Alpenglow Blanket
Alpenglow is the word for the warm blush that sweeps across west-facing mountains just after sunset, a breathtaking light that contrasts with the surrounding cool of the darkening landscape. Our Alpenglow Blanket pattern takes its name from this natural wonder, exploring the rich spectrum of our inspiring 40-color Linen Quill Minis.

By pairing each warm color Mini with a complementary cool color and working an easy two-sided stitch pattern, you end up with one warm-dominant side of your blanket and one cool-dominant side, as different from each other as the eastern and western skies at sunset.

The stitch pattern that makes the magic happen is known as Reverse Ridge Stitch, which creates prominent rows of purl bumps alternating with receding rows of knit stitches. This means the colors that pop on one side are the ones that take a step back on the other side… So simple, but so clever, and so satisfying to create with your own two hands!

The key to this stockinette-stitch-with-a-twist is the straightforward Turn + Slide method, which is an instruction at the end of each row to either turn the work as you normally do or to slide the stitches to the other end of your circular needles. If you’ve never done it, follow along with our Turn + Slide Tutorial to see the simplicity of this technique in action!

Your yarns are carried along as you stripe, and you’ll finish up with each Mini before moving on to the next, so you’ll only need to weave in two ends per 25-gram ball! The neat selvage treatment is easy to work and shows just a flash of the dominant color from the other side, like the last glimmer of light from the sinking sun.

The stunning gem-like hues, cool and warm alike, come from our vibrant Linen Quill Minis. This bundle of 40 of the most amazing colors you can imagine is an irresistible invitation to explore and play.

Linen Quill is our incredibly popular fingering-weight yarn made with 50% fine highland wool for springiness, 35% alpaca for softness, and 15% linen for rustic appeal. The way each fiber takes the dye differently gives the yarn a fascinating depth and will make your Alpenglow Blanket shimmer!

Alpenglow is a phenomenon that fills you with wonder and awe, and just so with your Alpenglow Blanket. Cast on for a masterpiece with this simple knitting pattern and a beautiful bundle of Linen Quill Minis!
Yarn lovers, if you adore the yarn used in this project, you’ll love exploring all of our other yarn collections! Discover over 45 thoughtfully designed yarns in nearly every natural fiber and in every spectacular color you can imagine. Only available here at Purl Soho’s online yarn store, where every skein is created with care and your creativity in mind!

Designed by Purl Soho designer, Gaby Bush.
Share your progress and connect with the community by tagging your pics with #PurlSoho, #PurlSohoBusyHands, #PurlSohoAlpenglowBlanket, and #PurlSohoLinenQuill. We can’t wait to see what you make!
Materials

