Explore planned pooling patterns
Enter your yarn's repeating color sequence and instantly compare how it may pool across different stitch widths. Then plan how much yarn you need.
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01
Your yarn color repeat
Enter approximately how many stitches each color section produces. Use the stitch pattern and tension you plan to work with.
Color section 2
Color section 3
Color section 4
18.0 stitches4 color sections
02
Explore widths
A small change in width can make a very different pattern. Compare a range of stitch counts.
41 widths
Advanced settings
Yarn consumed before the first displayed stitch. Must be within the repeat.
First-row direction applies to flat work only. Extra yarn used at turns or edges is not modeled separately in V1.
This is a planning preview based on the stitch counts you enter. Real yarn and tension may shift the pattern.
Your project stays in this browser.
Project file & reset
ONE REPEAT. MANY POSSIBILITIES.
Your width explorer
The example previews will appear here.
Planning preview: Real yarn repeats and tension can vary. Use this explorer to find promising stitch counts, then confirm with a swatch.
A repeat is just the beginning
Your yarn's colors follow a sequence. The number of stitches in a row determines where each color lands as that sequence continues. A difference of one stitch can change the whole arrangement.
The example uses Red 5, White 3, Blue 7 and White 3: an 18-stitch repeat. Both white sections stay in place. Explore 20–60 stitches to compare 41 possible widths without choosing a winner for you.
Find a width worth exploring
- Work with your intended stitch pattern and tension.
- Record the stitches produced by every section of one full color repeat.
- Explore a range of nearby widths.
- Open a preview to inspect the rows and color repeat.
- Confirm promising stitch counts with a real swatch.
A stitch crossing a color boundary is shown with one sampled color. Extra yarn used at turns or edges is not modeled separately.
From color repeat to finished project
Found a width you like? The yarn calculator turns a weighed swatch into the yarn you need for a blanket, a shawl or a pile of squares, in grams, ounces, meters or yards.
The gauge calculator adapts a pattern's stitch and row counts to your own gauge, so a pooling stitch count still gives you the size you want.
Try the yarn calculator, the crochet blanket calculator, the knit blanket calculator, the granny square calculator or the gauge calculator from the links below.
Color pooling by design
Variegated yarn changes color in a repeating sequence. When the colors line up, they form shapes such as diagonals, zigzags or argyle-like patterns. That is called pooling. Planned pooling means choosing the stitch count so that the colors line up on purpose.
The right width depends on the length of each color section, your stitch pattern and your tension. This explorer lets you compare many widths quickly and then confirm the promising ones with a swatch.
A few helpful answers
What is planned pooling?
Planned pooling uses the repeating color sections of variegated yarn together with a chosen stitch count to create more deliberate color patterns.
How do I measure stitches per color?
Work with the stitch pattern and tension you plan to use, then estimate how many stitches each color section produces. Keep repeated color sections in their original order.
Why should I explore several widths?
Small changes in stitch count can shift where each color lands from row to row, creating very different pooling patterns.
Can I use it for crochet and knitting?
Yes. Enter stitch counts measured with the stitch pattern and tension you plan to use, and choose flat or in the round.
Can I calculate how much yarn I need?
Yes. The yarn calculator estimates yarn weight, length and skeins from a weighed swatch.
Does PoolMyYarn upload my project?
No. The explorer runs locally in your browser. Your yarn sequence, settings and generated patterns are not uploaded.
Is the preview exact?
No. It is a planning simulation based on the values you enter. Real yarn repeats, stitch pattern and tension can vary, so confirm promising stitch counts with a swatch.