Muhuroosa Blanket
Chances are you’ve never been to Muhu, but if you had visited this bitty Estonian island, you’d have discovered a rich knitting tradition bursting with wild colors. Muhuroosa, aka “Muhu pink,” is the riotous pink that plays center role in Muhu’s palette of fiery colors. And for us, it’s the fun and the inspiration of our Muhuroosa Blanket!
We’ve pared down Estonia’s elaborately patterned mittens, stockings, and socks into a simple blanket with bands of brilliant pinks, intense ruby reds, and campfire oranges. Dark accents are typical of Muhu’s unexpected rhythms.
You knit the Muhuroosa Blanket in seed stitch, holding two strands at once and spending four rows to artfully shift between colors for a washy watercolor effect. This striking but uncomplicated pattern elevates your mood and living space, all while celebrating a wonderful knitting culture whose love of color is absolutely infectious!
We knit our Muhuroosa Blanket in our brand-new Posy and Pocket Posy yarns. An incredibly soft blend of 75% superwash merino, 15% cashmere, and 10% nylon, Posy is the 100-gram version of 25-gram Pocket Posy. Both are lovingly hand dyed, adding depth and spontaneity to this color story. Get all the yarn you need to cast on with our Muhuroosa Blanket Bundle… Then, step aside neutrals, it’s muhuroosa time!
Designed by Purl Soho founder and co-owner, Joelle Hoverson.
Share your progress and connect with the community by tagging your pics with #PurlSoho, #PurlSohoBusyHands, #PurlSohoMuhuroosaBlanket, and #PurlSohoPosy. We can’t wait to see what you make!
Materials
Our Muhuroosa Blanket Bundle includes…
- 24 skeins of Purl Soho’s Posy, 75% superwash merino, 15% cashmere, and 10% nylon. Each skein is 159 yards/ 50 grams. Shown above… (NOTE: We no longer offer Posy, but choose from one of our other fingering weight yarns.)
- 14 skeins of Heirloom White; approximately 2226 yards required (top row)
- 4 skeins of Azalea Glow; approximately 636 yards required (second row, left)
- 4 skeins of Pink Papaya; approximately 636 yards required (second row, middle)
- 2 skeins of Chili Pepper; approximately 200 yards required (second row, right)
- 6 skeins of Purl Soho’s Posy. Shown above, bottom row, from left to right…
- 2 skeins of Marigold Orange; approximately 245 yards required
- 1 skein of Pink Nectar; approximately 80 yards required
- 1 skein of Sour Gooseberry; approximately 39 yards required
- 1 skein of Weathervane Gray; approximately 74 yards required
- 1 skein of Black Cherry; approximately 18 yards required
NOTE: We no longer carry Pocket Posy and no longer offer this blanket as a bundle. The materials above have been modified to reflect our new 50-gram skeins of Posy, although some colors may no longer be available. To view the full color offerings of Posy, click here!
You’ll also need…
- US 7 (4.5 mm) 32- or 40-inch circular needles
Gauge
19 stitches and 35 rows = 4 inches in seed stitch, with yarn doubled
Size
Finished Dimensions: Approximately 38 inches wide x 55 inches long
Notes
(These are notes about the pattern, and the pattern itself starts below!)
Hand Dyed Yarn
If you’re using hand dyed yarn, like our Posy and Pocket Posy, you may want to re-fix the dye before you begin in order to prevent the colors from bleeding when you wash the finished piece. For tips on how, visit our Re-Fixing Dye Tutorial.
Color Key
Throughout this pattern you will hold two strands of yarn as you work. The two strands will always be different colors, and we have named each combination Colors A-M. They are…
Color A: Heirloom White + Heirloom White
Color B: Heirloom White + Azalea Glow
Color C: Pink Papaya + Pink Nectar
Color D: Heirloom White + Sour Gooseberry
Color E: Pink Papaya + Chili Pepper
Color F: Weathervane Gray + Black Cherry
Color G: Heirloom White + Chili Pepper
Color H: Pink Papaya + Marigold Orange
Color I: Heirloom White + Weathervane Gray
Color J: Heirloom White + Pink Papaya
Color K: Heirloom White + Marigold Orange
Color L: Heirloom White + Black Cherry
Color M: Pink Papaya + Azalea Glow
Stitch Pattern
Row 1 (right side): K1, *p1, k1, repeat from * to end of row.
Row 2 (wrong side): Slip 1 purlwise with yarn in front (wyif), *p1, k1, repeat from * to last 2 stitches, p1, slip 1 purlwise wyif.
