How to Solve a Solid Color Puzzle (Expert-Level Strategies)

[@KarenPuzzles]

Do you have any similar strategies that you use when tackling difficult puzzles? 🧩 Thank you for watching!

[@Skittl1321]

You mentioned my strategy: quitting.

[@CypherHouse]

I don't do a lot of jigsaw puzzles, but when working on a difficult crossword puzzle or puzzle hunt puzzle, one of the greatest tricks I use it to take a break. It's so easy to get stuck in a brain rut and an impossible solution will turn out to be really obvious after a snack :)

[@Jeremy-The-Bullfrog]

Not a very big puzzler but like your channel, and had an idea I thought of sharing. When you were doing solid sections by shape I imagine there is a lot of cycling of trying different pieces. I'd suggest sorting the basic shape groups themselves in some order. Same width or height of a knob. That way you can implement simple search algorithms, like binary searches to speed up the trial process. Say for instance you sort the castle pieces by width of the bottom edge, You can compare the middle width piece to the spot you are looking to fill, and immediately knock out half the castle pieces based on whether it's too wide or too narrow in one trial. Then you repeat by taking the middle width of what's left and knock out another half. Generally the speed is log2(n) To understand the power of this you can narrow down 256 pieces to one in 8 piece trials, and that's before accounting for intuition. Oh also if the sorting is taking too long for that implement a simple merge or binary insertion sort, they are both super quick and are the easiest to perform with physical objects. This sorting is sort of what you are starting to do when you separate the wide and narrow pieces but taken to the extreme so you can really take full advantage. Can you tell I'm a programmer?

[@Jinxs-Journey]

I feel your pain after doing just different shades of grey this past week. Almost finished though thank god. Your doing awesome on this. Don’t think I could do this one I gave up on the sky on the collessium puzzle last week. Think large areas of sky are just boring.

[@sheenatalks8529]

Watching your channel helped me to tackle my first 1000 piece puzzle a few weeks ago, these tips and tricks are so helpful! I appreciate you combining all the tips I learned from watching you here. Blue 💙😁

[@jasonsmall5602]

Amazing, and she did it with the whole image upside down!

[@sitafinel]

Hahaha

[@charisma-hornum-fries]

ROFL 🤣

[@INXS8000RPM]

I'd like to add one Difficulty strategy that I use on puzzles where picture has limited solid- color areas; landscapes, structures, machinery, etc. I simply assemble the puzzle without viewing the picture during assembly. It does require edge sorting and color sorting to get started, and progress. The challenge is to assemble the edge areas after the main "objects" have been assembled in the center - Without - peeking at the picture!

[@flofelts]

This is my dads humour and I love it 🤣

[@oscarkamala]

lol

[@lele9240]

like I know she is good at puzzles, but can we take a second to appreciate Karen's media production skills?? like seriously, I am amazed every time at how well her vids are made! mad respect!

[@tvmom]

I also appreciate the effort she puts into a profession production every time.

[@lusimmons4982]

For sure! This is beautiful!

[@SSandtheRVCats]

Yes, so true. I make videos and I was sitting here wondering how long it took her to edit this video. It was so well made.

[@WishAtElevenEleven]

Just wanted to say that I appreciate this type of sponsorship. I didn’t feel like I was being advertised to, and I even went and checked out some of blue kazoo’s designs. I also appreciate you saying it’s fine to stop doing a puzzle if it’s not fun. I’ve done that a few times and felt like a failure but I just knew I wouldn’t enjoy continuing to struggle.

[@KarenPuzzles]

I try to only accept sponsorships from companies that I genuinely like and whose products fit into the content I was already going to make!

[@alrightspock]

@@KarenPuzzles I got genuinely worried for you that Blue Kazoo would be mad and withdraw their sponsorship for each other brand you mentioned! 😅 It’s nice to know that it apparently isn’t a problem. ☺️ Do sponsors generally need to approve the final video before you upload?

[@danielleking262]

I'll be honest, anytime I hear coming up someone is going to "talk about today's sponsor" I automatically skip the 10 seconds over and over until I see it's back to the video I wanted to watch (which is why I clicked on it!) With this one, I skipped obviously too much and heard her talking about the puzzles again, so I was like "Wait a minute...." and backed up. Then I realize all she did was mention the puzzle company and I was like "Oh cool, that's all it is??" I didn't give it a chance because everyone ELSE always yap yap yaps that has nothing to do with getting back to the video, lol 😆

[@WishAtElevenEleven]

@@danielleking262 same. I always skip, except for a few KZbinrs who do a funny skit for the sponsor portion. But it’s also not great for the youtuber if everyone skips, because then no one will click over to the sponsor’s website. This is a great solution. You don’t feel like you’re being sold to, and I actually wanted to check out the product and even put one of their puzzles on my Amazon wishlist. I don’t think I’ve ever clicked on a sponsor link before prior to this.

