Syncopation Blanket
Rhythmic surprises make great music… and great blankets, too! With its off-beat melodies, our Syncopation Blanket hits unexpected notes within the steady flow of a six-column repeat.
Garter stitch, with its wonderful corrugated texture, serves as a back beat to smooth slip-stitch columns, elegant grace notes cleverly knit into the fabric of this piece.
The key here for making this design sing is crisp stitch definition. Our new Wigeon does the job with its classic, tidy spin and palette of distinctive solid colors. One hundred percent fine Falkland merino, it is as hardy as its birthplace but soft enough for cozy movie nights!
Super pretty yarn for a super interesting knit… That’s music to our ears!
Designed by Purl Soho designer, Jake Canton. Click here to see even more of Jake’s designs!
Share your progress and connect with the community by tagging your pics with #PurlSoho, #PurlSohoBusyHands, #PurlSohoSyncopationBlanket and #PurlSohoWigeon. We can’t wait to see what you make!
Materials
- 7 (12) balls of Purl Soho’s Wigeon, 100% fine Falkland merino. Each ball is 359 yards/ 100 grams; approximately 2,513 (4,200) total yards required. We used Warm Ivory.
- US 5 (3.75 mm), 40- or 60-inch circular needles, depending on size you are making
- 18 (30) stitch markers (or pieces of scrap yarn) in six colors: 3 (5) markers of each color (see Notes)
Gauge
24 stitches and 56 rows (or 28 garter ridges) = 4 inches in garter stitch
Sizes
Crib (Throw)
Finished Dimensions: Approximately 33¾ inches wide x 43 inches long (56¼ inches wide x 43 inches long)
NOTE: You cast on for the Crib size blanket along the short side, which orients the slip-stitch columns vertically. For the Throw size, you cast on along the long side, which orients the columns horizontally.
Sample: We knit the Crib size.
Notes
COLUMN REPEAT
One Column Repeat consists of 6 Slip Stitch Columns. You will work 3 (5) Column Repeats across the blanket, giving you a total of 18 (30) Slip Stitch Columns.
STITCH MARKERS
The pattern uses stitch markers to indicate where to work each Slip Stitch Column. You will place 3 (5) of Markers A, B, C, D, E, and F for each Column Repeat. We recommend using six different colors of stitch markers to easily differentiate between Markers A, B, C, D, E, and F (make a little key for yourself!). Slip markers as you come to them.
SLIP STITCH PATTERN
Row 1 (right side): Slip 1 knitwise with yarn in back (wyib), knit to end of row.
Row 2 (wrong side): Slip 1 knitwise wyib, *knit to next marker, slip 3 purlwise with yarn in front (wyif), repeat from * to final marker, slip 3 wyif, knit to end of row.
Repeat Rows 1 and 2 for pattern.
NOTE: If your columns are looking flatter than you’d like, give the yarn a very slight tug when you knit the first stitch after slipping three in Row 2. But be gentle… Too tight, and the tension of your entire blanket may get a little wonky!
Pattern
GARTER STITCH BEGINNING
Cast on 203 (337) stitches. We used a basic Long Tail Cast On.
Row 1: Slip 1 knitwise with yarn in back (wyib), knit to end of row.
Repeat Row 1 for 1 inch.
COLUMN REPEATS
Column A Set-Up Row (right side): Slip 1 knitwise wyib, [k46, place marker (pm) A, k21] 3 (5) times, k1.
Starting with Row 2, work Slip Stitch Pattern (see Notes) until piece measures 4 inches from cast-on edge, ending with Row 2.
Column B Set-Up Row (right side): Slip 1 knitwise wyib, [k19, pm B, k48] 3 (5) times, k1.
Starting with Row 2, work Slip Stitch Pattern until piece measures 5 inches from cast-on edge, ending with Row 2.
Column C Set-Up Row (right side): Slip 1 knitwise wyib, [k58, pm C, k9] 3 (5) times, k1.
Starting with Row 2, work Slip Stitch Pattern until piece measures 11 inches from cast-on edge, ending with Row 2.
Column D Set-Up Row (right side): Slip 1 knitwise wyib, [k30, pm D, k37] 3 (5) times, k1.
