True Love pooling stole pattern

You've already seen the auction for this stole -- now here's the pattern! (And there are still two more days to bid on it!)

Note: If you're new to the pooling technique, please read the first pattern in this series to get a good idea of how to figure out where your yarn will pool. Also, check out this thread on Ravelry, where people are sharing their pooling projects and tips.

This pattern is a little different from my previous ones because I did a little bit of needle juggling to get the candleflame edging to work out properly. There's also going to be a kitchener join, while pooling. (If you know how to do the Kitchener stitch, it's just a wee bit fussier than the sewn bindoff.) You'll be able to tackle this pattern if you've done previous pooling projects and know what your gauge is and which needles you'll need to get gauge.

Using an "e" or backwards loop cast-on, cast on 87 stitches onto a US7 needle. Please see my previous posts about figuring out your own "magic number" to cast on, depending on your tension on the needles you've chosen.

Knit one row. (Note: this line was added on May 23, 2010.)

Start working with the candleflame edging chart below. (Note: There are no garter rows on this pattern as the first few rows are in "reversed" garter.) Click on the chart to get a larger version, or download the edging chart PDF.

The stitches in yellow are the edges and the stitches in white are the centre repeat of the candleflames. Follow the yellow stitches, then do five repeats of the candleflames (in white), then the final yellow stitches.

If you need to add more stitches to keep the colours pooled, add garter edge stitches to each edge. If you need to subtract stitches to maintain colour pooling, try going down a needle size. I had to go down a needle size (to a US6) for the 87 stitches in the edging.

Row 30 (back): K2, purl to last two stitches, K2
Row 31 (front): Knit all stitches
Row 32 (back): Knit all stitches (will be a row of purls on front of work)
Row 33 (front): Knit all stitches
Row 34 (back): Knit all stitches, decreasing 4 stitches evenly across the row (K2tog every 15 stitches works well), to 83 stitches total. If you went to a size smaller needle for the edging, try going up one needle size for the body chart.

After Row 34, start with row 1 of the body chart below. Click on the chart to get a larger version, or download the body chart PDF. (The purple squares are only colour-coded to show you the "flow" of the pattern; you will purl or knit them as indicated.)

Do the first 16 stitches (this is the right ripple edging). Repeat the 13 stitches in blue 4 times (these are the flames/ribbons in the middle), then continue to the 16 stitches of the left ripple edging.

For my Wollmeise 100% merino yarn, there were 18 repeats of this chart. If you're using the same yarn, you may want to stop at row 11 of your 17th repeat until the next step is done. (I only had about 3 yards of yarn left over; it was a bit of a squeaky finish.)

Now, here comes the tricky part.

Knit another edging piece. I cast on from the other end of my working ball of yarn and used another set of needles.

After you've knit your second edging:

Row 30 (back): K2, purl to last two stitches, K2
Row 31 (front): Knit all stitches
Row 32 (back): Knit all stitches, decreasing 3 stitches evenly across the row (K2tog every 20 stitches works well), to 84 stitches total. (This will be a purl row across the front of the work.)

When you've finished knitting the second candleflame edging, take a look at your working ball of yarn.

If you think you have enough yarn to do an 18th repeat of the body chart, go for it. For your final repeat of the body chart, end with a row 11.

Knit one row (will be a row of purls on the front of the work).

Now you'll put the two pieces together and join them with a Kitchener stitch, while maintaining the pooling colours. (Knitty Kitchener tutorial here, and video demonstrations here.) This kitchenered row will become the knit row between the purl rows.

Block and pin out the stole. Wear with pride because you've deciphered my pattern.


Pattern notes:
I designed this pattern and knit this stole to fundraise for the Canadian Cancer Society. I wanted to create something that evokes strength, beauty and the power of each of our lives.

The candleflames at the ends of the stole serve as symbols of individual lives, and the woven lace motif in the body of the stole speaks to how all of our lives are braided together. There’s a ripple-like lace at the edges, which speaks to me of how all of our lives can have ripple effects well beyond our immediate experience.

The body of the stole reminds me of smoke from the candle flames, and also contains hearts in it -- an unintentional creation, but completely appropriate to the True Love colourway.

If you like it, I'd ask you to donate to the Canadian Cancer Society or, once our husbands' fundraiser is over in a few weeks, to your local cancer charity.