Reflecting Pool Assigned Pooling Shawl

Reflecting Pool Assigned Pooling Shawl

What is Being Made

The Reflecting Pool is an asymmetrical triangle shawlette designed by Marilyn Woodruff to showcase the visual effects of assigned pooling in hand-dyed yarn. This knit accessory features a distinctive triangular silhouette that displays color pooling patterns created through strategic stitch placement and yarn color changes. The shawlette is an ideal project for knitters who want to work with hand-dyed skeins while creating a wearable, elegant finished piece.

Yarn Options and Materials

The Reflecting Pool pattern is available in two yarn weight options to suit different preferences and finished sizing:

• Fingering Weight Option: Uses A Chick That Knitz Silky Singles Fingering yarn (70% superwash merino, 30% silk blend, 438 yards per 100 grams). This option requires 1 skein of Main Color in Forget-Me-Not and 1 skein of Contrast Color in Salmon Streams.
• DK Weight Option: Uses A Chick That Knitz Silky Merino DK yarn (70% superwash merino, 30% silk blend, 231 yards per 100 grams). This option requires 2 skeins of Main Color in Antique Rose and 1 skein of Contrast Color in Paris.

Both yarn options feature a superwash merino and silk blend, providing durability, softness, and a subtle sheen to the finished shawlette. The silk content adds drape and elegance to the accessory.

Knitting Techniques and Stitches

The Reflecting Pool employs specialized knitting techniques designed to create the assigned pooling effect that showcases the hand-dyed yarn colors:

• Floret Stitch on the Right Side: Knit 5 stitches while wrapping the yarn twice around each stitch. Slip the 5 stitches back to the left-hand needle, dropping the extra loops. Without dropping the stitches from the left-hand needle, work [knit, purl, knit, purl, knit] into all 5 stitches. Slip the 5 stitches back to the left-hand needle, then knit them normally. This multi-step technique creates textured floret elements on the right side of the work.
• Floret Stitch on the Wrong Side: Purl 5 stitches while wrapping the yarn twice around each stitch. This creates the corresponding textured detail on the wrong side of the fabric.
• Color Work: The pattern uses assigned pooling, a technique where specific yarn colors are positioned strategically to create intentional color patterns and visual effects as the shawlette is knitted.

All special stitches used in the pattern are demonstrated in an accompanying video, making it accessible for knitters who benefit from visual instruction alongside written directions.

Difficulty Level

The Reflecting Pool is rated as a beginner-level project, making it suitable for knitters who are new to shawlette construction and specialty techniques. The availability of video demonstrations for all special stitches supports knitters in learning and executing the floret stitch correctly.

Design Details

This pattern was designed by Marilyn Woodruff and is published by Knits' End Designs. The asymmetrical triangle shawlette shape is specifically engineered to display the pooling effects of hand-dyed yarn, allowing the color variations in the assigned pooling skeins to become a focal point of the finished accessory. The combination of the floret stitch texture and strategic color placement creates visual interest and demonstrates the beauty of hand-dyed yarn.