Starting with Row 2, work Slip Stitch Pattern until piece measures 15 inches from cast-on edge, ending with Row 2.
Column E Set-Up Row (right side): Slip 1 knitwise wyib, [k6, pm E, k61] 3 (5) times, k1.
Starting with Row 2, work Slip Stitch Pattern until piece measures 17½ inches from cast-on edge, ending with Row 2.
Next Row: Work Row 1 of Slip Stitch Pattern, removing B markers when you come to them.
Starting with Row 2, work Slip Stitch Pattern until piece measures 24 inches from cast-on edge, ending with Row 2.
Column F Set-Up Row (right side): Slip 1 knitwise wyib, [k39, pm F, k28] 3 (5) times, k1.
Starting with Row 2, work Slip Stitch Pattern until piece measures 30 inches from cast-on edge, ending with Row 2.
Next Row: Work Row 1 of Slip Stitch Pattern, removing A markers when you come to them.
Starting with Row 2, work Slip Stitch Pattern until piece measures 35 inches from cast-on edge, ending with Row 2.
Next Row: Work Row 1 of Slip Stitch Pattern, removing D markers when you come to them.
Starting with Row 2, work Slip Stitch Pattern until piece measures 39 inches from cast-on edge, ending with Row 2.
Next Row: Work Row 1 of Slip Stitch Pattern, removing C markers when you come to them.
Starting with Row 2, work Slip Stitch Pattern until piece measures 41½ inches from cast-on edge, ending with Row 2.
Next Row: Work Row 1 of Slip Stitch Pattern, removing E markers when you come to them.
Starting with Row 2, work Slip Stitch Pattern until piece measures 42 inches from cast-on edge, ending with Row 2.
Next Row: Work Row 1 of Slip Stitch Pattern, removing F markers when you come to them.
GARTER STITCH ENDING
Row 1 (right side): Slip 1 knitwise wyib, knit to end of row.
Repeat Row 1 for one more inch, ending with a wrong-side row.
With the right side facing you, bind off knitwise.
FINISHING
Weave in ends and wet block your finished blanket!
What a stunning pattern! I’ve already fallen in love with it! I’m wondering if I could use Cotton Pure for this…..I got a bit carried away ordering cones and have an “extra” Cotton Pure cone. 🙂
Hi D.,
Thank you for your kind words; we think so too! You can absolutely use Cotton Pure to make this blanket. I would recommend, as always, making a gauge swatch before starting, to make sure you’re working with the right needles. Since Wigeon and Cotton Pure have extremely different fiber contents, the two yarns may work up very differently. So it’s good to be prepared!
All the best,
Lili
Thank you! I’m not usually one to make swatches but for this blanket, I will!
Swatch complete! Size 4 needles, Cotton pure yarn, swatch came out 4” wide which was right and 5” long which was longer than should have been, but that is okay with me. Just thought I’d report my results. 😊. I added a couple ridges so I could practice and this blanket is going be so fun! Many thanks!
I have just completed the set up row A. Next step is Row 2 which says to start the Slip Stitch pattern. Do I start with Row 2 of the Slip Stitch pattern, or do I start with Row 1 of the Slip Stitch pattern?
Hi Andrea,
Thanks for reaching out. After the Set-Up Row, you will start with Row 2 of the Slip Stitch Pattern! This is because the Set-Up Row was a right side row, and Row 2 of the Slip Stitch Pattern is a wrong side row.
Hope this helps!
All the best,
Lili
This is so lovely! I have a question regarding the slip stitch pattern: it states “slip 3 with yarn in front (wyif)” – is that slipping knitwise like the selvedge edge? I assume so based on context but still wanted to triple check.
Hi HB,
Thanks for your kind words and for reaching out directly! The 3 stitches in question should actually be slipped purlwise, even though that’s different from how you’re slipping them for the selvedge edge. I can absolutely see how this is confusing, but a good rule of thumb to keep in mind is if a pattern doesn’t clearly specify the direction, assume that you’ll be slipping the stitches purlwise! Hope this helps, and let me know if you have any more questions.
