherman’s rib?
    Many thanks!

    • donnarossa
      | Reply

      Depends on your gauge. But very likely, I would knit also 20 rows in full fisherman’s rib. Maybe there’s a schematic which tells you in cm or inches, how long that section should be?

  9. Claire
    | Reply

    The instructions for increases isn’t displaying for me. Is any one else having this problem?

    • donnarossa
      | Reply

      Hi Claire,
      try clicking on the “+” next to the increases and the instructions will fold up.

  10. Melanie Gillette
    | Reply

    Just found this and thank you for all this information so clearly presented. I’m looking to convert an in the round design to be knitted flat to provide more structure. What type of selvage stitches should I use to accommodate seaming?

    • donnarossa
      | Reply

      Hi Melanie,

      thank you. Glad it’s helpful.
      For the selvedge stitch, I would use a “normal” selvedge stitch. I would knit/purl that stitch in every row. I don’t like slipped stitch edges for seaming.
      When sewing together, you use the mattress stitch. Usually you stitch between the selvedge stitch and the next stitch. So the seam lies 1 st from the edge. However, remember to stitch 1.5 sts instead of 1 st when doing the mattress stitch in a brioche stitch pattern. This will make the seam practically invisible.

  11. Angela
    | Reply

    Hi! I found this page to be incredibly helpful for learning half fisherman rib. I had a quick question about what yarn you used for the examples? I love the texture that it creates. Thank you!

    • donnarossa
      | Reply

      Hi Angela,

      I’m happy to help.
      I posted this tutorial quite some time ago. Honestly, I don’t have the yarn or the label anymore. So far I remember, it was from Schachenmayr.

      Have a great day!
      Sabrina

  12. Charlotte
    | Reply

    Thank you for the extensive explanation. I have one question, as I am a fairly new knitter.. With half fisherman’s rib in rows you said:
    Row 1 (RS): P1, (k1b, p1) to end.
    Row 2 (WS): K1, (p1, k1) to end.

    But my pattern and a lot of different YouTube videos say all knitting (K1) for row 2 instead of k1,p1,k1, etc.

    Can you explain to me why you choose this?

    • donnarossa
      | Reply

      Hi Charlotte,

      You can knit in both ways the WS row. Either options are fine. I prefer k1, p1 because in the RS rows I can read better the stitches where I have to knit 1 stitch below.
      So my advice: do whatever works better for you.

      Have a great day
      Sabrina

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