See the effect of whole balls

Same metres.
A different yarn basket.

Explore how the ball count changes when the same total length is split equally between different numbers of colours.

Equal quantities per colour, individual balls, no stash and no extra allowance. The number of balls can go up or down between colour counts because each shade rounds separately.

A reproducible example

With 1,200m in total and 196m per ball, dividing equally between colours gives the following shopping quantities. This is a mathematical illustration, not a tested blanket pattern.

1,200m total, 196m per ball, zero stash or allowance
ColoursBalls per colourTotal ballsSurplus metres
177172
248368
339564
428368
5210760
62121152

Thirty examples to explore

Download 30 example scenarios (CSV): five total lengths from 400m to 2,000m, each divided between one to six colours, at 196m per ball. The formula is ceiling((total metres ÷ colours) ÷ metres per ball) × colours. Inputs and results are included so you can reproduce each case.

Plan actual colours separately

A real pattern may use very different quantities of each colour. Never divide a pattern’s total equally unless its instructions support that split. Use the shopping planner for your actual per-colour requirements, stash, packs and prices.

Why colour rounding matters