Fenestra Blankets
Our Fenestra Blankets are windows onto a sweeping view of shimmering color. Two blanket patterns in one, each pairs a gradient Nine-Note Bundle with one solid shade of Note… One yarn used for the windowpanes that flicker between closely related colors and the other yarn for the solid framework that holds them all together.

Choose your point of view, whether expansive panes or lots of little ones… The clever no-sew construction, all in easy-knitting garter stitch, is the same for both versions of the blanket, and both use the same amount of yarn. The only difference is how big you make those windowpanes!


For the Big Windowpanes version (above), you’ll work through an entire skein of your Nine-Note Bundle for each pane. The scale makes each color its own panoramic vista, highlighting their individuality by mixing up the order of the gradient.


On the other hand, the Small Windowpanes version (above) uses only about a quarter of a Nine-Note skein for each pane. Every value appears multiple times across the blanket, drawing your eye across a landscape of luminous hues… Mesmerizingly beautiful!

Whether in 100-gram skeins of Note or in our gradient Nine-Note Bundles, this incredibly special DK-weight yarn is delightfully bouncy and squishy (especially in plush garter stitch!) and so soft to the touch thanks to a blend of the finest merino wool in the world and lustrous baby alpaca. It’s a yarn you won’t be able to put down and that you’ll never want to stop knitting with!

Choose one Nine-Note Bundle and pick a match from Note’s painterly palette, then cast on your Fenestra Blanket, a window onto colors that seem to dance across your view in absolutely beautiful yarn!
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 founder and co-owner, Joelle Hoverson.
Share your progress and connect with the community by tagging your pics with #PurlSoho, #PurlSohoBusyHands, #PurlSohoFenestreBlankets, #PurlSohoNote, and #PurlSohoNineNoteBundle. We can’t wait to see what you make!
Materials

- Main Color (MC): 6 skeins of Purl Soho’s Note, 80% extra fine merino wool and 20% baby alpaca yarn. Each skein is 200 yards/ 100 grams; approximately 1200 total yards required. We used the color Gray Denim for the Small Grid blanket and Fresh Nutmeg for the Big Grid blanket.
NOTE: We used every last yard of our 6 skeins of Note for our blankets. To avoid running short, be sure to check your gauge, reuse your swatch yarn, and keep tails short. Or, consider ordering an extra skein. If you don’t end up needing it, you can return unwound yarn for a refund within 30 days of purchase, or within 6 months, for store credit. Our Return Policy has all the details!

- Contrast Colors (CC): 1 of Purl Soho’s Nine-Note Bundles. One bundle includes 9 skeins of 80% extra fine merino wool and 20% baby alpaca yarn. Each bundle is 900 yards/ 450 grams; approximately 765 (900) total yards required. We used the Penny bundle for the Small Grid blanket and the Begonia bundle for the Big Grid blanket.
You will also need…
- US 7 (4.5 mm), 60-inch circular knitting needles
- Stitch markers
GAUGE
19 stitches and 38 rows (19 ridges) = 4 inches in garter stitch
SIZES
Small Windowpanes (Big Windowpanes)
Finished Dimensions: 39¼ inches wide x 48¾ inches long (36¼ inches wide x 47½ inches long)
NOTE: “Small Windowpanes” and “Big Windowpanes” refers to the design of the blankets, not the finished dimensions. Both blankets are about the same finished size!
NOTES
CONTRAST COLORS 1–9
For the Nine-Note Bundle, the darkest color is Contrast Color 1 (CC1); the next lightest color is CC2; the next lightest color is CC3, and so on to the lightest color, CC9.
HORIZONTAL STRIPE SECTION
Row 1 (right side): Knit to marker, slip marker, slip last stitch of Horizontal Stripe Section, knit next stitch of Vertical Stripe Section, pass slipped stitch over to join Horizontal Stripe Section to Vertical Stripe Section, turn work. [1 stitch decreased]
Row 2 (wrong side): Move working yarn between needles to back of work, knit to end of row, slipping marker when you come to it.
Repeat Rows 1 and 2.
PICK UP FOR VERTICAL STRIPE SECTION
Orient blanket with cast-on edge at the bottom and Horizontal Stripe Section across the top. With right side facing you and with specified color, pick up and knit one stitch between each garter ridge along selvage edge, starting with upper right hand corner of blanket. Be sure to start picking up between cast-on row of Horizontal Stripe Section and first garter ridge, and finish picking up between last garter ridge and bind-off row from the Horizontal Stripe Section. [194 (190) stitches on needle]
NOTE: For help with picking up stitches, please visit our tutorial and scroll down the page to the Along A Vertical Edge: Garter Stitch video.
SCHEMATIC
SMALL WINDOWPANES