[@Missy_Lib]

There’s 2 Big Ben 1,000 piece puzzles that I gave up on the day I started them. Pieces were too small, could fit anywhere but also weren’t the best quality in terms of staying together, details didn’t match the box exactly, and the image was just boring in general. I tried separating pieces by color and detail, but one puzzle had roof tiles that I didn’t want to deal with, and the other had petals that had lines you could only see up close.

[@Roy-G-Biv]

Karen's joy and little giggle when talking about the red poster is why we love her......soooooo sweet!! BLUEEEEEEEEEE

[@TheAimlesslyWanderingSoul]

Me too....love Karen’s giggle. lol.

[@prabourn]

Hey, that's me! I have aphantasia, and I love puzzles. I can still see shapes and colors with my eyes, I just can't form the whole picture in my head if I'm not directly looking at it. I can't rotate the color of any pieces in my head, but I can describe the shape of something I'm looking for (i.e. "big out a little high" or "in but smaller than average") and in this way can sort-of rotate the shape of something in my head enough to find the correct piece. Random cut are a lot more fun than traditional, but that may be a personal preference. A puzzle does take a lot of focus but I find completing them very rewarding!

[@KarenPuzzles]

Wow, that's so interesting! I'm so glad you're still able to do and enjoy puzzles!

[@JanHouben]

That's exactly how I do it as well! Maybe it takes a bit longer, but I don't think I'm 'missing' anything. It's just what you're used to... That being said, I don't think I'd have the patience to do a solid red puzzle. I recently did a puzzle with a lot of blue sky with a very slight trading, and it almost drove me mad 😁

[@tristenjaniec]

I'm in the same boat! I think I prefer random cut because the pieces are way more distinct when looking for one

[@dianeluta1606]

I can relate! I think this is why I like random cut too. It is very hard for me to visualize some images.

[@alexwest03]

I’m exactly the same! I can’t visualize anything but I can explain to myself what I’m looking for

[@rainsongt189]

When my husband and I were first dating, I bought him the Little Red Riding Hood puzzle. He hated puzzles but he did finish it. I guess his sticking with it (and me) was a good sign as we were married for almost 35 years before he passed away. Thanks for the memory.

[@sj6919]

Sorry for your loss. That’s a good memory. I remember that puzzle. Was it round?

[@rainsongt189]

@@sj6919 Yes, it was round. As best as I can remember, it was also the only jigsaw puzzle he ever did.

[@kastanie7445]

Guys, how lucky are we that someone with the experience, motivation and skill to make high quality videos (Karen) has chosen to dedicate her efforts to a topic that is pretty much a desert when it comes to video content (jigsaw puzzles) 😁

[@KarenPuzzles]

I'm just happy there are so many people out there who want to watch me do my puzzles!

[@Rlduncan1]

Karen Rocks!!!❤️❤️❤️. She really has motivated me to get back into my jigsaw puzzle 🧩 groove again. This baby boomer, thanks her!!!❤️❤️❤️

[@hopegold883]

BLUE Ribbon, on every level!

[@tvmom]

I appreciate her content. I always look for others she’s kind of in a league of her own.

[@pvic6959]

@@KarenPuzzles Honest Karen, I found you through the try guys video and came here because it was so niche. I don't even do puzzle LOL but Ive stayed for you and your personality. You could be doing anything and we'd watch it! I'm sure there is a group of people that would even watch you talk while you wait for paint to dry haha

[@ash_rock]

Hey! I'm someone with aphantasia, which means that I cannot see anything inside my mind. I also LOVE puzzles. The sorts of things you were aloud to describe the pieces are what I keep thinking (in word form) to myself to remember them. I also have great color vision and usually match colors by quickly looking from one to the other. I rarely have trouble completing puzzles and I'm better than my of family at doing them, even though they can all see in their minds and I can't.

[@johnarinehart]

Same as myself, I found out that I have aphantasia recently, but I have some sort of intuition when a piece can fit in a spot or not (it's not perfect, obviously, but makes me faster when solving puzzles)

[@TheMetalButcher]

Huh. I have quite good mental vision which is necessary for me as an engineer, but I am awful at puzzles. Dreadful. Wordsearches too. They would always stress me out when assigned in school. Now you've got me wondering if there is a connection.

[@LMaloey]

@@TheMetalButcher Doubtful, I've got aphantasia too, but not amazing at puzzle, and dreadful would fit my skill level at wordsearches too. If there is a lower tier skill level than dreadful, that would describe my ability to "see" roating 3D vectors in an equation. I love doing puzzles as it alows my mind to drift into pleasant thoughts. Stubbornes is what helps me over the humps when it is all same colour and same shape , sorting and trying, repeat.

[@AmayaElls]

Another person with Aphantasia here who likes puzzles. My ADHD and low muscle tone limit me much more than my inability to visualise. The number of times I have had to stop too early because of my weak back and then accidentally missed my hyperfocus session to leave a half completed puzzle on a table that I can no longer sit for.

[@Mac_an_Mheiriceanaigh]

So what I do is I just take out the adjacent piece(s) and hold them next to all of my sorted pieces.