Color Change Rows
The Color Change Rows transition from the Original Color to the New Color over the course of 4 rows, working 2 right-side rows, followed by 2 wrong-side rows. Here’s how to do it…
Set Up: If one of the New Color strands is the same as one of the Original Color strands and you do not have a second ball of that color available, cut Original Color yarns, leaving 10-yard tails. Wind the tails into one small ball and use that ball as the Original Color for the Color Change Rows.
Row 1 (right side): With New Color, k1, *p1, k1, repeat from * to end of row. Slide work (see below).
Row 2 (right side): With Original Color, k2, *p1, k1, repeat from * to last 3 stitches, p1, k2. Turn work (see below).
Row 3: (wrong side): Pick up Original Color from underneath New Color to carry New Color up the side, then slip 1 purlwise wyif, *k1, p1, repeat from * to last 2 stitches, k1, slip 1 purlwise wyif. Slide work.
Row 4: (wrong side): With New Color, slip 1 purlwise wyif, *p1, k1, repeat from * to last 2 stitches, p1, slip 1 purlwise wyif.
Cut Original Color.
Turn + Slide
When you work the Color Change Rows, you either “slide” or “turn” the work at the end of each row.
“Turn work” means to do what you would normally do when knitting rows with circular needles: Transfer the needle from your left hand into your right hand and the needle from your right hand into your left, flipping the work around so the opposite side is facing you.
“Slide work” means to keep the same side of the work facing you and to push all the stitches to the right end of the circular needles. Without turning the work, start the new row as you normally would.
You will know that you’re doing this right if the yarn you need to complete the next row is right there waiting for you!
Pattern
With Color A (see Notes), cast on 181 stitches. We used a basic Long Tail Cast On.
Work in Stitch Pattern (see Notes) until piece measures 8 inches from cast-on edge, ending with Row 2.
Work Color Change Rows 1-4 (see Notes), adding in Color B.
With Color B, work in Stitch Pattern for 3 inches, ending with Row 2.
Work Color Change Rows 1-4, adding in Color C.
With Color C, work in Stitch Pattern for 2 inches, ending with Row 2.
Work Color Change Rows 1-4, adding in Color D.
With Color D, work in Stitch Pattern for 2 rows, ending with Row 2.
Work Color Change Rows 1-4, adding in Color E.
With Color E, work in Stitch Pattern for 3 inches, ending with Row 2.
Work Color Change Rows 1-4, adding in Color B.
With Color B, work in Stitch Pattern for 1 1/2 inches, ending with Row 2.
Work Color Change Rows 1-4, adding in Color F.
Work Color Change Rows 1-4, adding in Color G.
With Color G, work in Stitch Pattern for 2 inches, ending with Row 2.
Work Color Change Rows 1-4, adding in Color H.
With Color H, work in Stitch Pattern for 1 1/2 inches, ending with Row 2.
Work Color Change Rows 1-4, adding in Color B.
With Color B, work in Stitch Pattern for 3 1/2 inches, ending with Row 2.
Work Color Change Rows 1-4, adding in Color H.
With Color H, work in Stitch Pattern for 1 inch, ending with Row 2.
Work Color Change Rows 1-4, adding in Color I.
With Color I, work in Stitch Pattern for 1 inch, ending with Row 2.
Work Color Change Rows 1-4, adding in Color J.
With Color J, work in Stitch Pattern for 3 inches, ending with Row 2.
Work Color Change Rows 1-4, adding in Color K.
With Color K, work in Stitch Pattern for 3/4 of an inch, ending with Row 2.
Work Color Change Rows 1-4, adding in Color E.
Work Color Change Rows 1-4, adding in Color D.
Work Color Change Rows 1-4, adding in Color H.
With Color H work in Stitch Pattern for 1 1/2 inches, ending with Row 2.
Work Color Change Rows 1-4, adding in Color B.
With Color B, work in Stitch Pattern for 2 3/4 inches, ending with Row 2.
Work Color Change Rows 1-4, adding in Color L. Do not cut Color B.
Work Color Change Rows 1-4, using Color L as the Original Color and Color B as the New Color.
With Color B, work in Stitch Pattern for 1 inch, ending with Row 2.
Work Color Change Rows 1-4, adding in Color M.
With Color M, work in Stitch Pattern for 3 inches, ending with Row 2.
Work Color Change Rows 1-4, adding in Color J.
