It seems to me that late fall needs something cozy. Something that will feel warm to the touch and evoke memories. A check pattern does that for me. And this check is a lovely textured slip stitch pattern.

Worked in two contrasting colours, grey and red, using knit, purl and slipped stitches, this lovely textured check is an invitation to get cozy.

Sanquhar Check Blanket Square brings the crisp geometry of traditional Scottish Sanquhar colorwork within reach of advanced beginner knitters, using a mosaic knitting approach so you work only one color at a time, every row.

Construction and technique

• Mosaic colorwork using slipped stitches: color changes happen between rows, never mid-row, so there is no stranding and no carrying floats
• Worked bottom up, flat, as a single square afghan block
• Two-color check pattern based on Sanquhar heritage geometry, achieved entirely through slip-stitch method
• Textured surface created by the interplay of slipped and worked stitches across both colors
• Pattern includes both written row-by-row instructions and a chart so you can work in whichever format suits you

Materials

• Worsted weight yarn (sample shown in Cascade 220): a smooth, high-twist yarn that keeps geometric colorwork crisp and legible
• 90-100 yards total across both colors for one square
• US 7 (4.5 mm) needles
• Gauge: 20 stitches over 4 inches in stockinette

Sizing

• One size: a single afghan block square
• Designed to be repeated and joined into a full blanket at any scale you choose
• Finished dimensions will match standard afghan block sizing at the stated gauge

What’s included

• Fully written row-by-row pattern in English
• Stitch chart for visual reference
• Notes on mosaic technique for makers new to slip-stitch colorwork

This square is a satisfying entry point into colorwork knitting: the geometry reads as complex but the construction stays approachable. Make one to learn the method, then cast on a stack for a full heirloom-quality blanket.