[@ballookey]

Sometimes I'll find a piece that is very close to the piece I need, but not quite it--maybe there's something about the shape or color or both, but it doesn't quite fit. I find it helpful to hold onto that wrong piece and use it to compare the remaining pieces with. Speeds up the process of zeroing in on a subtle shade of "Blue" for example, or a peculiarity of the shape.

[@OrigamiMarie]

Yes! And also it keeps you from coming back to that piece and trying it again.

[@ktrmeadow]

I enjoy how Karen flows her hands over the entire finished puzzle. So gratifying that it is all completed. She’s so encouraging!

[@MartinJablonski]

Karen: Interesting that they didn't make a blue one, considering their name. Blue Kazoo CEO: "surprised pikachu face"

[@hooklynee5851]

Lmao I just watched it and I’m still shook by the sass

[@stephaniefleming103]

I love the tip about taking the piece out of the puzzle and matching it to the grid...I've been picking up each piece from the grid and bringing it to the puzzle! What at time and effort saver!

[@keehuonglai626]

I found this tip to be very efficient and time saving as well. Will try it for my next puzzle.

[@natasham4803]

Karen saying it was weird that they didn't do a blue puzzle has big kermit the frog sipping tea energy

[@MeghanReads]

How can something be so relaxing and so anxiety inducing at the same time. I've been binge watching your channel all night and just ordered my first gradient puzzle. Thank you!

[@ajrwyb1217]

My sister in law NEEDS to watch this video. She's been having a hard time on one of her puzzles. I hope this video will help her and keep her from feeling blue. By the way.....NEVER would I do a solid color puzzle lmao. You got skills :)

[@ThomasSimkins]

Karen Puzzles: 1. Have enough space to lay out the pieces 2. Have good lighting 3. Have a good background. Me: Doing a cheap 650 piece puzzle on a overcrowded, yellow desk in the corner of my darkened room while listening to Karen Puzzles... It’ll be fine! :D

[@KarenPuzzles]

Putting the difficulty on extra extra hard mode 😂

[@alrightspock]

@@KarenPuzzles Haha, I thought when you gave the tip about non-busy backgrounds that it could be a good element for a puzzle challenge/competition - to have the added challenge of a patterned table cloth!

[@XDonlyone]

If you have a big cardboard box cut it up and use that or I just bought one of those trifold school project displays at the dollar store and it works really well you can do the puzzle on the middle then fold up the sides and clip with some binder clips so you can store it. You can get them in different sizes.

[@Jackisafanofstarwars]

Karen I just want to say that I absolutely have fallen in love with your channel and videos, you are such a wholesome person and are so genuine and make me happy when I’m down, you always cheer me up! I feel like I have gotten to know you even though I don’t 😅. You have gotten me back into puzzles and I really love them so much again. Please never change because you are honestly a beautiful person inside and out. Thank you for filling my life with joy. 😊

[@KarenPuzzles]

This comment makes my day! I'm so happy you're enjoying my videos!

[@Jackisafanofstarwars]

Aww your welcome Karen! You seeing this comment has made my day! I’m currently doing a double sided star wars Death Star round puzzle by ridleys it also comes in a tall cylindrical box like your donut puzzle and honestly it’s so hard, the texture is similar all the through with differences in tone but I haven’t even started the dark part yet because that’ll be something 😆, you should definitely try it!

[@rainbowandre9580]

15:47 hi! It's me! That person is me. I have aphantasia which means I can't picture things in my mind (if you ask me to think of an apple my mind is just pitch black) and I LOVE jigsaw puzzles. The way my brain works, I don't retain pictures but I can memorize descriptions of said pictures so basically work with that. I see a spot in the puzzle and I try to make a detailed description of the hole so I know what type of piece to look for. It would be something like this: "a tall castle piece with wobbly edges a wide knob". And then I'll just look for a piece that fits that description.

[@TomLegobro21]

Just me seeing a red puzzle and got “Heinz 57 Puzzle” flashbacks!! 😩😭

[@KarenPuzzles]

I compare it to the Heinz puzzle later in the video!

[@ABCEasyas--]

At first I thought it was the Heinz ketchup puzzle

[@TomLegobro21]

Fun fact it’s off topic but I’m buying the 570 colour sphere puzzle she reviewed last year for Easter! Can’t wait!!

[@nubbsyaboi263]

I did the ketchup puzzle by myself... it was pain

[@TomLegobro21]

@@nubbsyaboi263 oh jeez my heart goes out to you my guy! 🧡 are you a fan of Splatoon by the way?? I am too!

[@ilio1335]

I love the famous quote "Oh man... What have I gotten myself into" - Karen 2021

[@mMonazzzLindozz]

I think I need that on a T-shirt.

[@ilio1335]

@@mMonazzzLindozz YESS OMGGGG

[@d.d.wulbee]

We finished the 18000 piece ravensburger magic bookcase puzzle in 60 days, all bags mixed. The new puzzle arrived yesterday, the 32,000 piece Ravensburger New York puzzle! We will mix 1/2 at a time, that's all the space we have!

[@KarenPuzzles]

Good luck!

[@catherineperez9779]

How many people worked on it? Are you on Instagram?

[@tiff2106]

Wow!

