When Joelle challenged me to bring patchwork sensibilities to knitting, I immediately thought, Flying Geese. This traditional pattern of stacked triangles seemed to me ripe for engineering a patchwork “quilt” with yarn.

Flying Geese Knit Baby Blanket | Purl Soho

Rather than sewing each section together as I would with fabric and thread, I took a page from knitting’s book and worked a large-scale entrelac pattern. Picking up stitches for each new triangle eliminates tedious and messy seaming, while an Attached I-cord “binding” mimics a true patchwork quilt.

Flying Geese Knit Baby Blanket | Purl Soho

Choose your own combination using Purl Soho’s Worsted Twist and Alpaca Pure. We’ve chosen three beautiful springtime palettes that will inspire you to “quilt” with yarn! –Gina

Designed by Purl Soho designer, Gina Rockenwagner. Click here to see even more of Gina’s designs!

Share your progress and connect with the community by tagging your pics with #PurlSoho, #PurlSohoBusyHands, #PurlSohoFlyingGeeseKnitBabyBlanket, and #PurlSohoWorstedTwist. We can’t wait to see what you make!

Materials

(Please Note: This pattern originally used both Worsted Twist and Alpaca Pure, which are no longer available.

  • 7 skeins of Purl Soho’s Worsted Twist, 100% merino wool. Each skein is 164 yards/ 100 grams. (NOTE: We no longer offer Worsted Twist, but choose from one of our other worsted/aran weight yarns.)
    • Yarn A: 2 skeins; approximately 328 yards required
    • Yarn B: 1 skein; approximately 164 yards required
    • Yarn C: 2 skeins; approximately 224 yards required
    • Yarn D: 2 skeins; approximately 328 yards required
  • US 8 (5 mm), 32-inch circular needles
  • Two US 8 double pointed needles
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Choose from 3 beautiful color combinations…

CHERRY BLOSSOM

  • Yarn A: 3 skeins of Purl Soho’s Alpaca Pure in Pink Grapefruit
  • Yarn B: 1 skein of Purl Soho’s Worsted Twist in Ballet Pink
  • Yarn C: 2 skeins of Purl Soho’s Worsted Twist in Super Pink
  • Yarn D: 2 skeins of Purl Soho’s Worsted Twist in Heirloom White

OVERALLS

  • Yarn A: 2 skeins of Purl Soho’s Worsted Twist in Steel Blue
  • Yarn B: 2 skeins of Purl Soho’s Alpaca Pure in Artemisia
  • Yarn C: 2 skeins of Purl Soho’s Worsted Twist in Faded Blue
  • Yarn D: 2 skeins of Purl Soho’s Worsted Twist in Heirloom White

FINCH

  • Yarn A: 2 skeins of Purl Soho’s Worsted Twist in Yellow Yellow
  • Yarn B: 2 skeins of Purl Soho’s Alpaca Pure in Oyster Gray
  • Yarn C: 2 skeins of Purl Soho’s Worsted Twist in Yellow Zest
  • Yarn D: 2 skeins of Purl Soho’s Worsted Twist in Heirloom White

Gauge

18 stitches and 36 rows (18 ridges) = 4 inches in garter stitch

Size

Finished Dimensions: approximately 24 x 36 inches

Note

This blanket is worked from the bottom up, one triangle at a time. Except for the Attached I-cord border, always use the circular needle.

Pattern

First Big Triangle

With Yarn A, cast on 110 stitches. We used a basic Long Tail Cast On.

Row 1 (wrong side): Slip 1 purlwise with yarn in front (wyif), knit to end of row.

Row 2 (right side): Slip 1 purlwise wyif, k1, ssk, knit to last 4 stitches, k2tog, k2. [2 stitches decreased]

Repeat Rows 1 and 2 until 6 stitches remain, ending with a Row 1. [6 stitches]

Next row (right side): Slip 1 purlwise wyif, ssk, k2tog, k1. [4 stitches]

Final row (wrong side): Ssk, k2tog. [2 stitches]

Turn so the right side is facing you.

Cut Yarn A.

Flying Geese Knit Baby Blanket | Purl Soho

Left Small Triangle

Flying Geese Knit Baby Blanket | Purl Soho

Join Yarn B by wrapping it around the needle and passing the two Yarn A stitches over.

Pick up one stitch from every slipped stitch on the left side of the Big Triangle.

Here’s how…

Flying Geese Knit Baby Blanket | Purl Soho

Dip the needle under the first V-shaped slipped stitch in an away-from you motion, as if you were knitting.

Flying Geese Knit Baby Blanket | Purl Soho

Wrap the yarn around the needle as if to knit.