All the best,
Lili
This would make a beautiful shawl with the columns in different colors! How can a calculate the number of skeins I would need to make a narrower, longer object? Also how would I place the columns in a narrower object?
Hi Rizel,
Thanks for reaching out; that sounds like a lovely take on this design! The way I would calculate the number of skeins you’ll need is by comparing the area (in square inches) of the blanket we knit to the area of your proposed shawl. First, figure out what length and what width you want your shawl to be, and then multiply those numbers together to get the area. Then, multiply the area of your shawl by 7 (which is the number of balls of Wigeon that it takes to make a crib sized blanket), and then divide this by 1,451.25 (which is the area in square inches of a crib sized blanket). The resulting number (rounded up!) will be the number of balls of Wigeon that you’ll need to make your shawl!
As for how to place the columns, the great thing about this pattern is that the columns are worked in sections that repeat! The crib sized blanket has 3 column repeats (each consisting of 6 columns), so you can simply decrease this number to 1 or 2. This will give you a narrower fabric with fewer columns, but you’ll still be able to follow the the pattern easily.
I hope this helps, and let me know if you have any other questions!
All the best,
Lili
What a beautifully simple pattern – I will use a light beige worsted wool/mohair heather for a hat/beanie…I have been using this time to knit up all of my onesies, twosies and sometimes foursies of yarn leftovers…
I am going to do straight knitting, no randomness pattern as shown for baby blanket.
Actually this pattern can be used in a lot of different projects and yarns…
Thank you kindly for the freebie…
I love this pattern! I am not sure I have a blanket on size 5 needles in me. Do you have a recommendation for another yarn that might work for this blanket that is slightly thicker?
Hi Maritza,
Thanks for writing in! I would suggest using a light worsted/dk weight like our Morning, Understory, Cashmere Merino Bloom, or Flax Down and use a US 7 needle! Just be sure to start off by working a gauge swatch so you can determine any changes needed!
Happy knitting!
Gianna
Love ALL of Jake’s patterns. They are always the chicest designs. I’m trying to use up my stash, I have 1900 meters of worsted wool with a gauge of 18 sts/ per 4 “. Do you think I can make this throw, using what I have?
Thanks again for all the beautiful patterns
Hi Martha,
Thanks for reaching out and for your kind words! The worsted wool will be a bit thick for this pattern since we used a sport weight yarn, but you could certainly work up a gauge swatch to see how it compares to the gauge of the pattern and determine any necessary adjustments!
Warmly,
Gianna
Simply beautiful! Who is this Jake Canton? He’s an unsung genius! Love so many of his designs.
Hi. Another stunning blanket pattern by Jake. Love it! Could it be made smaller for a baby blanket? Is there a repeat that i can follow to adjust the size? Thanks for any help
Hi Stacey,
Thanks for reaching out, and I’m glad you’re enjoying this pattern. Our crib sized version of this blanket is a great size for a baby! To give you a sense of it’s size, it ends up coming to 33.25 inches wide and 43 inches long. If this still sounds too large for what you’re interested in, there are definitely a few ways you can change up the size! To decrease the width of the crib size blanket, you can work one fewer column repeat, so 2 repeats of 6 columns each, instead of 3. If you want to decrease the length of the blanket, you can simply work each section of the Slip Stitch Pattern for fewer inches. Hope this helps, and let me know if you have any other questions!
All the best,
Lili
Hi. Thanks for the quick reply. The width of 33” is ok with me and I’ll take your advice and make it shorter. Thanks very much.
Hi Lili, I’m considering doing just 2 column repeats for the crib size to make it a bit narrower, but not sure how many stitches to cast on.
If I’d cast on 203 stitches for 3 columns, dividing by 3 comes out with a decimal, so I’m stuck between casting on 135 or 136?
Thanks! Such a beautiful design; I can’t wait to start!
Hi Hannah,
Thanks for writing in. This blanket works over a multiple of 67 + 2 stitches, so you’ll need to cast on 136 (which is 67 + 67 + 2) stitches to create a blanket with just two column repeats! Hope this helps.