[@ruthengel6596]

Slow clap (I can’t get anyone in my family to do puzzles with me 🥺, I enjoy them anyway but you’re so lucky!)

[@d.d.wulbee]

@@catherineperez9779 there were two of us. we counted 544 manhours.

[@cyndymyers3510]

Hi Karen, I am a newer veiwer/ fan of you. But I would like to thank you for making puzzle videos. I am on the younger side (but not really young, just not guiet an adult), but I love doing puzzles. I have a large-ish freezer full of puzzles. The smallest size about 500 peices, and the biggest 5,000. But watching your videos have showed me so many more types of puzzles other than the standard picture. Soon I will be getting myself a gradient puzzle. And so many more puzzles that I found watching your videos. So thank you for inspiring me to continue hording puzzles and to continue doing them, so I dont fall out of love with them.

[@ellamortimer4335]

Congratulations, you made me want to comment! Seriously, I never ever comment. But this video may just have saved me from giving up on a puzzle I really want to finish. I have been working on the Van Gogh Starry Night 1500 piece puzzle by Ravensburger. It is by far the hardest puzzle I have ever attempted, which is weird because it looks like it should be easy. But broken up into little pieces, everything looks the same. Once you have done the yellow starry bits and the tree, you are left with impossible landscape and blue blue blue blue blue! I could sit for hours and find maybe 2 pieces. So I tried sorting. I cut pieces of card that fit back into the box, because I have to pack it up after each session. And I saw results. Not stellar results, but definite progress. Now I have added another level of sorting, first by shape and now by direction of brushstroke. Yes it is that hard. It’s still slow but now I have hope, so thank you. And if you want to try something with challenging texture, give this one a go.

[@shimamiya1683]

I just finished a 5k puzzle after one year. It survived a burglary and moving to another city. Not one piece was lost.

[@byusaranicole]

The solid red poster!! 😂😂😂 Good one, Blue Kazoo!

[@Welcometotherox]

Karen has the best positive attitude to difficult tasks. It's quite inspiring.

[@myleahrydberg8848]

I love how organized the pieces are after you've sorted them by shape! But in my situation, that is not always the "fastest", because I have a saboteur by way of my partner who loves to do puzzles with me, but doesn't appreciate the sorted process (meaning **shock and horror** pieces get misplaced!).

[@annettegause1844]

I will definitely try a BLUE Kazoo puzzle after watching this video! I do use some of your strategies already, but you take them to a higher level so this was helpful. And I agree, if a puzzle is causing anxiety it’s time to go back in the box and get donated!!!! Thanks for sharing!!

[@ericabauman5562]

This was so helpful! I have two 1000-piece puzzles that have stumped me that might as well be solid colors: one is a million zebras, and one is a million tiny fall leaves. For both, I have constructed the edges and then got overwhelmed and put the puzzles away. This video definitely inspires me to go back and try those puzzles again.

[@beverlyhoughton3615]

Blue. I am 70 years old and have done a few puzzles in that time. Now that I have lots of time, I plan on doing more. I have always used the grid system. But what you taught me is the wide and the narrow pieces. I always saw the difference but didn't connect it with which way in the puzzle the piece would set. Thanks for teaching this old gal something new.

[@Skittl1321]

When I talk about puzzle pieces the one you called standard I always call a puzzle piece shape, the double box I call a person, then I do 2, 3, 4, or no pokeys. Very official.

[@mariam-m]

i call it a person too ! 🤣

[@whitneymagwood2926]

No pokeys 😂 I love that! I call them nubs (outs) and innies (like a belly button lol). Then I call the pieces singles, doubles, triples, and quads by how many nubs they have, or Xs if they have none

[@Culpride]

I call the pieces X (no nubs, like x marks the spot on the treasure map), Normal (with two opposing nubs like the symbol on the box), Little Man (one nub as a head), Fat Man (three nubs as head and arms), Four Way (four nubs like a road junction) and L or Arrowhead (two adjacent nubs). Everyone seems to have their own names for them =D

[@whitneymagwood2926]

@@Culpride little man and fat man, that’s awesome lol

[@erinmcclellan426]

I am a vision therapist and I often have to teach people how to visualize and visually rotate images in their head. It is challenging to teach but with practice I have learned that most people can be successful with this skill. I love using jigsaw puzzles to help with this skill but we use puzzles with pictures on them to help :)

[@discobeque]

This came at the perfect time!! I’ve been at a standstill with my current puzzle for a bit so I’m excited to get back to it with some better techniques. Thanks Karen!

[@KarenPuzzles]

Good luck! You've got this!

[@Saudade_Ana]

I love the Moon puzzle. And the little red riding hood puzzle has the most gorgeous shade of red, I'd love watching you solving it

[@adam-l74]

I admire how strategic you are. I always feel a little overwhelmed when it comes to puzzles.

