All of the pieces fall into place with our Easy Puzzle Blanket. A sleight of handicraft, it’s one bright and simple solution that only appears to have many moving parts.
The construction is a clever variation on our classic Four Points Baby Blanket. We take the same basic process: knit a garter-stitch triangle by decreasing along one edge until you’re down to a point, then pick up stitches for the next triangle… But here, to each triangle, we throw in a few colorful stripes. Easy!
So the only brainteaser this blanket really presents is what colors to choose. With 47 beautiful colors of Linen Quill to choose from, play! Or for a one-stop, six-skein answer, pick up an Easy Puzzle Blanket Bundle, in this Salt Water Taffy combo here, or see below for two more options: pink and plummy Radicchio and ticker tape Parade.
It’s really fun and surprising to watch this beauty unfold. Triangles that are anything but trying, a puzzle that’s anything but puzzling!
Designed for Purl Soho by Jake Canton.
Materials
Our Easy Puzzle Blanket Bundle includes 6 skeins of Purl Soho’s Linen Quill, 50% fine highland wool, 35% alpaca and 15% linen. Each skein is 439 yards.
- Color A: 1 skein, approximately 334 yards required
- Color B: 1 skein, approximately 198 yards required
- Color C: 1 skein, approximately 190 yards required
- Color D: 1 skein, approximately 131 yards required
- Color E: 1 skein, approximately 190 yards required
- Color F: 1 skein, approximately 310 yards required
You will also need…
- US 3, 32-inch circular needles
Choose from three palettes…
Salt Water Taffy
Shown above and the palette we used to knit up our sample…
- Color A: Eggshell Blue
- Color B: Bright Flamingo
- Color C: Oatmeal Gray
- Color D: Pale Oats
- Color E: Super Orange
- Color F: Dandelion Yellow
Parade
- Color A: Green Turquoise
- Color B: Heirloom White
- Color C: Vintage Celadon
- Color D: True Turquoise
- Color E: Red Poppy
- Color F: Cobalt Blue
Radicchio
- Color A: Crocus Bud
- Color B: Dark Iris
- Color C: Pink Pop
- Color D: Chestnut Red
- Color E: Rhubarb Pink
- Color F: Wheat Flour
Gauge
29 stitches and 56 rows = 4 inches in garter stitch
Size
Finished Dimensions: Approximately 30¾ x 30¾ inches
Note
For instructions and a video tutorial on how to pick up stitches along a vertical edge in garter stitch, please visit our Picking Up Stitches Tutorial.
Pattern
Triangle 1
With Color A, cast on 156 stitches.
Set-Up Row (wrong side): Knit to end of row.
Row 1 (right side): Knit to last 2 stitches, k2tog. [1 stitch decreased]
Row 2 (wrong side): Knit to end of row.
Continuing with Color A, repeat Rows 1 and 2 until piece measures 3 inches from cast-on edge, ending with Row 2.
Cut Color A.
With Color B, repeat Rows 1 and 2 for 10½ inches, ending with Row 2.
Cut Color B.
With Color C, repeat Rows 1 and 2 until 1 stitch remains. [8¼ inches]
Cut yarn and pull tail through remaining stitch.
Triangle 2
With the right side of Triangle 1 facing you, orient the 90-degree angle at the top right corner. Starting at the 90-degree corner, use Color A to pick up and knit 156 stitches [see Notes, above] along the top edge of Triangle 1.
Set-Up Row (wrong side): Knit to end of row.
Row 1 (right side): Knit to last 2 stitches, k2tog. [1 stitch decreased]
Row 2 (wrong side): Knit to end of row.
Continuing with Color A, repeat Rows 1 and 2 for 9¾ inches, ending with Row 2.
Cut Color A.
With Color D, repeat Rows 1 and 2 until 1 stitch remains. [12 inches]
Cut yarn and pull tail through remaining stitch.
Triangle 3
With the right side of Triangle 2 facing you, orient the 90-degree angle at the top right. Starting at the 90-degree corner, use Color C to pick up and knit 156 stitches along the top edge of Triangle 2.
Set-Up Row (wrong side): Knit to end of row.
