Introduction to Planned Pooling - Sock Summit 2011

Finding the magic number for argyle pooling
If you have already found the magic number for a stacked project (see the first half of this handout) you can
just delete one or two stitches from your stitch count and go. Even though the very bold, crisp design that is
found 1 stitch off from the perfect stack is enticing, I usually go down 2 stitches. I do this because the noise
in the color transitions in actual yarn is easier to manage if you are allowing yourself to advance 2 stitches
on each round instead of just 1.
Keep this in mind: In most projects, the pattern tells you to cast on X number of stitches, without
consideration for the color pattern in the yarn. This is where planning for pooling stands typical projects
on their heads. Stitch count is determined by the color pattern—not by the texture or pattern you want to
make.
Find a nice SIMPLe stitch pattern
For first projects, it might be better to focus on watching your colors shift than to focus on both that and
a complicated stitch pattern. I frequently use ribbing, or garter or seed stitch. I choose these also because I
hate stockinette curl! The other advantage of all of these stitches is that they use the same amount of yarn
on each row. As we told you above, many people use more yarn for purling than for knitting and you don’t
have to compensate if you use these stitches.
Casting on for oPTIMAL color placement
I like to start my argyle and zig zag pieces with a prominent color stripe beginning at the edge of the piece.
To do this, you have to start your knitting at the correct place in the color sequence. Once again we will turn
the traditional cast-on on its head. Options 1 and 3 require circular needles:
Option 1. Allowing a very long tail, create a slip knot stitch in the middle of a prominent color passage.
Using backwards loop, cast on for your magic number of stitches with the tail. Slide cast on stitches to the
other end of the circular needle and begin the first row by knitting into the slip knot stitch.
Option 2. You can also use waste yarn and a provisional cast on, or cast on a large (greater than your magic
number) number of stitches, and end when you reach the middle of the chosen color. As you knit back, you
will only use your magic number of stitches and drop the rest.
Option 3. Place a slip knot at the boundary between two colors. Choose the clearest color break you see in
your yarn. Leave a tail that is at least one color repeat long. Cast on the magic number you found in your
initial swatches using the tail and backwards loop. The slip knot and the first stitches you cast on using the
tail should be the same color and the yarn on the other side of the slip knot that connects with your skein
is the beginning of another color. Slide stitches to other end of circular needle and begin first knitting row
by knitting into slip knot stitch. You should be knitting that stitch with the first stitch of the color adjacent
to the slip knot. Knit all stitches. If you were lucky enough to hit the magic number right on the first time,
you should be starting the next row with one or two stitches of the color that comes before the color of the
slip knot. This causes the slip knot color to begin at stitch position 2 or 3 instead of at position 1 as it did to
begin with. This is good news. Knit two more rows (rows 3 and 4).
Check the color shifts. Is the color moving a fairly regular amount with each time through the cycle? How
far is it moving? In the first row or two you can make decisions about adding or dropping a stitch or two,
rip it out and try again to fine tune the magic number for you. The good news?! Once you find the magic
number for one colorway in a given yarn, it is likely you won’t have to do it again for other colorways of the
same yarn. Once I found the magic number for my Wool of the Andes Blanket (see photo on next page), I
used it for all 6 different colorways.