[@dianbright9499]

[BLUE] One of the first puzzles I bought as an adult was an antique wooden puzzle over 100 years old. And yes, without a picture. I used every one of these strategies and thought I was going to lose my mind. When I finally finished the picture, one piece was missing! But I felt a great sense of accomplishment. I went on to find a puzzle maker who made many (very hard to do) puzzles for me. I've moved quite a few times and one of the hardest ones spilled. I've resorted to doing it using the wood grain on the back. Nonetheless, I still enjoy putting jigsaw puzzles together. I always enjoy your videos. Thanks!

[@pipperoni8567]

okay, I absolutely hate putting together puzzles, but I love your videos because you just love puzzles so much. If I was doing a puzzle with someone who loved them as much as you, I think even I would have fun

[@dianeluta1606]

You wondered about people who had trouble looking at puzzle pieces and not being able to really discern the unique features in the shapes. That’s me! I’m 67 and just started doing jigsaw puzzles in April 2020. I’ve been spatially challenged all my life. When I do jigsaw puzzles I thoroughly sort by color and texture. I go from there in putting areas of the puzzle together. At a certain point I will then sort by shape. This video was wonderful in helping me know exactly what to look for in shapes. I would’ve never thought to look at something like the flat edge of a knob. Of course, if I started puzzling when I was a child I would’ve been taught things like that.There’s no way that I can rotate a piece in my head. That just blew me away when you said you could do that! Obviously it takes me much longer to finish a jigsaw puzzle. I am fine with that because I love the actual process of putting a puzzle together. I’m careful when I select puzzles. Ones that have distinct shapes and colors work for me. Sky and water areas are a challenge, but this video will help me with that.

[@Rlduncan1]

Karen, I’d like to thank you so much for getting me motivated to do jigsaw 🧩 puzzles. As a child growing up in the 60’s (I know, I’m really old 😄) this was one of my favorite hobbies. As I got older I had forgotten about it .😥😥. I moved last year during the Covid craziness. But this year, 2021, thanks to you, I’ll be getting back into my jigsaw groove again! ❤️. Keep up the awesome work!!👍🏽👍🏽

[@shellyt556]

I am doing my first Ravensburger puzzle because of your channel. You have gotten me hooked on doing puzzles. Thank you!

[@Lilee177]

This is an amazing sponsored video - the entire thing didn't feel like an advert whatsoever but definitely speaks volumes about how great Blue Kazoo puzzles are! (I will be going and taking a look and getting myself an early birthday present I think!)

[@mMonazzzLindozz]

That hack on 18:50 is GOLD! I have a small hack, when two pieces seem to fit but you are not sure, you can check if the corners of the pieces fit, maybe one edge is just a little tiny bit longer than the other piece, so that is definitely not a match, because other pieces wouldn't be able to fit to that. I use that along the against-the-light hack and it never fails. Blueee

[@KileyMcCarthy]

My mom and I both have aphantasia and we LOVE doing puzzles! I only found out we were different than the majority a couple years ago, and since then I've been wondering how much of a hard mode we're experiencing in our lives. And specifically I've wondered how different puzzling is for folks that can picture things in their mind. Rotating in the mind is mind blowing to me! Your tips are great! We usually get to a point where we sort the shapes in most puzzles, though it's so tedious we usually push it off. 🤣 I don't know if I really registered how the pieces are longer one way vs the other. Perhaps intuitively I did, but certainly didn't think to do that in sorting. Going to try that soon! Thanks for all this! 😊

[@Maggie-tr2kd]

I think this is one of your most helpful videos filled with valuable tips to solving challenging puzzles. Although sometimes tiresome, sorting pieces by shape and organizing them in groups really pays off when you are working either solid color puzzles (I'm not a fan, they make me BLUE) or puzzles with a large area of similar color or texture. Taking breaks after putting the edge pieces together or after sorting is particularly helpful. Taking a piece out of the puzzle to help search for an adjoining piece saves a lot of time. Thank you for the great tips.

[@margaretefreund8958]

I bought a couple of Blue Kazoo puzzles. I'm excited!

[@BinaScully]

Who thought she was revisiting the ketchup puzzle 🙋🏼‍♀️

[@KarenPuzzles]

Never!

[@anjagoller]

Me

[@pastelshadows6594]

I did

[@kareneastman9695]

I did.:-O:-(:-D

[@belimandziuk2561]

I did for sure lol

[@deanwalker6251]

Love watching your videos as I'm a big jigsaw fan, your enthusiasm is great to watch. I always sort my pieces out by shape and colour but the tip about taking a fitted piece out and trying it against all the unfitted pieces rather than the other way round is a great tip, thanks for that.

[@fungol]

New word: "Knolling" : 'Knolling is the process of arranging related objects in parallel or 90-degree angles as a method of organisation.

[@samanthacanales3992]

Thank you so much! Big motivation for me to get through the rest of big blue sky and snow filled beloved puzzle. I can't wait to organize❤

[@ArikaNrazzle]

I can't picture shapes in my head. I have to draw it or see it in person. To do a puzzle, I have to pick one that's got a busy picture on the whole puzzle. Then if I get stuck, I literally have to pick up every single piece and try all sides until I find what I need.

[@KarenPuzzles]

So interesting!