Work Color Change Rows 1-4, adding in Color A.
With Color A, work in Stitch Pattern for 8 inches, ending with Row 2.
Bind off in stitch pattern.
Weave in all ends and block!
Hi. I made this blanket for my niece. And she loves it! Question is whether she should hand wash or use the washing machine for the blanket. Same question about drying it. Thanks!
Hi Mary,
Thanks for reaching out! I am so glad to hear that your niece love this blanket! I have knit this for myself and it is one of my favorite blankets of all time! Our Posy is a superwash yarn so we recommend machine washing cold and tumble dry low.
All the best,
Gianna
Hi! I so much want to knit this blanket but I’m not an native English speaking knitter ans so I’m not quite sure of what you mean by “holding two strands together and shifting between colors”. I’ve always knitted more out of intuition than out of a pattern so I’m familiar with knitting but not with instructions! I was wondering if I could watch a video or call you on a zoom to ask for initial guidance. I’m sure it’s an easy technique, I’d just have to watch it being done! Would that be possible? I’ll wait for your answer before ordering the kit…
Hi Nydia,
Thanks for reaching out! When we say “holding two strands together and shifting between colors” we mean that you will be working holding 2 strands of yarn together and knitting with them as one and then changing colors as you go while still working 2 strands at the same time! We can certainly schedule a Zoom call with you, please email our team at customerservice@purlsoho.com and they can schedule you from there!
All the best,
Gianna
Hi Gianna, one question: is the Muhuroosa blanket bundle back in stock?
Hi Nydia,
Thanks for reaching out! We no longer carry all the Pocket Posy colors needed for this blanket and no longer offer it as bundle. We’re also currently in the process of transitioning our full size Posy and Pocket Posy skeins into 50g skeins this year. We’re hoping to launch this new size around mid-spring but in the meantime we’re having a clearance sale for any remaining colors. If it’s not on the website at this time, I’m afraid we’re out of it until then.
Warmly,
Gianna
Hi Gianna, me again!, asking if the yarn for this blanket is available again.
Hi Nydia,
Nice to hear from you again! We re-released Posy! However, we no longer carry Pocket Posy and no longer offer this blanket as a bundle, the materials above have been modified to reflect our new 50-gram skeins of Posy, although some colors are no longer be available. To view the full-color offerings of Posy, click here!
Warmly,
Gianna
Dejar Gianna, thank you for being so patient with me on this blanket! I have decides that I will make it using linen quill, instead of Posy, WebKit in fact I would only need to get the black cherry in Posy. But I need to ask for your help on deciding hoy much yarn to buy in each color, I don’t know in these two yarns are similar in thickness and length. But you do know them both!, so I was wondering if you would be so kind as to help me figure out how many skeins of heirloom white, pink pop, bright flamingo, red poppy, super orange (this one I wish I had something better to approximate the marigold orange with:(, any better suggestion?), peachy pink, dandelion yellow, and kettle black.
I will be eagerly waiting for your answer to place my order! Thank you!
Hi Nydia,
I am so glad I could be of assistance! Linen Quill will be a really great option for this blanket! Each skein of Linen Quill has quite a large amount of yardage per skein (439 yards per 100g skein) so you wont need quite as much as you would with Posy. Here is a little breakdown of what you will need:
6 skeins of Heirloom White
2 skeins of Pink Pop
2 skeins of Bright Flamingo
1 skein of Red Poppy
1 skein of Super Orange (Turmeric Yellow would also work well!)
1 skein of Peachy Pink
1 skein of Dandelion Yellow
1 skein Kettle Black
1 skein of Dark Iris (in place of Black Cherry if you want to keep the blanket 100% Linen Quill, which I believe will be a better overall result!)
Even though the two should knit up very similarly, especially since you hold the yarn doubled, I would still recommend working a gauge swatch prior to beginning to ensure you are consistent with the pattern!
I hope this helps and please let me know if you have any more questions!
Gianna
This is wonderful!, thank you sooo much, Gianna.
Hi – wanting to do this project in linen quill as well. Did anyone give this a try with the amounts given?
Any Ideas if yarn I would use to knit this blanket?
Hi Ellie,
Thanks for reaching out! We’re currently in the process of transitioning our full size Posy and Pocket Posy skeins into 50g skeins this year. We’re hoping to launch this new size around mid-spring but in the meantime we’re having a clearance sale for any remaining colors. In its place for this blanket you could use Linen Quill, Line Weight or even KOIGU WOOL DESIGNS Koigu KPPPM + KPM!