All the best,
Lili
Ca it be made larger
Hi Joann,
Thanks for reaching out; this blanket can absolutely be made larger! The throw size is already 56.25 inches wide and 43 inches long, so I’ll give you some tips on how to increase both the width and the length of this larger size. If you want to make the blanket wider, you can add more stitches at the cast-on, so that you end up with more column repeats. Make sure to cast on a multiple of 67+2 stitches, as that’s what works with this pattern! To increase the length, simply work each Slip Stitch Pattern section for more inches than is already indicated in the pattern. I hope these tips are useful, and that you’re able to make a blanket that you enjoy!
All the best,
Lili
I am in love as well. I have casted on already. What I don’t understand is when do we start some of the columns? when do we restart them after we finish them as I see some are repeated.
Hi Shani,
Thank you for your kind words! The pattern indicates exactly when to begin and end each column. Each “Column Set-Up Row” will tell you to place stitch markers, which are where each column begins. Once you reach the end of a column, the pattern will tell you to remove these stitch markers. I hope this clarifies things!
All the best,
Lili
This is lovely! That said, it would be helpful to see a photo showing the reverse of the slip stitch columns. Would you consider adding such a picture to the pattern description? Thank you.
Hi L,
Thank you for your kind words, and what a good idea! I will absolutely pass it on to the rest of my team.
All the best,
Lili
I would love to see the reverse side as well.
Hi MaryAnne,
Thanks for your comment! I wanted to let you know that I just sent photos of the reverse side to your email address. I hope they are able to help you to visualize what the columns should look like on the wrong side.
All the best,
Lili
Hi can I see the reverse side as well? I want to make sure I have the right tension when I bring the yarn to the back to continue knitting. Thanks!
Hi Anya,
Thanks for reaching out! Please email our customer service team directly at customerservice@purlsoho.com, you can request a photo of the reverse from there!
Warmly,
Gianna
I would love to see the reverse as well. Enlarging the pictures is showing me I might not have the correct yarn weight even to try the pattern. Too large & the slip stitch looks nothing like the blanket.
Hi MaryAnne,
I mentioned this already in my email to you, but feel free to send photos of your own work to customerservice@purlsoho.com! We are eager to help you figure out what’s going wrong in your project.
All the best,
Lili
Lovely blanket! Is it reversible? Do you have any pictures of the reverse side?
Kind regards,
Martine Marnette.
Hi Martine,
Thanks for writing in! We didn’t design the blanket to be reversible, so it will look significantly different on the wrong side. Because it’s mainly stockinette stitch, the reverse side will have all the “purl bumps.”
I also wanted to let you know that I just sent photos of the wrong side of the blanket to your email address. I hope these help you visualize it better!
All the best,
Lili
Hi Lili,
Thank you for your quick response.
I’ve looked at the photos you’ve sent me and I see only garter stitches and the “columns” of slip stitches.
Are we talking about the same blanket?
Kind regards, Martine Marnette.
Hi Martine,
Yes, the photos I sent along are photos of the reverse side of the Syncopation Blanket! My apologies though, you’re correct that the blanket is mostly in garter stitch–I got confused. So it will look like garter stitch on both sides, but the columns will be “inverted,” since they are stockinette slipped stitches.
All the best,
Lili
I love this pattern. I don’t know how manageable circular 60″ needles are for me. I can’t even find them. How have folks managed these? I might be missing something.
Thank you as always for the beautiful free patterns. I love them.
Hi Jill,
Thanks for reaching out! We do sell 60″ circular needles, you can find them here: Addi Turbo Rocket Circular Needles, from there you can select the size needle and the size length from the drop downs!
Warmly,
Gianna
Hi /
I’ve started knitting and my columns don’t really look like in the pictures. They aren’t elevated or puffed up the way they appear in the pictures. Are you supposed to pull the first knit stitch after slipping the 3 purls really tight?
If possible could you also send me a picture of the reverse side?
Thanks
Sam
Hi Sam,
Thanks for reaching out! Yes, that is correct, in order for the columns to be raised you will want to pull the yarn tight to bunch up the 3 slipped stitches. You can email our customer service team at customerservice@purlsoho.com and request a picture of what the back looks like!