Row 1 (right side): Knit to last 2 stitches, k2tog. [1 stitch decreased]
Row 2 (wrong side): Knit to end of row.
Continuing with Color C, repeat Rows 1 and 2 for 4¾ inches, ending with Row 2.
Cut Color C.
With Color E, repeat Rows 1 and 2 for 13 inches, ending with Row 2.
Cut Color E.
With Color F, repeat Rows 1 and 2 until 1 stitch remains. [4 inches]
Cut yarn and pull tail through remaining stitch.
Triangle 4
With the right side of Triangle 3 facing you, orient the 90-degree angle at the top right. Starting at the 90-degree corner, use Use Color F to pick up and knit 156 stitches along the top edge of Triangle 3.
Row 1 (wrong side): Knit to last stitch, slip last stitch knitwise to right-hand needle, pick up and knit 1 stitch from the adjacent cast-on edge of Triangle 1, pass slipped stitch over.
Row 2 (right side): Knit to last 2 stitches, k2tog. [1 stitch decreased.]
Continuing with Color F, repeat Rows 1 and 2 for 15¼ inches, ending with Row 1.
Cut Color F.
With Color D and starting with Row 2, repeat Rows 1 and 2 for 2 inches, ending with Row 1.
Cut Color D.
With Color B and starting with Row 2, repeat Rows 1 and 2 until 1 stitch remains. [4½ inches]
Cut yarn and pull tail through remaining stitch.
Weave in the ends and block as desired.
PRINT
How difficult would it be to make this blanket in a larger size? Could you start with a larger triangle ?
HI Mary,
Thanks for the request! We are working on instructions to make this lovely blanket larger and hope to have them available very soon!
Best,
Cassy
Thanks!
I, too, would like to make this blanket in a larger size. Will you send the pattern in a separate post or should we check back on this post? Thanks!
Hi Sarah,
Thanks for writing in! We will certainly be updating here on this post when we have instructions on how to make this lovely blanket larger!
Best,
Cassy
This pattern is for 4 triangles, like the baby blanket. There are not rectangles or 6 colors like the picture. Wrong pattern?
Hi Janet,
Thanks for writing in! This lovely blanket is made by working 4 triangles and changing the colors as these triangles are worked. If you take a look at the laid out blanket image above, you can see that there are no true rectangles but rather that each color block is made up of part of one of the triangles. It is a little bit of a puzzle (thus the name) but it is a lovely take on our Four Points Blanket with some simple color changes!
Best,
Cassy
I love this easy puzzle blanket. I want to make it bigger. Gorgeous colors!
Hi Sheryl,
Thanks for the request and your kind words! We are working on instructions to make this lovely blanket larger and hope to have them available very soon!
Best,
Cassy
Is there a variation of this pattern that makes a larger size blanket…say 50×60?
I love the pattern and color schemes but would like it larger for use as a coverlet/throw.
Thank you and I LOVE linen quill! I’ve ordered it several times!
Best,
Cissy
Hi Cissy,
Thanks for the request and your kind words! We are working on instructions to make this lovely blanket larger and hope to have them available very soon!
Best,
Cassy
Beautiful. Thanks knee deep. If only I could stand and knit.😅😅♥️
I’m interested in the Easy Puzzle blanket pattern, in looking at this one, I think it might be the pattern for the 4 point baby blanket–can you please let me know if I’m mistaken? Thanks so much
This is such a fun variation on the original! Thank you so much for sharing your creativity with us.
I HOPE I MAKE IT AS NICE AS IT LOOKS IN THE PICTURE FOR OUR NEW SOON TO BE GREAT GRANDSON.
What other yarns could be used? The yarn used is a little high for my budget. Thank you!
Hello Lynne,
Thank you for reaching out- this is a great question! While Linen Quill is one of our most affordable options, you could knit this blanket up using just 4 colors rather than 6 and have enough yarn to complete same dimensions.
I hope this helps and happy knitting!
-Marilla
I love the seeming complexity and modern look of this pattern. I’ve been wanting to attempt my first on the bias knit and this may be the one! I am curious if there is anyway to make it in a larger, rectangular shape?
