What a joy it is to discover those moments in knitting when something seemingly intricate turns out to be very easy!

Mosaic Blanket | Purl Soho

Those are the moments that knitting legend Barbara Walker strove to find as she first learned how to knit. Finding color work’s bobbins and multiple strands of yarn cumbersome, she developed a slip-stitch technique she called “Mosaic Knitting,” a clever way to create elaborate, colorful patterns using only basic stitches (knit, slip and occasionally purl). Soon, she was staying up late into the night inventing hundreds of original mosaic motifs, guided solely by her imagination.

Mosaic Blanket | Purl Soho

With a motif from Walker’s Second Treasury of Knitting Patterns, we created our Mosaic Blanket, made in Purl Soho’s incredibly soft Alpaca Pure in vibrant, almost glowing Super Pink, and anchored by the sturdy smoothness of Worsted Twist in creamy Heirloom White.

If you love the yarn used in this project, you’ll love all of our other yarn, too! Explore our 35+ lovingly created yarn collections, in nearly every natural fiber and spectacular color you can imagine… Only available here at Purl Soho’s online yarn shop!

Mosaic Blanket | Purl Soho

As Barbara Walker herself discovered, there is beauty in simplicity… Although you won’t have to tell anyone just how simple this Mosaic Blanket actually is to make! -Kristy

Update: New Color!

May 17, 2017
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Our Mosaic Blanket has become one of our most popular patterns, which may surprise you, given how complicated it looks to make. But the real surprise is that even an advanced beginner can cast on for this knitting adventure! For this version of our Mosaic Blanket we used Worsted Twist in classic Heirloom White and Alpaca Pure in mysterious Trout Brown, an earthy neutral at heart with a shimmer of blue across its surface. For additional images, check out our new post!

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

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

Materials

  • Color A: 4 (6, 7) skeins of Purl Soho’s Worsted Twist, 100% merino wool. Each skein is 164 yards/ 100 grams; approximately 656 (984, 1148) yards required.
  • Color B: 6 (8, 10) skeins of Purl Soho’s Alpaca Pure, 100% super baby alpaca. Each skein is 109 yards/ 100 grams; approximately 654 (872, 1090) yards required.
  • A US 8 (5 mm), 24 or 32-inch circular knitting needles

Shop our wonderful collection of aran + worsted-weight yarn to find a suitable substitute for this project, and remember that it’s always a good idea to check your gauge before you cast on… Our All About Gauge Tutorial shows you how!

Here are four palette ideas, including the one knit up here!

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• Color A: Heirloom White
• Color B: Super Pink

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• Color A: Heirloom White
• Color B: Artemisia

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• Color A: Heirloom White
• Color B: Yellow Zest

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• Color A: Heirloom White
• Color B: Dark Loam

Gauge

19 stitches x 38 rows = 4 inches in Mosaic Stitch, using Colors A and B
15 stitches x 32 rows = 4 inches in garter stitch, using Color A

Sizes

Baby (Crib, Throw)

  • Finished Measurements: Approximately 26 x 35 (33 ½ x 40, 41 x 46 ½) inches

SAMPLE: We knit the Baby size.

Notes

SLIP STITCHES

ON RIGHT SIDE ROWS: Slip stitches with yarn in back.

ON WRONG SIDE ROWS: Slip stitches with yarn in front.

STITCH MULTIPLE

This pattern works over a multiple of 12 stitches + 3. For example, 12 x 4 = 48; 48 + 3 = 51 total cast-on stitches.

MOSAIC KNITTING

To see how easy it is check out this Mosaic Blanket video tutorial, below!

Pattern

With Color A, cast on 123 (159, 195) stitches. We used a basic Long Tail Cast On.

NOTE: To help keep track of the stitch pattern, you may want to place a stitch marker (or piece of scrap yarn) between each 12-stitch repeat on the next row.

Set-Up Row (wrong side): With Color A, knit.

Work Mosaic Pattern either from Written Instructions or Chart, both below.

MOSAIC PATTERN: WRITTEN INSTRUCTIONS

Row 1 (right side): With Color B, k1, *slip 1 (see Notes), k11, repeat from * to last 2 stitches, slip 1, k1.

Row 2 and all following wrong side rows: Knit the same stitches you knit on the previous row, with the same color; and slip all of the same slipped stitches, with the yarn in front (see Notes).

Row 3: With Color A, k4, *[slip 1, k1] 3 times, slip 1, k5, repeat from * to last 11 stitches, [slip 1, k1] 3 times, slip 1, k4.

Row 5: With Color B, k3, *slip 1, k7, slip 1, k3, repeat from * to end of row.

Row 7: With Color A, k2, *slip 1, k3, slip 1, k1, repeat from * to last stitch, k1.

Row 9: With Color B, k5, *slip 1, k3, slip 1, k7, repeat from * to last 10 stitches, slip 1, k3, slip 1, k5.

Row 11: With Color A, k2, *slip 1, k1, slip 1, k5, [slip 1, k1] 2 times, repeat from * to last stitch, k1.

Row 13: With Color B, k7, *slip 1, k11, repeat from * to last 8 stitches, slip 1, k7.

Rows 15 and 16: With Color A, repeat Rows 11 and 12.

Rows 17 and 18: With Color B, repeat Rows 9 and 10.

Rows 19 and 20: With Color A, repeat Rows 7 and 8.

Rows 21 and 22: With Color B, repeat Rows 5 and 6.

Rows 23 and 24: With Color A, repeat Rows 3 and 4.

Repeat Rows 1–24 thirteen (17, 20) more times.

Repeat Rows 1–14 one more time.

Continue to Finishing section, below.

MOSAIC PATTERN: CHART

Instead of following the written text above, you may find it easier to follow this chart instead. A few notes on how to follow mosaic charts …

Starting in the bottom right corner of the Chart below, each horizontal row represents two rows of knitting. Work right-side (odd number) rows from right to left and wrong-side (even number) rows from left to right.

For rows that begin and end with a Color B (gray) square, all Color B stitches are knitted and all Color A stitches are slipped. For rows that begin and end with a Color A (white) square, all Color A stitches are knitted and all Color B stitches are slipped.

Work Rows 1–24 of the Chart 14 (18, 21) times; then, repeat Rows 1–14 one more time.

Mosaic Blanket | Purl Soho

FINISHING

Cut Color B.

Next Row (right side): With Color A, knit 1 row.

Next Row (wrong side): With Color A, bind off all stitches knitwise.

Weave in the ends, gently wet block and enjoy!

Mosaic Blanket | Purl Soho

Looking for more inspiration? Explore all of our free knitting patterns and knitting tutorials, buy one of our many knitting kits and yarn bundles, and shop for beautiful yarn. We have over 35 gorgeous natural fiber yarns in 100’s of magnificent colors, designed to bring integrity, beauty, and joy to your next knitting project and only available at Purl Soho!