- 1 of Purl Soho’s Linen Quill Minis bundle, 50% highland wool, 35% alpaca, and 15% linen. Each bundle of this fingering-weight yarn is a total of 4,360 yards/ 1000 grams; approximately 4000 total yards required.
- US 3 (3.25 mm), 32- or 40-inch circular knitting needles
GAUGE
27 stitches and 65 rows = 4 inches in stitch pattern
SIZE
Finished Dimensions: 40 inches wide x 49¼ inches long
NOTES
STITCH MULTIPLE
This pattern works over any number of stitches.
COLOR PAIRS
The first step of this pattern is to divide your 40 Linen Quill Minis into 20 Color Pairs, each with one Warm Color and one Cool Color. Color Pair 1 consists of Warm Color 1 and Cool Color 1; Color Pair 2 includes Warm Color 2 and Cool Color 2; Color Pair 3 is Warm Color 3 and Cool Color 3, etc.
Warm Colors will be dominant on the “right side” of the blanket; Cool Colors will be dominant on the “wrong side” (although, for this blanket, there is no right or wrong side… They’re both beautiful!)
WARM COLORS COOL COLORS
1. Golden Green 1. Fresh Nutmeg
2. Fresh Pickle 2. Pine Cone
3. Raw Sienna 3. Kettle Black
4. Baked Earth 4. Stillwater Blue
5. Butterscotch Yellow 5. Stonewall Gray
6. Turmeric Yellow 6. Reed Gray
7. Golden Wheat 7. Pale Mushroom
8. Wheat Flour 8. Lavender Opal
9. Pale Oats 9. Crocus Bud
10. Peony Pink 10. Blue Pansy
11. Lychee Pink 11. Blue Blue
12. Chestnut Red 12. Cobalt Blue
13. Kiln Red 13. True Turquoise
14. Peachy Pink 14. Eggshell Blue
15. Super Orange 15. Birds Egg Blue
16. Red Poppy 16. Pale Celery
17. Bright Flamingo 17. Grasshopper Green
18. Pink Pop 18. Clover Green
19. Magnolia Blossom 19. Lemon Lime
20. Purple Clematis 20. Buttercup Yellow
TURN AND 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 you finish a row on circular knitting 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! To see this technique in action, visit our Turn + Slide Tutorial.
CARRYING UP YARN
At the beginning of rows where you have two yarns, carry the non-working yarn up the selvage by picking up the working yarn from behind the non-working yarn.
PATTERN
Beginning with Color Pair 1 (see Notes, Color Pairs), use Warm Color 1 and a Long Tail Cast On to cast on 270 stitches.
TIP: When you’re casting on so many stitches, it really helps to place a marker or piece of scrap yarn every 50 stitches. That way, when you lose count (which you will!), you won’t have to recount all the stitches. Just remember to remove these markers when you work the first row.
Do not cut yarn and slide work (see Notes).
REVERSE RIDGE STRIPES
NOTE: Carry up non-working yarn, as necessary, from now on (see Notes).
With Cool Color 1
Row 1 (right side): Knit to end of row, turn work (see Notes).
Row 2 (wrong side): Slip 1 purlwise with yarn in front (wyif), purl to last stitch, slip 1 purlwise wyif, slide work.
Drop Cool Color 1, but do not cut.
With Warm Color 1
Row 3 (wrong side): P1, knit to last stitch, p1, turn work.
Row 4 (right side): Slip 1 knitwise with yarn in back (wyib), purl to last stitch, slip 1 knitwise wyib, slide work.
Drop Warm Color 1, but do not cut.
Switching colors every 2 rows as established and carrying up non-working yarns, repeat Rows 1–4 nine more times. [40 rows]
Cut Color Pair 1.
CONTINUE
With Color Pair 2, repeat Reverse Ridge Stripes section. [40 rows; 80 rows total]
Cut Color Pair 2.
With Color Pair 3, repeat Reverse Ridge Stripes section. [40 rows; 120 rows total]
Cut Color Pair 3.
Continuing with the same logic, repeat Reverse Ridge Stripes section with each Color Pair, ending with Color Pair 19. [760 rows total]
With Color Pair 20, repeat Rows 1–4 of Reverse Ridge Stripes nine times, then repeat Rows 1–3 one time. [39 rows; 799 rows total]
Bind Off Row (right side): With Warm Color 20, bind off all stitches knitwise.
Cut Color Pair 20.
FINISHING
NOTE: For help with duplicate stitch, visit our Weaving In Ends Tutorial and scroll down to “Weaving In Ends With Duplicate Stitch (On The Wrong Side)”. You’ll use the “wrong side” technique because you’ll be weaving into the purl rows of this pattern.
Using duplicate stitch, weave Warm Colors into the purl stitches on the right side, and weave Cool Colors into the purl stitches on the wrong side.
Gently wet block to finished dimensions.