Pull Yarn B under the slipped stitch to create a new stitch on the needle. You’ve just picked up your first stitch!

Flying Geese Knit Baby Blanket | Purl Soho

Repeat the above steps, picking up a stitch into each slipped stitch along the left hand side of the Big Triangle, ending with 56 total stitches.

Turn the work so the wrong side is facing you.

Increase Row (wrong side): Slip 1 purlwise wyif, *yo, k3, repeat from * to last stitch, yo, k1. [75 stitches]

Row 1 (right side): Slip 1 purlwise wyif, k1, ssk, knit to last 4 stitches, k2tog, k2. NOTE: Knit every yarn over from the previous row through the back loop so it twists and does not form a hole. When the yarn over is part of the k2tog or ssk, then work the yarn over without twisting it. [2 stitches decreased]

Row 2 (wrong side): Slip 1 wyif, knit to end of row.

Repeat Rows 1 and 2 until 7 stitches remain, ending with Row 2.

NOTE: While repeating Rows 1 and 2, you no longer have to knit any stitches through the back loop. Just knit every stitch as you normally would.

Next Row (right side): Slip 1 purlwise wyif, ssk, k1, k2tog, k1. [5 stitches]

Next Row (wrong side): Repeat Row 2.

Next Row: Slip 1 wyif, k3tog, k1. [3 stitches]

Final Row: Slip 1 wyif, k2tog, pass slipped stitch over (psso). [1 stitch]

Cut Yarn B and pass the tail through the last stitch. Pull gently to secure.

Flying Geese Knit Baby Blanket | Purl Soho

Right Small Triangle

With the right side facing you and joining Yarn B to the bottom right hand corner of the Big Triangle, pick up 56 stitches along the right side of the Big Triangle.

Turn the work so the wrong side is facing you.

Repeat the instructions for the Left Small Triangle, from the Increase Row to the end.

You now have three triangles total: one Big Triangle and two Small Triangles.

Second Big Triangle

With the right side facing you, join Yarn C to the top right hand corner of the Right Small Triangle.

Flying Geese Knit Baby Blanket | Purl Soho

Pick up one stitch for every slipped stitch along the top edge. [78 stitches]

Turn the work so the wrong side is facing you.

Increase Row (wrong side): K8, *yo, k2, repeat from * to last 8 stitches, yo, k8. [110 stitches]

Row 1 (right side): Slip 1 purlwise wyif, k1, ssk, knit to last 4 stitches, k2tog, k2. NOTE: Knit every yarn over from the previous row through the back loop unless it is part of the k2tog or ssk. [2 stitches decreased]

Row 2 (wrong side): Slip 1 wyif, knit to end of row.

Repeat Rows 1 and 2 until two stitches remain, ending with Row 2. [2 stitches]

Cut Yarn C. Turn so the right side of the work is facing you.

Second Set of Left and Right Small Triangles

Join Yarn D to the top point of the Second Big Triangle the same way you did after finishing the First Big Triangle.

Using Yarn D, repeat the steps of the Right and Left Small Triangles to make two more Small Triangles on either side of the Second Big Triangle.

Third Big Triangle

With the right side facing you, join Yarn A to the top right hand corner of the Right Small Triangle you just made.

Follow the steps for the Second Big Triangle to make the Third Big Triangle.

Third Set of Left and Right Small Triangles

Join Yarn D to the top point of the Third Big Triangle the same way you did after finishing the First and Second Big Triangles.

Using Yarn D, repeat the steps of the Right and Left Small Triangles to make two more Small Triangles on either side of the Third Big Triangle.

Knit the Border

With Yarn C and the two double pointed needles, work a 4-stitch Attached I-cord around the entire edge of the blanket. With the right side facing you, start at any point of the blanket’s edge and work counter clockwise.

For the long edges, pick up one stitch for every slipped edge stitch.

For the bottom and top edges, pick up 95 stitches. This means for the bottom row you’ll pick up one stitch for each cast-on stitch, skipping 15 evenly spaced stitches; and for the top edge, you’ll pick up one stitch for every slipped stitch, plus about 15 additional stitches, evenly spaced. (To pick up an additional stitch, insert the needle between the stitch you just picked up and the next slipped stitch.)

At each corner, work one row of Attached I-cord, then a row of unattached I-cord, and then another row of Attached I-cord.

When you’ve finished knitting the I-cord, graft or sew its two ends together.

Weave in the ends. Block gently and enjoy your Flying Geese Knit Baby Blanket!

Flying Geese Knit Baby Blanket | Purl Soho