Crochet Planned Color Pooling Tartan Scarf

For as long as I can remember, I've been fascinated with symmetry and geometric shapes.  From bead looming to friendship bracelets, I've always loved the high contrast repeating diamond shapes of tartan plaid designs.  I have no idea why I never tried it sooner but after years of sitting on 4 skeins of variegated Peruvian alpaca wool without any specific project in mind, I finally found the perfect outlet - crochet planned color pooling!  This style of crochet is a lot of fun but depending on what type of yarn and/or hook(s) you are using, it can be really hard on your hands.  To truly perfect this pattern, no matter how skilled you are at crochet or how perfect you might think your tension really is, you will inevitably be forced to undo and redo hundreds of stitches in a tighter or loser fashion as you progress.  Although the color naturally pools based on the yarn's variegation; the variegation isn't always exact and the perfection of the pattern is controlled by your perpetually changing tension and hook size. 

I used the seed stitch for my scarf but you can use a variety of stitches for increased contrast and depth.

By moving each repeating color up and over by one stitch, it's like playing Connect 4 with your crochet hook.

Just look at that lovely fringe!  I used some locally sourced wool from A Verb For Keeping Warm in Oakland, CA.

I'm keeping this one for myself but considering crocheting a few more for my shop in different colorways.  It's just going to be a challenge deciding how much to charge since the pattern is so laborious and time consuming.

Textured tartan for days!  Glad I tried it but now I totally understand why machines do it so much better.