Want to see it bigger? Click here and view the Small Windowpanes schematic as a PDF!
BIG WINDOWPANES

Want to see it bigger? Click here and view the Big Windowpanes schematic as a PDF!
PATTERN
With Main Color (MC), cast on 194 (190) stitches. We used a basic Long Tail Cast On.
VERTICAL STRIPE 1
NOTE: Place a removable marker or scrap yarn on first row for right side.
With MC, knit 18 (36) rows, ending with a wrong-side row. [10 (19) garter ridges]
Cut yarn, but do not turn work.
HORIZONTAL STRIPE 1
With wrong side still facing you and using CC5, use a Long Tail Cast On to loosely cast on 1 stitch, place marker (pm), then loosely cast on 16 (36) stitches. [210 (227) stitches]
With CC5, work Horizontal Stripe Section (see Notes) for 48 (108) rows, ending with a wrong-side row. Cut yarn. [24 (54) ridges]
With MC, work Horizontal Stripe Section for 20 (28) rows, ending with a wrong-side row. Cut yarn. [10 (14) ridges]
With CC1 (CC9), work Horizontal Stripe Section for 48 (108) rows, ending with a wrong-side row. Cut yarn.
With MC, work Horizontal Stripe Section for 20 (28) rows, ending with a wrong-side row. Cut yarn.
SMALL WINDOWPANES ONLY
With CC8, work Horizontal Stripe Section for 48 rows, ending with a wrong-side row. Cut yarn.
With MC, work Horizontal Stripe Section for 20 rows, ending with a wrong-side row. Cut yarn.
With CC4, work Horizontal Stripe Section for 48 rows, ending with a wrong-side row. Cut yarn.
With MC, work Horizontal Stripe Section for 20 rows, ending with a wrong-side row. Cut yarn.
With CC2, work Horizontal Stripe Section for 48 rows, ending with a wrong-side row. Cut yarn.
With MC, work Horizontal Stripe Section for 20 rows, ending with a wrong-side row. Cut yarn.
BOTH VERSIONS
With CC9 (CC2), work Horizontal Stripe Section for 47 (107) rows, until all stitches from previous Vertical Stripe Section have been worked, removing marker on last row and ending with a right-side row.
Next Row (wrong side): Bind off knitwise and cut yarn.
VERTICAL STRIPE 2
With MC, work Pick Up For Vertical Stripe Section (see Notes). [194 (190) stitches]
Still with MC, knit for 19 (37) rows, ending with a wrong-side row. [10 (19) ridges]
Cut yarn, but do not turn work.
HORIZONTAL STRIPE 2
SMALL WINDOWPANES ONLY
Work as for Horizontal Stripe 1, using CC3, CC7, CC6, CC1, CC5, and CC4 for this stripe.
BIG WINDOWPANES ONLY
Work as for Horizontal Stripe 1, using CC7, CC1 and CC4 for this stripe.
VERTICAL STRIPE 3
Repeat Vertical Stripe 2.
HORIZONTAL STRIPE 3
SMALL WINDOWPANES ONLY
Work as for Horizontal Stripe 1, using CC6, CC8, CC3, CC7, CC9, and CC2 for this stripe.
BIG WINDOWPANES ONLY
Work as for Horizontal Stripe 1, using CC6, CC3, and CC8 for this stripe.
VERTICAL STRIPE 4
SMALL WINDOWPANES ONLY
Repeat Vertical Stripe 2.
BIG WINDOWPANES ONLY
Repeat Vertical Stripe 2, but turn work after last row and do not cut yarn.
With right side facing you, bind off loosely to end of row. Do not cut yarn.
Go on to Top + Bottom Borders, below.
CONTINUE: SMALL WINDOWPANES ONLY
HORIZONTAL STRIPE 4
Work as for Horizontal Stripe 1, using CC4, CC6, CC9, CC5, CC1, and CC7 for this stripe.
VERTICAL STRIPE 5
Repeat Vertical Stripe 2.
HORIZONTAL STRIPE 5
Work as for Horizontal Stripe 1, using CC8, CC3, CC2, CC7, CC5, and CC9 for this stripe.
VERTICAL STRIPE 6
Repeat Vertical Stripe 2.
HORIZONTAL STRIPE 6
Work as for Horizontal Stripe 1, using CC2, CC4, CC6, CC8, CC3, and CC1 for this stripe.
VERTICAL STRIPE 7
Repeat Vertical Stripe 2, but turn work after last row and do not cut yarn.
With right side facing you, bind off loosely to end of row. Do not cut yarn.
Go on to Top + Bottom Borders, below.
TOP + BOTTOM BORDERS
TOP BORDER
With right side still facing you, rotate blanket 90 degrees clockwise so left selvage is at the top, ready to pick up for Top Border.
With MC, pick up and knit one stitch between each garter ridge along selvage edge of Vertical Stripe sections, and one for each stitch along Horizontal Stripe sections. [172 (187) stitches]
Knit 27 (37) rows, ending with a wrong-side row. [14 (19) ridges]
With right-side facing you, bind off loosely.
BOTTOM BORDER
With right side still facing you, rotate blanket 180 degrees clockwise so right selvage is at the top, ready to pick up for Bottom Border. Join MC and work Bottom Border as for Top Border, but knitting 35 (43) rows instead of 27 (37). [18 (22) ridges]
FINISHING
Weave in the ends and block as desired.