[@zgoemans2213]

Me too

[@luciafrau125]

@@NCSArbeitsproben not really. That's a medical condition called Aphantasia, it makes you not be able to picture things in your head. Very interesting!

[@NCSArbeitsproben]

@@luciafrau125 nah i meant that at some point you just start trying every piece😂

[@TinyDogTraining]

I’m the same Kira and like you have to choose busy puzzles or try each piece. It can be frustrating but the reward is great when it’s done.

[@leafdaleaudiovideoengineer4763]

My mom put Little Red Riding Hood's Hood together in 4 days by herself in the early 1970s. Somewhere I have a picture of her with the finished puzzle. I don't know how many people I've told about that puzzle over the years. My mom was really proud of that accomplishment. I didn't know it was likely the first single-color jigsaw puzzles. Thanks!

[@paulfreeman4900]

How can anyone dislike Karen Puzzles?!

[@a-little-sunshine]

Hi Karen :) I have Aphantasia! There are different levels to not being able to picture things in your head - I can a tiny bit, but it's foggy and unclear. I found your channel last year, and before then, I'd never done a jigsaw. I've completed nine now and am about to start my tenth! Until you brought it up in this video, I'd never thought about how aphantasia affects my puzzling. I will definitely be thinking about it now! I say things aloud a lot when I'm puzzling, like "two ins, two outs" if I'm looking for a shape, just how some people say a number out loud to remember it. I always have the box on hand and really study it throughout to see which parts of the image I'm missing, then think of a description of that section while scanning the pieces. What you said in this video about organising the pieces by shape really helps me too, and I have no problem looking at a shape and finding it again if it's there in front of me, so having aphantasia doesn't feel like I have a disadvantage in that way. It doesn't feel like a disadvantage in any way, as it's just how I think and experience the world. I didn't realise people could visualise things until about five years ago! Thanks for giving me something to think about :D

[@adriennegonzales2636]

The red poster! They could have saved a buck but no! They just *had* to print and include that 😂

[@kastanie7445]

Probably more expensive to change the factory process for just a few puzzle designs. Definitely makes for a good laugh! 😆

[@stellavraduy]

I lovit lol

[@cherrymaree]

can be used as wrapping paper

[@marleenhoncoop4188]

Somebody at the designerdepartment had a good day when they thought of this.😂

[@anselimnida]

Just got this red puzzle for Christmas! Rewatching this for some "I believe in you; you can do it" energy. Thanks for the tips!!

[@sharkt96]

I started solving jigsaw puzzles this year, and have found that I enjoy them quite a bit. My biggest one so far is a 2000 puzzle. Solid color puzzles don't seem to me as the most pleasing but if I were to choose one it would be a BLUE one. For sure the grid is the best technique

[@jeannietrapnell2226]

I worked on the Little Red Riding Hood's Hood puzzle back in the late 1960s or maybe 1970 at a college church party. I don't think we got any pieces in. Which was a bummer because I love puzzles and am good at them. But yes, your methods work well for difficult puzzles and I usually use it. Obviously at a party that's really not an option, so I blame that for the reason we were unable to make progress. Love your posts. Wonderful tips! Blue.

[@havokshere]

I cant picture things in my head, its totally blank up there and I enjoy puzzles of the digital variety lol I'm glad I stumbled onto your videos out of the blue. I hadn't really shown any online interest in puzzles but one of your videos was recommended to me and I love your genuine enthusiasm. It always brings a little joy to my day when I watch your videos. Your happiness whenever you complete a puzzle always makes me smile.

[@cwjalexx]

I was just reading about this. It sounds like you have aphantasia which is not having a mind’s eye. II guess it affects somewhere between 1-3ish percent of people but it occurred to me how easily one could live their life without ever realizing they experience the world a little differently than most others and just assume people are speaking metaphorically when they says things like they are imagining a beach for instance.

[@wendy4304]

I love that they include a poster! Too funny!!

[@lesanimaux4416]

This was actually so helpful! I didn't really realize that the standard shapes can be sorted horizontally and vertically! This will make my next jigsaw experience a little more organized. I hope. (I'm blue, dabadee dabadaa dabadeedabadaa)

[@RachaelSparkles41]

I’ve been inspired by your channel to pull out a 1,000 piece jigsaw puzzle. I’ve been working on it for 2 weeks on and off during the evenings. I’ve been doing the sorting into like colors and sort of by shape. Thank you for the tip of using the two pieces to narrow down possibilities.

[@CypherHouse]

I love the name CASTLE for the 3 out piece! Thanks for sharing these tips and tricks!

[@Uniquelyyours1]

I have been using all your tricks and tips for decades. My Mom taught me the light between pieces back in the 1960's. I'm lucky to have large tables to work on so I can sort specific shapes on multiple foam boards. I work my puzzles on foam boards that I cut and tape together. That way I can rotate the puzzle as I go. I don't like stretching across the table. I love watching you do puzzles, Karen, and introducing us to new puzzle brands. Blue:)

[@susanwhite1450]

Great tips! I always feel like it's too time consuming to lay out all the pieces like that but now I can really see the benefit of doing that. Thanks for another interesting video. BLUE

[@edb5272]

Blue! The tiime-lapse of the grid of pieces moving as you complete the jigsaw is immensely satisfying; it's like watching space invaders!

