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!

Muhuroosa Blanket | Purl Soho

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.

Muhuroosa Blanket | Purl Soho

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!

Muhuroosa Blanket | Purl Soho

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!

Muhuroosa Blanket | Purl Soho

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

Muhuroosa Blanket | Purl Soho

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…

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!

Muhuroosa Blanket | Purl Soho

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