LEARN ABOUT NINE-NOTE BUNDLES + ALL OUR BEAUTIFUL YARNS
The gorgeous gradient of our Nine-Note Bundle makes this project sing! A carefully calibrated scale of nine skeins ranging from very pale to very saturated, there is beautiful complexity in every harmonious color. A light worsted/DK-weight yarn, our Nine-Note Bundles are a mix of 80% of the softest extra fine merino wool in the world and 20% incredibly soft baby alpaca… It must be experienced to be believed! For a coordinating color, pick up some Note, the same yarn with double the size per skein and its own unique palette of painterly heathered colors.
More Free Knitting Patterns
- Be sure to explore our growing collection of Nine-Note Bundle knitting patterns and cast on!
More Worsted/Aran-Weight Yarns
- Shop our entire collection of light worsted/DK-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 merino wool yarn
- Shop alpaca 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!
Very nice pattern looking forward to try it. Thanks.
So much going on in the instructions that I wish you had an option to chose either or pattern. Small or large would be great to have it separated to assist the reader
Hi Tina,
I completely understand, and I want to let you know that I’ve passed along your suggestion to our design team for future consideration! In the meantime, I’m more than happy to answer any questions that arise as you knit.
All the best,
Lili
I’d like instructions recalculated for a crib size or small throw. How about it? (And I’d prefer the small windows.)
Hi Pat,
That’s a great idea, and fortunately, this pattern is pretty easy to modify for any size! Once you’ve decided on the specific dimensions you want, you can calculate your new cast-on number by multiplying the number of stitches per inch (4.75 stitches, according to the gauge of the pattern) by your desired length. Then, just round the result to the nearest whole number, and that’s your new cast-on! You can also adjust the height of each stripe by knitting fewer rows (for the VERTICAL STRIPE sections) or casting on fewer stitches with the cable cast-on (for the HORIZONTAL STRIPE sections).
I hope this helps you create the blanket you have in mind, and please let me know if any questions come up along the way!
All the best,
Lili
Can you do me a favor and add to this pattern a finished template with numbers on it to show what order makes it the easiest to complete? I think you are starting at the bottom and then working right to left?…but it is hard to follow the detailed directions if I don’t understand the overall order.
Hi Dina,
I want to let you know that I’ve passed along your suggestion to our design team for future consideration! You’re absolutely correct in your interpretation though. You cast on for the length of the blanket, work in garter stitch for that first border stripe, then work a cable cast-on and work garter stitch in the perpendicular direction to create the first row of “windows.” Let me know if any other questions come up!
All the best,
Lili
Beautiful blanket! I’d like make a smaller version for a baby blanket. Any recommendations would be appreciated.
Hi JAS,
That’s a great idea, and fortunately, this pattern is pretty easy to modify for any size! Once you’ve decided on the specific dimensions you want, you can calculate your new cast-on number by multiplying the number of stitches per inch (4.75 stitches, according to the gauge of the pattern) by your desired length. Then, just round the result to the nearest whole number, and that’s your new cast-on! You can also adjust the height of each stripe by knitting fewer rows (for the VERTICAL STRIPE sections) or casting on fewer stitches with the cable cast-on (for the HORIZONTAL STRIPE sections).
I hope this helps you create the blanket you have in mind, and please let me know if any questions come up along the way!
All the best,
Lili
Nice to have a different pattern in blankets Thanks