[@morganhawkins1493]

My mom and I just finished a puzzle whose entire picture was just tiny jelly beans and the shape sorting was an absolute necessity!

[@marsa.2023]

I’m so thankful for this video, i’ve been stuck on a puzzle for a year now and after I watched your video, progress is going smooth. Thank you!

[@luzdelangeliwiwiwo]

The final part of the video, I spend watching the moon puzzle box upside down 😂 Karen! Flip that booox! Also.. love the “blue” vintage puzzle

[@kathiegemmell7319]

Glad to meet BLUE-Kazoo puzzles. My senior-citizen group is stuck on White Mountain.... As someone who has done puzzles for years but never been in on the start-up, I found myself intuitively using the sort by texture, then shape method when we had a background that looked all the same and everyone else gave up. Glad to know I'm on a 👍 track!

[@niraea]

i can't picture shapes in my mind. it's just more physical for me. i rotate the pieces physically and try them out. maybe it's more of a challenge but i don't have any problem putting puzzles together :) also my color vision is incredibly good which helps make up for it. oh also if i try a piece that's close but doesn't quite fit, i'll match it against the rest of the pieces i have laid out until i find a similar one. so that's one strategy that helps me out.

[@KarenPuzzles]

So interesting! And what a great strategy!

[@miriamdixon3850]

I have aphantasia (no mind’s eye at all) so cannot picture the shapes. I wish the pieces had standard names by everyone. Even if it were castle and people. I do not like inny or pokey. Patience is required for sorting for sure. You cannot be in a hurry whatever method you use.

[@niraea]

@@miriamdixon3850 i loved that karen named the pieces in this video. i'm going to adopt those names. maybe they can become the standard seeing as there isn't one already. and yes sorting is very important for us. i spent much longer on the last puzzle i did because i was lazy and did not sort the pieces as well as i should have.

[@ErinMV]

Found your video because I'm currently working on a puzzle where about 25% of it is all the same color and unfortunately, the puzzle shapes are all the same! (Double box). It's so hard to finish but I love the image so I'm going to keep plugging away at it. I love your recommendation to pull out the joining piece to and bring it to your grid instead of picking up each piece for trial an error. I'm going to try that for the rest of this. Thanks for the advice, Karen!!

[@ingobaby1]

I love the aesthetics of the puzzles you were sent! I think the solid coloured ones are way too challenging for me, but I’m definitely checking out the others! 🤩

[@317jamanda]

Blue!!!! Loved this video! It was comforting to hear you say it's okay to not finish a puzzle! I got this Marauder's Map puzzle for Christmas and it was just so frustrating. The pieces all fit together even if they shouldn't and the image was like they just took it off Google and blew it up.

[@sammreads]

That red one looks about 1000 times better than the Heinz one. It actually looks doable!

[@susan_s7282]

I have just discovered your channel! I have been stuck on a puzzle that has a solid black background for 2 years now! I’m pretty sure your techniques will help me finish it! Thanks!!!

[@simbathedog2249]

Yay! You got sponsored!!

[@hannahgreendale3589]

You absolutely Blue *cough* I mean, blew my mind with that tip about knowing whether a standard cut piece is vertical or horizontal. I've already been using some of your sorting techniques while puzzling, and my puzzles are coming together much faster. Thanks for all the great tips!

[@sortathesame8701]

There are people who have no “minds eye” at all! It is called Aphantasia. Apparently it is fairly rare, but both my son and I cannot call up a picture in our mind. We do not dream in pictures either, we dream in stories or thoughts. I enjoy working jigsaw puzzles, but it must have a fairly detailed picture so I have something specific to look for. My son refuses to even attempt one, but I think that might be due to a combination of his lack of patience and Aphantasia.

[@miriamdixon3850]

I have aphantasia as well.

[@miriamdixon3850]

I love jigsaw puzzles!!

[@AoyukiLynx]

I just recently got so addicted with puzzling because of your channel! I have finished a 3D jigsaw puzzle and three 500-1000 pieces ones. I wanted to try more pieces but I don't think I have space for that lol. I was so excited when I saw you posted a video! Looking forward for more

[@shake6474]

Her - oh I'm just surrounded by puzzle boxes Me - I wish that was me 😂😂😭😭

[@pattyowens5756]

Since I started watching your channel, I notice that I finish my puzzles a lot faster. I guess even though I'm not really consciously doing anything differently, I must be picking up some of your techniques!

[@sarahdugmore7079]

My dad did a scenic puzzle, and left all the blue sky for my SIL to finish. He didn't feel like doing it

[@elleallover3040]

I just ordered this red puzzle for my bday can't wait to start it... puzzle lover 🧩🧩🧩🧩

[@anjagoller]

When I saw the thumbnail I first thought you were attempting to finish the ketchup-puzzle... 😆

[@louisejohnson6057]

I haven't done a jigsaw puzzle in over 40 years, but I have discovered through this channel, that I really enjoy watching Karen do puzzles. It's relaxing! And I really enjoyed this solid red puzzle, although it would drive me crazy to attempt it. I also love the ritual Karen has of running her hand across a finished puzzle, it's adorable.

