# Intarsia (Made Easy)



## GinB (Sep 2, 2012)

Intarsia was one of the techniques I taught in a recent KP workshop. As I notice posts asking questions about the technique, instead of repeating the same information over and over, I thought it would be helpful to enter it here and provide a link to it when necessary. (This way, people can save it in their "My Pages" or "Bookmarks".)

*INTARSIA:*

Intarsia involves a special way to twist the yarn when changing yarn colors to avoid gaps (holes). When you change colors after twisting, the unused yarn is dropped (not carried behind the stitches as is done with Fair-Isle). If at any time youre in doubt, twist. One thing to watch out for is your tension. Too much tension and the work will bunch. Too little tension and there will be gaps (holes). The key to preventing them is, after knitting the first stitch in a "new" color, to pull the old color yarn up as close to your work as possible for each and every color change. Things will begin to make sense after you view the tutorials, which are very helpful.

A couple of things to mention first:

(1) You may hold the yarn differently than as presented in the video or photo tutorials (see links below);

(2) whether you do a right-hand or left-hand slant when the color change occurs one stitch away or more than one stitch away, the procedure is the same. When you twist more than one stitch away, though, it will be that much more important to keep your yarn close to your work to make sure you avoid gaps (holes); and

(3) please notice that the first row being done in the video is a purl row.

It is *much* easier to change yarn colors when you use yarn bobbins. I recommend Clover brand because, the way they are made, it keeps your yarn closer to your work. (A very inexpensive alternative is to use spring-loaded clothespins.)

*Intarsia Tutorials:*

_Video Tutorial:_





The above link has been provided courtesy of Marlene Dysert - http://www.youtube.com/user/MarleneD1216/about; Marlene Dysert on YouTube; http://detroitknitter.blogspot.com/; DetroitKnitter on Ravelry.

_Information and Drawings:_
http://www.vickimeldrum.com/Intarsia.html

_MP3 Video Download (do download it):_
http://www.vickimeldrum.com/files/increasing_motif_stitches___working_in_tails.wmv

The above two links have been provided courtesy of Vicki Meldrum and Vicky Designs - www.vickimeldrum.com ; VickiDesigns on Ravelry.

_Photo Tutorial:_
http://www.purlbee.com/Intarsia-knitting-tutorial/2008/6/30/Intarsia-tutorial.html

The above link has been provided courtesy of Purl Soho and PurlBee  www.purlbee.com; purlsoho on Ravelry.

old color is the color yarn you are changing *from*
new color is the color yarn you are changing *to*

*How to Twist:* _Place the tip of your right needle into the next stitch, drop the old color. With the new color under (behind) the old color, continue knitting the stitch._

*NOTE:* _Right and left slants refer to how a slant occurs on the side you are working on at that moment, not the right (knit) side of your work._

*First Row of Intarsia:*

On the first row of Intarsia, knit across until you come to the last stitch to be knitted in the old color. Before working on the last stitch of the old color:

Place the tip of the right needle into that stitch. Pick up the new color. Place the new color over the old color with the loose end hanging down on the wrong side and leaving a tail long enough to weave it. Finish knitting the stitch. That secures the new color.

With the old color hanging down, knit the first new color stitch. Pull up the old color close to your work.

Continue changing colors in this manner through the rest of the Intarsia rows.

Your color patterns will continue in one of three ways: (1) vertical, where the color change on your current row is occurring in the same location as the previous row; (2) right-hand slant, where the color change of your current row goes one or more stitches to the right of the previous row; or (3) left-hand slant, where the color change of your current row goes one or more stitches to the left of the previous row.

With vertical or right-hand slants, you *always* twist the yarn. With the left-hand slant, you do not have to twist the yarn. [However, I tried not twisting left-hand slants and sometimes it left gaps (holes), even after making sure that both the old and new yarn was pulled up close to my work where the twists occurred and in the following row when I came to those same spots. Thats when I changed my tactics to always twisting left-hand slants. Whether you twist or not, the only important thing is not to leave gaps (holes).] If you are changing colors more than one stitch away, you still twist the yarn using the same technique, but just be absolutely sure that both colors of yarn are knitted close to the work so that there are no gaps (holes).

*NOTE:* _Try to avoid frogging Intarsia rows by paying special attention to bunching or gaps (holes) *as you knit*. When you are done knitting a row, check the whole row again. If you have to frog, then at least its only that one row. Under *no* circumstances should you take the work off the needles. (Imagine what a mess youd have on your hands, which is why it is best to catch any problems while you are still at any given row.)_

I hope you find this information informative and helpful to you. The photos below show some of my Intarsia work.

The best advice I can offer is to use practice the technique using scrap yarn until you feel comfortable using it in your project.

Ginny


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## Adnileus (Apr 14, 2012)

So helpful. Thanks for putting all thus helpful information in one place. Bookmarked immediately!


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## knitgogi (Aug 25, 2013)

How thoughtful of you, GinB! Thank you! I'm bookmarking for when I get the time and the nerve. I'm sure this info will help me get the nerve much more quickly than I would have. 

LOVE the stocking!


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## LEE1313 (Jan 25, 2011)

I think it takes PRACTICE.
I gave up on the stocking for this year and did them in duplicate st. 
I SOOOO want to master Intarsia.
Thanks for gathering all the info.


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## Akbruin (Jun 14, 2013)

Yes, indeed, thank you for taking the time to post this!


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## GinB (Sep 2, 2012)

LEE1313 said:


> I think it takes PRACTICE.
> I gave up on the stocking for this year and did them in duplicate st.
> I SOOOO want to master Intarsia.
> Thanks for gathering all the info.


The techniques used for inserting a name on the stocking were Fair-Isle or Duplicate Stitch. Were you confusing Intarsia with Fair-Isle?

