Let’s crochet the Plaid Placemat using color pooling technique, also known as planned pooling technique. And this patterns calls for a specific yarn, Red Heart Pooling, because not all multicolored yarns work for color pooling. The yarn for color pooling technique to work should change color after several inches, have consistent lengths of colors, and have a consistent color repeat.
Color pooling technique is not difficult but will need some practice, and it’s best explained by showing the stitches and colorwork in video:
VIDEO TUTORIAL OF PLAID PLACEMAT
WRITTEN PATTERN OF PLAID PLACEMAT
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For this Plaid Placemat pattern I recommend using Red Heart Pooling yarn (color A) as my stitch count is specifically created for this yarn. One ball has 236 yards / 215m and 141g/5 oz., weight of medium size 4 and you will need 2 balls to make 3 placemats. For the border, I use Simply Soft Caron white (color B) also medium size 4, but you can use any other yarn as long as it’s the same weight/size. Crochet hook is 5 mm and you can change it to 5.5 mm if your crocheting tension calls for a bigger hook size.
Abbreviations:
ch = chain
sc = single crochet
hdc = half double crochet
sl st = slip stitch
Special stitch:
Moss stitch = sc in 1st ch-space, ch 1, skip one sc, sc in the next ch-space.
PATTERN NOTES:
- The foundation chain will be longer than needed for moss stitch, this is to control the color because the 1st row needs to start with new color. The surplus chains will be undone later.
- When you see you have surplus yarn with one color but need to change to the next color for the next stitch, first try to adjust your tension. Sometimes it helps to just make the few stiches looser than the others, but if that doesn’t work, especially at the beginning of row …
- Go back (undo the ending of row) and make hdc in last ch-space instead of sc, then ch 2, turn, and sc in back loop (not in ch-space) of 1st sc on row below the previous, then continue moss stitch as before.
- I have noticed that with color pooling technique one side works out better than the other, meaning that I don’t have to adjust my tension or crochet hdc instead of sc in one end of the work, but I have to do it frequently on the other end.
PATTERN:
- With color A ch 60, then make as many additional chains as needed to pull through the loop with next color.
- Row 1 = sc in 4th ch from hook, *ch, skip 1 ch, sc in next ch, repeat from* (27 sc).
- Color pooling: make 3 sc with each color, so you have 9 colors on 1st row.
- Row 2 = starts with new color, ch 2, sc in in 1st ch-space, *ch, skip sc, sc in next ch-space, repeat from*.
- Color pooling: make 3 sc with each color.
- Rows 3-50 = repeat row 2 for moss stitch.
- Color pooling: colors will shift to right by one stitch and follow the sequence on row below previous, so 3rd row colors follow the colors on 1st row, 4th row colors follow the colors on 2nd row, 5th row colors follow the colors on 3rd row, etc.
- Row 2 ended with 3 blue sc (in case you also started 1st row with 3 red sc), row 3 starts with 2 red sc. When you look at the 1st row, it started with 3 red sc and to get the colors shifting to right, you will start 3rd with 2 red sc. Please see pattern notes 2 and 3 in case you don’t use up all the red to start the 3rd sc with yellow. Row 3 ends with 1 light blue sc.
- Row 4 starts with 2 light blue sc. Follow the colors of 2nd row, that started with 3 light blue sc. The row ends with 1 red sc.
- Row 5 starts with 1 red sc. Follow the colors of 3rd row, that started with 2 red sc. Here is the first time that I went back and undid the last sc of row 4, then instead sc made hdc in last ch-space (please see pattern note 3). Row 5 ends with 2 light blue sc.
- Row 6 starts with 1 light blue sc. Follow the colors of 4th row, that started with 2 light blue sc. The row ends with 2 red sc.
- Row 7 starts with 3 yellow sc. Follow the colors of 5th row, that started with 1 red and 3 yellow sc. The row ends with 3 light blue sc.
- Row 8 starts with 3 green sc. Follow the colors of 6th row, that started with 1 light blue and 3 green sc. The row ends with 3 red sc.
- Row 9 starts with 2 yellow sc. Follow the colors of 7th row, that started with 3 yellow sc. The row ends with 1 green sc.
- Cut off, fasten off color A at the end of row 50.
- Undo/unravel the surplus foundation chains.
BORDER
- Round 1 = join color B with sc in last sc, sc one more in same st.
- Shorter side: turn the piece clockwise, ch, *sc in end space of every other row, ch between each sc (24 sc, 25 ch).
- Longer side: sc 2 in next corner space, ch, *sc in each ch-space, ch between each sc (26 sc, 27 ch).
- Repeat shorter and longer side, sl st in 1st sc.
- Rounds 2-3 = ch, sc in each first 2 sc, *ch, sc in next ch-space, repeat from*, sc in each 2 corner sc (without ch between), sl st in 1st sc.
- Round 4 = sl st in each st and in each ch-space.
- Cut off, fasten off color B.
- Weave in all ends.
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HAPPY CROCHETING!
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