Hi Stephanie,
Thanks for the request! We are working on instructions to make this lovely blanket larger and hope to have them available very soon!
Best,
Cassy
Is the above pattern for Easy Puzzle It looks like it might be for the Four Points Baby blanket–thanks so much
Hi Jill,
Great question! At its base, this pattern is the same as the Four Points Blanket. The main difference here is that there are clever color changes that change the look of the original blanket!
I hope that this helps!
Cassy
I see it now! Thanks!
Love this pattern! And the colors! Is it possible to create a triangular shawl using triangles 1 and 2 (or any 2 of the 4) ? Or a rectangular version 30 3/4” by 50”? The colors and shapes make me think of Diebenkorn’s painting Ocean Park 79. Thank you for any suggestions.
Hi Linda,
Great question and thank you for your kind observation! You absolutely can knit just triangles 1 and 2 to create a shawl. In fact, several of our lovely employees have done as so! You can pick which ever color combinations that work for you and work triangles 1 and 2!
Best,
Cassy
I have roughly 413 g or 900 yards of cashmere Merino bloom left over from a previous project(color flow garter wrap). My gauge was tween 18 and 19 stitches to 4 inches) . I was wondering whether this would be enough to make this lovely blanket.I could insert stripes as I ran out of the various colors.
Many thanks for the advice. I should add that this year it was a dream to work with.
Hi Carla,
What a great idea! For this blanket we used roughly 1350 yards of yarn. To make this work, you would need to adjust your cast on (any even number will do) but figuring out that cast on could be a bit tricky given that you have quite a bit less yarn and the constructions is a bit unusual. I have done some very rough, back of the napkin math and think at a cast on (and pick up) of 140 stitches instead of 156 stitches, should work. My recommendation would be to weigh your remaining yarn as you go to be sure that you will have enough. An alternative option would be to purchase 2 more skeins of Cashmere Merino Bloom and you would have adequate yardage to make this blanket as written using needles more appropriate for this thicker yarn.
I hope that this helps!
Cassy
How would you suggest scaling this pattern to make an adult version? I just finished the Nature’s Pallette Blanket and the dimensions were 40″w x 60″l. Thanks for your help.
Hi Barbara,
Thanks for the request! We are working on instructions to make this lovely blanket larger and hope to have them available very soon!
Best,
Cassy
The color change A on the easy puzzle blanket says knit 3” from the cast on edge. Are the other color changes knit the designated number of inches from the beginning rows of each of the colors or from the cast on edge.? The linen quill yarn is knitting up wonderfully.
Hi Deborah,
Thanks for reaching out, and I’m so happy to hear you are enjoying working with Linen Quill – it is one of my favorites! For the second, third, and fourth triangles, you will begin by picking up stitches from the edge of the previous triangle, and will then measure the first few stripes from the picked up edge, which will feel quite similar to measuring from the cast on edge of the first triangle.
I hope that helps!
Julianna
Thank you for clarifying measuring colors for triangles 2,3 and 4. I am still confused though on triangle 1 measurements of each single color. I knit 3” in color A from the cast on edge, added color B and from the beginning of this new color alone, I have knitted 7” and 1/2”. My question is do I knit 3 “ more of color B to equal 10 and 1/2” or does the 10” and a 1/2” include the colors A and B together?
Hi Deborah,
I apologize that I didn’t understand your question! For Color A, you will measure from the cast on edge, and you will then use color B for 10 1/2 inches, so you will be measuring from the first row of Color B, not from the cast on edge. I hope that clarifies everything!
Best,
Julianna
Thank you so much for answering my question on measuring the color changes. I am back on my way to finishing triangle 1.
I appreciate your very quick return responses, awesome help!
When you say pull through at the end of each triangle are you casting off? Thank you!!
Hi Emily,
Great question! Since you decrease each triangle until you are left with just one stitch, there aren’t enough stitches left to work a cast off. You will, however, secure the final stitch the same way you would the last stitch left after casting off, by cutting the working yarn, threading the tail through the final stitch, and pulling it tight.
I hope that clears things up!
Julianna