LEARN ABOUT LINEN QUILL MINIS + ALL OUR BEAUTIFUL YARNS
Express your love of color with Linen Quill Minis! A unique opportunity to play, these 25-gram balls are mini versions of our super popular Linen Quill, a fingering-weight yarn that is a wonderful blend of 50% wool, 35% alpaca, and 15% linen. Pick up our spectacular 40-Color Bundle or one of our breathtaking 20-Color Bundles and go wild!
More Free Knitting Patterns
- Be sure to explore our growing collection of Linen Quill knitting patterns and cast on!
More Fingering-Weight Yarns
- Shop our entire collection of fingering-weight yarns
- If you want to use a different yarn, be sure to take the time to get the correct gauge. Need help? Check our All About Gauge Tutorial!
More Yarns With Similar Fibers
- Shop wool yarn
- Shop alpaca yarn
- Shop linen yarn
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!
This is so lovely! I am wondering if this pattern could be adapted to make a scarf or shawl, and if so, how many stitches should I cast on for each? I have approximately 1/2 of a full batch of linen quill minis left over from another project and would love to try this, if there would be enough yarn. Thanks!
Hi Debby,
That sounds like such a lovely idea! Since this pattern uses a full bundle and you have half the yarn left, you can just cast on half the stitches! In this case, that would be 135 stitches to start!
Happy knitting,
Gavriella
Awesome, thank you!
Debby
Hi! I am so excited to start on this blanket, but I’m not great with picking and pairing colors. Will the color pairings in the pattern result in the pictured blanket, or is it just a list of warm and cool colors? (If it’s the latter, how can I get some help with pairing colors?)
Thank you!
CN
Hi CN,
Thank you for asking! The colors listed are the ones we used in our blanket so you are all set. Just follow the order listed and your project will match ours exactly!
Happy making,
Gavriella
This looks so much longer than it is wide. Are the dimensions really 40×49″? Thanks! (It’s gorgeous!)
Hi Jessica,
Thank you for asking! Our sample looks much longer due to the weight of the blanket and the stretchy nature of garter stitch. When this blanket is laid flat though, it measures 40 inches wide x 49¼ inches long! I hope this helps clarify but please let us know if you have any other questions!
Happy knitting,
Gavriella
I’m curious as to why there are blank color pairs on the cool color side for the alpenglow blanket
Hi Susan,
Thank you for writing in! I’m afraid I’m not exactly sure what you mean by blank color pairs. Each section in this pattern is paired with a contrasting color although some are more visible than others. I hope this helps clarify but please let me know if you have any other questions and I would be happy to take a deeper look!
All the best,
Gavriella
On a small screen, like a phone, some of the color names get pushed to the next line under the warm color name and make it look like there is no cool color listed.
Hi Susan,
As an update, we are so sorry for the confusion here and have reported this issue to our tech team. We also apologize about the delay for the correction!
All the best,
Gavriella
This pattern looks amazing! I have a linen quill minis bundle and made the smaller version of the joy of color scarf (new favorite finished object!). Could I cast on fewer stitches and try to use my remaining yarn minis to give this blanket a try?
Hi Mary Kate,
You can definitely cast on fewer stitches to make a thinner wrap/scarf version of this pattern! Since this pattern works over any number of stitches, you can just multiply the gauge (6.75) by your desired width! This will give you your new cast on number!
All the best,
Gavriella
I have a question about the finished size. In the photo with someone holding up the blanket, it does not look like it is only 9″ longer in one direction. They are standing on something and it is taller than they are and it looks much longer than it is wide. Is that really 40″x49″ or was that blanket made bigger? Thanks!
Hi Marie,
Thank you for writing in! Our sample looks much longer due to the weight of the blanket and the stretchy nature of garter stitch. When this blanket is laid flat though, it measures just at 40 inches wide x 49¼ inches long! I hope this helps clarify but please let us know if you have any other questions!
All the best,
Gavriella
Could you list the sequence of colors used in the photo example please?
Hi Eileen,
Thank you for asking! You can find the color order in the COLOR PAIRS section listed under notes! I hope this helps but please let us know if you have any other questions or need help locating this section.
All the best,
Gavriella
Did you pair the colors in the pattern directions to match the photo of the Alpenglow blanket?
Thanks
Hi Patrese,
Thank you for asking! We sure did and you can find the color order in the COLOR PAIRS section listed under notes! I hope this helps but please let us know if you have any other questions or need help locating this section.