[@sebastiand8219]

Wow you’re totally a master of puzzles, I’d never finish something like that 😂

[@jeannietrapnell1000]

So enjoyed this video. I had never watched it. Yes, you would think Blue Kazoo would have made a blue puzzle. I laughed so hard about the enclosed poster - as if you can forget it's solid red! It was a wonderful video to watch after finishing your puzzle this afternoon. Took me just shy of 2 months as I started it on December 29, 2022 (just after I got it for Christmas). Today is February 26, 2023. It was the most challenging puzzle I have ever completed. I did attempt the Red Riding Hood's Hood puzzle at a game night get together back in the late 60s or early 70s, but gave up without finding a single piece. Your puzzle was a great challenge for me. I really didn't have enough room for that large a puzzle and so for a long time I couldn't even spread out all the pieces. If I ever do it or another one that size I will have to figure out a way to see more pieces early on. I did a lot of it mainly by shape. Thanks for all your work on these videos. I always enjoy them!

[@sethusk]

Blue Isn't sliding your hand back and forth across a completed jigsaw puzzle just the best feeling in the world?

[@JT1358]

Thought it was just me! 😁

[@sethusk]

@@JT1358 I just noticed that Karen does it when she finishes her puzzles and I do it when I finish mine, so it must just be a natural thing to do. So satisfying.

[@veronicafaber143]

I was doing that to a puzzle I finished this weekend and the bf was staring at me like a weirdo. I told him to come try cause it's super satisfying and he agreed and now let's me rub my puzzles in piece (pun intended).

[@JudithARobinson]

I never used to do that at all. But I've noticed I've started doing it ever since I discovered Karen's channel!

[@boonbb69]

OMG I do the same for all the puzzles I have completed!!! I even leave it for a few days for me to run my hands on it every time I walk by it before I return the pieces back to the box 😋

[@sarahd5000]

Love the tip about taking the piece out, and looking up completed puzzle on instagram to see the shapes. Always sort solid colours like you did.. Dont think I will ever do a total solid puzzle, but looking forward to gradient one day. Thanks Karen. Blue.

[@LL-wu5ui]

I did a puzzle yesterday, and it had about 40 solid pieces and I struggled! I laught at my past self who thought your red puzzle is not that horrible. xD

[@paperchaser29]

I’m so glad you’ve made up names for the different kinds of pieces. I’ve long thought that one of the things that makes jigsaw puzzles so challenging is that we don’t have words to associate with the pieces or their components so we have to keep a visual image in our mind of what we’re looking for instead of a word.

[@DH-fo1uw]

I can't picture anything in my head but i LOVE jigsaw puzzles

[@blackcowharu]

I clicked on this video because I was curious whether there existed some kind of 'secret puzzle solving technique' that I never used before, but it wasn't anything out of the ordinary (the tip of taking a piece out from the grid is priceless though! Years ago my mind was blown when I finally realized that I could just lol). That said, I still watched it through to the end because of how genuinely happy/enthused Karen appears to be about puzzles. 10/10 will definitely be subscribing for more wholesome puzzle goodness.

[@inwalters]

Don't be blue - after finishing a Moon puzzle, I hope you had pizza, cause "when the Moon hits your eye like a big pizza pie, that's amore!"

[@ChrisCreates11]

Had to have a good laugh at the poster picture they put in the box lol

[@crochetingcanuck]

I was not aware there were puzzles with only one piece shape until I opened a Eurographics brand 1000 piece puzzle back in November. And I was confused. And I was worried it would be too hard, but I actually found it much easier than regular puzzles and did it pretty quickly. And I found it so enjoyable that I did another lol. Blue!

[@alexanderreynolds6018]

I did a really nice star wars collector's puzzles a couple months ago, 500 pieces so I thought it would be easy. The pieces were all standard cut and it was actually quite challenging. Took me an entire weekend.

[@birdgirl8390]

Some days ago KZbin was like "hey here's this gal doing puzzles, you wanna watch?" I was confused and amazed that people are that much into puzzles, so I was binging your videos for two days straight 😂 today I got finally motivated to try again that 1000 pieces puzzle I've bought ten years ago and holy shit, I liked puzzling but I hadn't expected my ptsd, depression and anxiety mangled brain to go into happy hormones hyper mode, I'm legit sad that it's evening and too dark to work on it. As much fun as I'm having it's still hard though. The classic victorian cottage might not be the best beginner's choice... so many smol flowers... so many leafs 😭 I'm very thankful for your tips! 🤗💕

[@Jindychick]

'Thank you, Karen! I've been trying to name different pieces all my life when doing a puzzle with another person, and now you've done it beautifully. Pretty sure those names will become a standardization (they will in my house anyway:)

[@Devsie9]

Thank you so much for this video! I was starting to do the strategies you suggested but seeing you explain everything helped me that much more with my current puzzle