Warmly,
Gianna
What a lovely pattern! Absolutely stunning… I wanted to make a throw, however, the dimensions given in the pattern are a little confusing for me – crib size has narrower width than length but throw is wider and shorter. I would prefer throw also narrow and long which means , maybe rotate it in 90 degrees. Does that mean columns would be horizontal – I want them to be vertical? And for narrower throw, should I cast on like the crib?another question is, can I use pure merino instead of mohair? Unfortunately Cotton, Alpaca, Merino and Silk are the only yarns that work with my skin.
Hi Priya,
Thanks for writing in, and I’m happy to hear you’re enjoying this design! The crib and throw size are actually knit up differently, in terms of their orientation. You cast on for the crib size blanket along the short side, which orients the slip-stitch columns vertically. For the throw size, you cast on along the long side, which orients the columns horizontally.
I would definitely call the throw size “longer and narrower” though! We knit up this pattern in the throw size, so all the pictures you’re seeing on this page are of the throw size. But if you’re interested in knitting an even narrower version of the throw size, you can knit it with one fewer column repeat! To do this, just cast on 67 fewer stitches than indicated (so, cast on 270 stitches instead of 337). And if you’d like to make the blanket longer as well, just knit for more inches during the Column Repeats section!
As for the yarn, we designed this blanket in Wigeon, which is 100% merino wool, so that should not irritate your skin. Hope this helps!
All the best,
Lili
Hi Lili,
Thank you so much for the detailed information. So for crib, the slip stitch columns are vertical while for throw, they are horizontal, right? I think either way it will look lovely!
I was going through my stash and I found that I have about a 1000 yards of Baby Alpaca. My gauge is very odd – 14 sts and 28 rows (4×4 in) in garter on US 10 Knitter’s Pride wood needle. Can you please tell me a. How will the pattern look in Alpaca since it is bulky; especially I very much want the columns to be so pretty and standing out. And b. If it will work in Alpaca, how much yardage will I need for throw and how many set-up stitches for the throw?
I can’t wait to start with this!!!
Wish you and everyone at Purl Soho very happy Thanksgiving. You guys are always so helpful and I appreciate how you tailored the business model to suit current times for past couple of years. Big 👍 for everyone.
Sorry for the delay in responding. Because of upcoming holidays, I have had too many doctors’ appointments crammed.
Best to you,
~ Priya.
Hi Priya,
Oops, it looks like I misspoke in my previous comment! We actually knit the Crib sized blanket, and you’re absolutely right–the columns are oriented vertically on the Crib blanket, while they are horizontal for the Throw.
It seems like you’re knitting with a very different weight yarn than we designed the blanket for. We used a sportweight yarn, so it’s a lot lighter than a bulky yarn. Are you planning on making the blanket with similar dimensions to our Throw size? Or are you planning on knitting it as written and ending up with a much larger blanket? Either way, it will be a bit hard for me to predict how much yardage you’ll need to complete it, since the yarn is so different. But let me know, and I’ll see how I can help! For reference though, you’ll need approximately 4,200 yards of a sportweight yarn to complete the Throw size.
All the best,
Lili
Hi- I believe the edge stitch instructions are incorrect if the goal is to create a neat, slipped stitch edge. To do this in garter stitch, each first stitch should be slipped PURLWISE with the YARN IN FRONT.
Also, I see that someone else asked about if the yarn needs to be pulled tight after working the 3 slipped stitches. That’s the only way to make the pattern look like the photo, so it would be helpful to include this instruction in the pattern as well.
Thanks!
Hi Lisa,
Thanks for writing in. This blanket was actually designed without the conventional slipped stitch edge look! The edges should still look like normal garter stitch edges, but they will also come out a bit tighter because of the knitwise slipped stitches.
And thank you for the suggestion! I’ll pass it along to the rest of my team to see if we can add it in somewhere.
All the best,
Lili
Hello,
I am a beginning knitter and after some experience with hats and mitts decided to tackle this project. I have a basic question that I don’t really think will affect the result as it is garter stitch and I can just decide which side I want to be the right side and follow the pattern from there, but I can’t seem to find a definitive answer to my question on the internet and I want to get this right.