Warmly,
Gianna
Thanks for the idea! I really enjoy knitting with the Linen Quill and Line weight.
I bought yarn to make your Pocket Full of Posy blanket but could not figure out why I kept messing up only several inches into the pattern. I am going to try this beautiful blanket instead with the same yarn and am wondering if you think it will work out to make the Heirloom White section only 4 inches instead of 8 since the Posy bundle didn’t include the same amount of that color needed for this pattern?
Hi Cara,
Thanks for reaching out! That sounds like a great idea! You will have to experiment with it a little bit since the yarn quantities are different, so I think starting with 4″ of Heirloom White should be a good place to start!
I hope this helps and please let me know if you have any more questions!
Warmly,
Gianna
Hi,
Just to confirm what I read in a previous comment, you will be launching the Posy line again in 50g skeins this spring? I am interested in sewing the Muhuroosa Blanket, and I would like to wait until the Posy line is available again.
Thank you,
Julie
Hi Julie,
Thanks for reaching out! Yes that is correct, mid spring we plan on launching Posy in our new 50g skeins!
Warmly,
Gianna
Is there another yarn you can recommend since the posey is almost gone!
TY
Crysta
Hi Crysta,
Thanks for reaching out! I’d recommend using either our Linen Quill or our Line Weight in place of the Posy! Both are similar gauge and come in lots of great colors to choose from!
Happy Knitting!
Kelsey
I love this blanket and love the softness of Posy. But it has recently started shedding– A LOT. I realize all yarns do this, but this blanket sheds all over clothes and the sofa. Do you have any suggestions on how to minimize the shedding? Thanks in advance.
Hi Karin,
I’m sorry to hear that your blanket is shedding! I’d recommend using a sweater shaver to reduce the amount of shedding. We carry several different options for sweater rakes and combs that you can take a look at here. I have the Gleener Ultimate Fuzz Remover and have found it to be extremely helpful in keeping my knitted pieces from pilling and shedding!
Warmly,
Kelsey
Hello 👋🏼 any update on the availability of posy?
Hi Karyna,
Thanks for writing in! We actually re-released Posy Last month! We no longer carry Pocket Posy and no longer offer this blanket as a bundle, however, the materials above have been modified to reflect our new 50-gram skeins of Posy, although some colors are no longer be available. To view the full color offerings of Posy, click here!
Warmly,
Gianna
I’d like to knit this blanket in a 50 X 72 size. How many stitches would I need to cast on and can I knit it with worsted weight yarn and how much yarn would I need.
Hi Rita,
Thanks for reaching out! If your gauge is consistent with the pattern I suggest casting on 237 stitches for a 50″ width! You can use worsted weight, but I would recommend working a gauge swatch prior to beginning. You will then need approximately 3000 yards to ensure you have enough for 50″ x 72″
I hope this helps, happy knitting!
Gianna
Hi Purl Soho. I would really love to make this blanket (I just finished both the Natures Palette and Big Good Wool blanket). Looks like there is limited colors for Posey and I am eager to try to use Posey. The few colors that aren’t available anymore (Chile pepper and Maigold Orange) seem like integral colors for this color pattern. Any suggestions of what to use that would be almost identical to those two colors? Perhaps a yarn with a similar match? Thank you so much
Mimi
Hi Mimi,
Thanks for reaching out! Yes, unfortunately, those two colors have been discontinued and we don’t have colors yet to take their places in Posy. Although it is a slightly different texture, I would suggest using KOIGU WOOL DESIGNS Koigu KPPPM + KPM in KPM-1240 or KPM-1200 in place of Marigold Orange, and KPM-2220 for Chili Pepper. The Koigu KPM is slightly thinner than Posy is so I would suggest working a gauge swatch prior to beginning!
I hope this helps, happy knitting!
Gianna
Wonderful. Thanks Gianna. I’ll check those yarns out and reach out with anymore questions. Thanksgiving for you all at Purl Soho. Happy holidays.
Mimi
Hi Purl Soho
This may be obvious but I wanted to make sure I’m getting my measurements correct.
After the 4 color change rows (for example, I just finished color change row from Color A to Color B) and I have knitted Color B (pattern says for 3 inches), am I measuring from when I start Color B or from when I started the color change row? I know it’s only those 4 rows but wanted to make sure I know where to start my measurements for the color blocks.
Thank you
Mimi
Hi Mimi,
Thanks so much for reaching out! The 3″ you are knitting in color B doesn’t include the 4 previous rows from the color change, so technically your colorblock will be a little bit longer than 3″.