All the best,
Gavriella
Why does the gauge have a 27 stitch cast on when the blanket has an even number of stitches. Won’t that throw off the pattern?
Thanks
Hi Patrese,
This pattern has a gauge of 27 stitches and 65 rows = 4 inches in stitch pattern which means that to get a width of 40″, you will need to cast on 270 stitches. This works out to 6.75 stitches per inch and when multiplied by the width of 40″, you get 270 sts. I hope this helps clarify but please let us know if you have any questions!
All the best,
Gavriella
Could you provide some clarification on the carryover yarn? I started this project today, casted on stitches with the war colour, turned the work then knit and purled row 1 and 2 with the cool colour turning my work. Now I have come to the slide portion to begin with row 3 and 4 with the warm colour. The warm colour is on the opposite end of the needle from cast on. Do I cut the yarn and start on row 3 as the pattern says? If I do this I’m not sure when the yarn would ever carryover up the selvage unless I wasn’t meant to turn the work after casting on but rather slide the work?
Thanks!
Hi NZ,
Thanks for writing in! It sounds like you may have started Row 1 (the first cool color row) on the incorrect side of the work. To start Row 1, you will need to still have the right side of your work facing you, since this is a right side row. Since the cast-on row counts as a right side row, you will need to slide the work to the opposite end of the needles after casting on so that the right side is still facing you as you begin Row 1.
I hope this helps clarify things!
All the best,
Lili
Ah, I made this same mistake. I believe the instructions are a bit ambiguous on this point, and I went back and forth on how to interpret them before ultimately making the wrong choice. I took the sentence that says “Do not cut yarn and slide work” to mean do not cut yarn and do not slide work. But I take it from this comment that it is intended to mean do not cut yarn and DO slide work. Time to start over . . . .
Wondering if I started the first row wrong after casting on. When I got to row 3 back to the warm color it was on the same side as the cool color, so there was so need to slide. Am I supposed to slide after cast on?
Hi Ali,
Yes, the next step after casting on is sliding your work! Once you’ve done that, the colors will appear on the correct sides for the subsequent rows.
All the best,
Lili
Would you recommend using the paired colors that you picked? Or could I follow the “organized chaos” method you use for the Incredible Blanket with warm and cool colors? Thanks!
Hi Megan,
Thank you for writing in! You could definitely use the same method we used for the Incredible Blanket if you’d like! Your blanket will still turn out beautifully!
All the best,
Gavriella
Can you confirm the gauge “65 rows is 4 inches” please?
Hi Kerry,
Thank you for writing in! This pattern has a gauge of 27 stitches and 65 rows = 4 inches in stitch pattern!
All the best,
Gavriella
Hi Purl, thanks for such beautiful colors! I’m trying to make this same color combo/stitch in a sweater, so could you let me know if it’s possible to do this in the round? And what would the pattern be for reverse ridge stitch in the round?
Many thanks,
Beth
Hi Beth,
Since this pattern is worked flat with the intention to have both sides visible, you could instead just work garter stitch in the round with the one visible side of your fabric. I hope this helps!
All the best,
Gavriella
Hi Purl Soho folks, I am a left-handed knitter and generally must transpose knitting patterns. I am having a hard time figuring out how to do this to establish the first few rows after cast-on of the Alpenglow blanket. The change of color and the right side/wrong side are coming out wrong. I knit the stitches off the R needle on to the L needle. Can you help me get started?
Hi Gay,
Thanks for writing in! This pattern is completely symmetrical, so you can follow the instructions as written and it will come out exactly the same! I’d recommend trying once more without making any changes to the pattern. If something still looks off, then please email a photo of your swatch to [email protected], and then we’ll be able to take a closer look!
All the best,
Lili
*I love this pattern, but have a lot of DK-weight yarn in my stash. So I’m trying this with fewer cast-on stitches (240) and size 7 needle. The pattern is so simple, it should be fine as a blanket/throw. We’ll see what happens. The idea of using my stash yarn in patterns of cool and warm colors was too good to pass up. Just thought I would share.
Do you stitch this with one or two strands of yarn? I knit the Natures Palette blanket with two strands and it’s hard to imagine this being half as thick.
Hi Kat,
We used just a single strand to knit this blanket and found that the garter stitch really added a nice squishy texture for this project. I hope this helps!