Is the cast on (I did long tail, as suggested) considered the first row? And if it is, is that the right side? So if I am looking at the right side of the work (I’m at the one inch point in the pattern, about to start the column repeats) the tail would be in the left corner of the piece, is that correct? Or is it just the opposite?
Thanks for your help!
Hi Kelsey,
Thanks for reaching out! If you use long tail cast on, you can actually use that to determine which side is the right side and wrong side! The right side of the cast-on will have a smooth sloped look, while the wrong side will have slight bumps resembling a purl row! Once you identify which side is which, to help you remember going forward, you can place a pin or removable stitch marker on the right side of the fabric.
Also, the cast on doesn’t count as the first row, so after you cast on you will start with row 1!
I hope this helps clear things up!
Gianna
Yes, thanks. Now off to start setting up columns!
The problem with your patterns is that I want to make every one! They are all creative and the instructions are spot on. I mostly knit baby blankets on the smaller side for use on a stroller. How would I modify this one to about 30 inches wide?
Hi Mimi,
Thank you so much for the kind words! However, I’m afraid that this pattern is difficult to modify for such a slight difference in width. That’s because it works over a stitch multiple of 67 + 2, meaning that the “next size down” would be significantly narrower than 30 inches.
But here’s another idea! If you knit to a slightly tighter gauge than the pattern calls for, you can follow the instructions for our Crib size, and the dimensions will automatically be slightly smaller due to the tighter gauge. Hope this helps!
All the best,
Lili
Thanks great idea. I usually am on target with the suggested gauge so would you suggest a lighter yarn or just go down a needle size?
Hi Mimi,
I think that either would work! Since the blanket is quite wide, even just a slight change in gauge will be enough to bring it down by 3 inches. I’d recommend trying a size 4 or 3 needle with Wigeon (or the yarn of your choice) to test out what your gauge would be!
All the best,
Lili
As soon as I finish the mitered stripes-can’t wait
Thanks for your help
I would love to make this blanket. If I have enough sweetgrass yardage and added sweetgrass fine do you think I would get an acceptable gauge?
Hi Janet,
I think that’s a great idea, and you should definitely be able to achieve the gauge of this pattern with Sweetgrass and Sweetgrass Fine held together. You may even be able to match it with just Sweetgrass held alone, so if you have that on hand already, I’d recommend swatching to give it a try!
All the best,
Lili
I’ve loved this pattern since the first time I saw it and am finally sitting down to do it. However, I cannot approach the row gauge. I’ve swatched with US 3, 4, and 5 needles with very little difference, of course. On US 3’s I have 22.5 st and 22 garter ridges(44 rows) = 4 in. Not even close to 24 x 28 (56). The yarn I’m using is sport weight though a pima cotton / merino blend. I had expected to have to make adjustments, but this surprised me. Do you think the fiber content can account for this much difference? Or am I missing something else? Thank you.
Hi Janne,
We’re so sorry you’re running into roadblocks with gauge and are eager to help! Could you please let me know if you’ve blocked your swatch? The gauge listed in the pattern is after blocking, so if you haven’t already, I’d first recommend blocking and pinning your swatch to see if you can get it to match up with the gauge in the pattern. Garter stitch tends to stretch out a bit after blocking, so there’s a chance you can block your swatch to match the row gauge. Here’s our guide on swatching if you’d like more information (https://www.purlsoho.com/create/2020/08/20/all-about-gauge/)!
I hope this helps, and please let us know if you have any other questions!
All the best,
Cat
For “Row 2 (wrong side): Slip 1 knitwise wyib, *knit to next marker, slip 3 purlwise with yarn in front (wyif), repeat from * to final marker, slip 3 wyif, knit to end of row.”
Does it mean when i reach my final (3rd as im making the smaller size ) marker after “knit to next marker” to “ slip 3 purlwise with yarn in front (wyif)“ AND “slip 3 wyif” or ONLY “slip 3 wyif”. Then finished with knit to end?
Thanks!☺️
Hi Evdokia,
Thank you for writing in! You will want to work only one set of the 3 slip sts. So if you are on the last set of markers, you will want to end by slipping only 3 stitches, not 6! I hope this helps but please let us know if you have any other questions!
Happy knitting,
Gavriella