I hope this helps! Please let us know if you have any questions.
All the best,
Carly
Perfect. Thanks so much Carly.
~ Mimi
hi! I am dying to knit this lovely blanket soon for a baby gift-
And I love the Posy yarn possibilities but now that you only carry the one size of the skeins, it may cost me a small fortune to use all the colors required! Any suggestions ? or any discounts to this yarn about to come up?
Thank you!
Hi Jill,
Thanks for reaching out, and I’m glad to hear that you’re interested in this blanket pattern! The best way to be notified of any sales we’re running is by signing up for our newsletter. That way, you’ll be the first to know!
All the best,
Lili
Very excited to FINALLY be casting on my Muhuroosa Blanket! I’ve collected all the Posy Yarn (some from the 100g skeins) and also did the Re-Fix Dye Tutorial on all the colors. Phew. My question is…if I would like this blanket a little bit wider, up to 4-inches, can you suggest the total cast on stitches? I know I can just add the number of stitches based on gauge but I have not quite gotten 19st = 4″ on a US 7 or US 6 and I don’t want to knit with yarn doubled on a US 5 because I’m afraid the fabric will be too stiff. Any thoughts on this?
Hello!
Thank you for your question. We’re so excited for you to cast on for your blanket, too! If you would like to adjust the width of your blanket, you can refer to your gauge measurement (like you mentioned) to figure out how many stitches per inch you are getting, and then multiply that by your desired width! As this blanket’s gauge is 19 stitches to 4″, you can add 10 stitches on either side for a total cast on number of 201 stitches.
As for your gauge itself, have you blocked your gauge swatches? This might adjust things slightly, so I would recommend taking that step if you haven’t already, to see if it would help!
I hope this is helpful, and we’re here if you have any other questions along the way!
All the best,
Margaret
Thank you so much, Margaret. Maybe my concern (given investment of time and money before even casting on) is actually one of gauge. I know that blankets and shawls are often not gauge-critical but I also don’t want to run out of yarn. I’m getting 16t and 16.5st to 4″ on US 7 and US 6, and ~25 st vertically (gauge is 35!).
Isn’t there a knitting rule-of-thumb that you don’t want to go up or down more than 2-needle sizes to get gauge since it indicates some other problem? If I block these swatches, I imagine they’ll be even fewer st per inch, not more.
I will try US 5 but do you think the gauge swatch was done in stockinette instead of seed stitch? Or something? Not to question PurlSoho of course but I have knit plenty of your amazing project patterns and not run into this before. Thanks for any insight! 🙂
You are very welcome! We know knitting a blanket is a large investment, and we want you to feel confident as you cast on!
There isn’t a rule of thumb for gauge other than adjusting needle size as needed until you reach it! Some knitters go down three needle sizes for a pattern, others are right at gauge, so it all depends on the knitter and their personal tension. Additionally, yardage is dependent on gauge, so as long as you have the correct gauge (with any needle size) you can be confident that the yardage will be approximately the same and you won’t run out of yarn. The gauge swatch for this pattern is meant to be knit in seed stitch with yarn doubled, so I think trying a size US 5 will be your best next step!
Please let us know how it goes, and happy swatching!
All the best,
Margaret
Just wondered if a bundle could be put together with different colors?
Hi Jane,
Thanks so much for your question! I’m afraid we don’t currently offer a bundle for this project as a few of the yarns that are featured in the original pattern are no longer available. We’re always happy to assist with creating a custom palette and bundle that includes all the yarns you would need for this blanket though; if you’re interested in this please feel free to reach out to us at customerservice@purlsoho.com! We’re always happy to help with planning your next project!
All the best,
Cat
Heya, I bought the yarn for this blanket using the Linen substitutions you recommended to another poster.
I am having so much trouble with the edges, and the colour changes, again its the edges. It seems when I try to do the alternate, I don’t end up with the right stitches at the start to continue with row 1 and row 2 consistently. I have done knitting using circular needles before, usually in the round, but I’m getting so tired of undoing and starting once more only to have the same thing happen. Is there an easier way? Or any advice.
Thanks for the help,
Aisling
Hi Aisling,
Thanks for reaching out, although I’m sorry to hear that you’re running into difficulties with this pattern! Would you be able to send us a photo of your work at customerservice@purlsoho.com? It’s tricky for me to envision what’s going on, but a photo would help immensely!
All the best,
Lili