Happy making,
Gavriella
Hello! Would slipping the first stitch knit wise wyib in every row give a nice edge in this pattern? Looking for a way to make this pattern 1000% mindless for an ultra relaxing knit. Alternatively, any suggestions for an easier edge pattern? I know it would turn out beautifully as written, but I’m currently looking for a super easy edge option.
Hi Jen,
Thanks for writing in! Slipping the first stitch knitwise wyib will result in the garter ridges extending to the end of the rows, rather than an edge that looks like knit “V” stitches. Edge treatments can be pretty tricky to get just right in striped patterns, so I would recommend following the pattern as written for the best results! Or, I’d recommend swatching a few different options with scrap yarn to see which you like best.
All the best,
Lili
Just the advice I was looking for. Thank you so much!
I love this pattern but want to make a washable blanket-could I use good wool? or another washable yarn?
Hi Susan,
Thanks for writing in! I want to let you know that Good Wool is not machine washable, but you could absolutely use a machine washable yarn. I think that Cotton Pure would be a great choice since it comes in a wide range of colors.
You will need to make some changes to the pattern though, since Cotton Pure is thicker than Linen Quill, and it also only comes in full skeins. First you’ll need to change the cast-on number so that the blanket comes to the correct width. To do this, just begin by knitting up a gauge swatch in Cotton Pure! Once you know how many stitches you’re getting in one inch, you can multiply that number by the width of the blanket and cast on the nearest whole number.
The other thing you’ll have to change is the stripes. Since you’ll have more yardage per color, you can either make each stripe wider, or you can repeat colors as you go. Both would be lovely options and still maintain the overall effect of the design!
All the best,
Lili
I already have 1 of the 20 linen quill bundle. If I buy the other 20 bundle how do I pair the warm and cool colors so I could make this blanket? It looks like the 40 bundle has different colors in it and I’m not very good at pairing colors .
Hi Donna,
Thanks for writing in! I think it would be beautiful if you used one entire 20-color bundle as the warm colors and the other bundle as the cool colors. It wouldn’t be divided between warm and cool precisely, but we created the two bundles for maximum contrast, so I think it would be a really cool effect to see them contrasted with each other in this pattern. Let me know what you think of that idea!
All the best,
Lili
Please forgive my bad knitting math – but if you make this with a 40-bundle set of the minis, sounds like you will end up with about 360 extra yards (close to 10 yards of each color)? In other words, you can’t make this much bigger without getting a second 40-bundle, correct?
Thanks!!
Hi Jenny,
Thank you for writing in! You’d be able to knit this blanket just a bit longer but since the original pattern uses 4000 yards, it would be safest to buy another bundle. You could also buy a 20 pack bundle and work those new colors in as well if you don’t think you will need a full 40 pack bundle. I hope this helps!
Happy making,
Gavriella
I cannot find care instructions for Linen Quill. How is this supposed to be cared for when finished? Thank you! Leanne
Hi Leanne,
Thanks for writing in! We recommend hand washing Linen Quill in cold water and laying it flat to dry. Because Linen Quill is made from primarily animal fibers, machine washing and drying will cause the yarn to felt and shrink. Also, I wanted to let you know that you can find the care instructions for each of our yarns in the Product Details section on their product page!
All the best,
Lili
Hi, I’m on my third stripe now and I’m loving how bouncy the blanket is turning out. I notice that on the warm side, the garter stitch is full and the “ridges” nearly touch each other. However, on the cool side of the blanket, there is a gap between the “ridges” and it looks less pretty. Is this to be expected, or is there a technique I can try to make the two sides come out more evenly? Thanks 🙂
Hi Ari,
Thanks for writing in! Would you mind sending a photo of your work to [email protected]? That way we can better visualize what’s going on!
All the best,
Lili
Hello, I am planning this blanket for my daughter to take to Uni and have so far just done a gauge square. I’m having trouble making the edges neat, I know the Notes say I should pick up the working yard from behind the other, but I mucosa be getting this wrong……is there a video showing how this should be done? Many thanks
Hi Frances,
I’m so sorry that your project isn’t turning out quite as expected! Would you mind sending a photo of your work to us directly at [email protected]? That way, we can better visualize what’s going on!
All the best,
Lili