Intarsia is changing "blocks" of colors greater than 5 stitches, while dropping one color yarn and picking up the new color of yarn.

Fair-Isle is also changing colors, but in 5 stitches or less each time, while carrying "floats" of yarn behind the work.


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## LEE1313 (Jan 25, 2011)

Well my floats don't float.
I did manage a few rows of Fair-Isle.
But the reindeer and the snowman turned into a BLOB all puckered.
Maybe next year I can spend more time in the technique.


GinB said:


> The techniques used for inserting a name on the stocking were Fair-Isle or Duplicate Stitch. Were you confusing Intarsia with Fair-Isle?
> 
> Intarsia is changing "blocks" of colors greater than 5 stitches, while dropping one color yarn and picking up the new color of yarn.
> 
> Fair-Isle is also changing colors, but in 5 stitches or less each time, while carrying "floats" of yarn behind the work.


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## GinB (Sep 2, 2012)

LEE1313 said:


> Well my floats don't float.
> I did manage a few rows of Fair-Isle.
> But the reindeer and the snowman turned into a BLOB all puckered.
> Maybe next year I can spend more time in the technique.


Then you didn't have the correct tension - pulling the yarn too tightly will give make your work puckie. I will also post a separate topic for Fair-Isle. Maybe you can learn from that, too.

Ginny


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## LEE1313 (Jan 25, 2011)

Ginny what do you think the half one place is between you and me?? Perhaps we can meet for coffee and I can get a hands on lesson. lol
You sure have knowledge on this. I just have headaches.
I know it was tension, both yarn and nerves !! I could feel myself tensing up because it wasn't coming out as planned.
Thanks for the info


GinB said:


> Then you didn't have the correct tension - pulling the yarn too tightly will give make your work puckie. I will also post a separate topic for Fair-Isle. Maybe you can learn from that, too.
> 
> Ginny


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## GinB (Sep 2, 2012)

LEE1313 said:


> Well my floats don't float.
> I did manage a few rows of Fair-Isle.
> But the reindeer and the snowman turned into a BLOB all puckered.
> Maybe next year I can spend more time in the technique.


Lee,

I just posted my Fair-Isle technique:

http://www.knittingparadise.com/t-214894-1.html

Ginny


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## GinB (Sep 2, 2012)

LEE1313 said:


> Ginny what do you think the half one place is between you and me?? Perhaps we can meet for coffee and I can get a hands on lesson. lol
> You sure have knowledge on this. I just have headaches.
> I know it was tension, both yarn and nerves !! I could feel myself tensing up because it wasn't coming out as planned.
> Thanks for the info


I don't know, Lee. Where *IS* the half-way point from "Not important" and the Chicago suburbs? LOL

By all means, go to the link I provided. I really don't think you'll have a problem once you watch the video tutorials I gave in that link...*and * tie them in with my notes that appear after the links.

Ginny


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## lildeb2 (Jul 14, 2013)

Thank you very much. I want to learn how to do this.


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## Windbeam (Jul 31, 2011)

Thanks so much for all your work.


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## Pmullenix (Apr 9, 2013)

Thanks for posting. Great information and great project!


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## comebackknitter (Oct 9, 2011)

Thank you for this post.


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## Nana5 (Aug 17, 2011)

GinB, you have explained it so well! Great job! and wonderful for you to take the time to do it for new knitters and "old" knitters that haven't tried it yet. I am self-taught in this method and have used it, but just had to comment with the beautiful job you did in explaining it...well written instructions as well as providing links! You are a special lady and I bet a great teacher!!


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## raqeth (Dec 23, 2011)

Wow! This is so interesting and useful. Thank you


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## Susan from NC (Jan 23, 2013)

Thank you for putting all of that together! And thank you to for showing the back of the work. I wish more people would do that. Love you work too!



GinB said:


> Intarsia was one of the techniques I taught in a recent KP workshop. As I notice posts asking questions about the technique, instead of repeating the same information over and over, I thought it would be helpful to enter it here and provide a link to it when necessary. (This way, people can save it in their "My Pages" or "Bookmarks".)
> 
> *INTARSIA:*
> 
> ...


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## Browniemom (Sep 24, 2012)

Thank you. Have knit intarsia in the past but do very much appraciate learning your methods. Have bookmarked for reference. :thumbup: :thumbup: :thumbup:


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## SaxMarloes84 (Oct 25, 2013)

Thank you!


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## Linuxgirl (May 25, 2013)

Thank you for this great help on intarsia. Great work.


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## GinB (Sep 2, 2012)

I found another resource that comes highly recommended - a book entitled "Intarsia: A Workshop for Hand and Machine Knitting" by by Sherry and Keely Stuever of Sealed With A Kiss. The recommendation came from a knitting teacher:

http://katherinemisegades.wordpress.com/2008/01/

The current price for the book on Amazon is between $10.98 (not including shipping) $13.86 (free shipping on orders over $35.00):

http://www.amazon.com/Intarsia-Workshop-Hand-Machine-Knitting/dp/B0006S8CGK

As one reviewer explained it, "...It explains what it is, how to interlock the yarn and start new yarns, combining fair isle and intarsia techniques, handling tails, etc. It also has a sampler to knit...."

If you want to see some examples of stunning intarsia work, go here:

http://mimoknits.typepad.com/knitting/intarsia/


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## JoanieP (Nov 5, 2011)

Fantastic! Thank you.


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## karhyunique (Feb 21, 2011)

Ginny, I'm starting a third stocking after doing two with you. They turned out beautifully, I hope I can remember how to do everything. Hugs to you Kathy


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## yona (Feb 7, 2011)

Thanks for the great info.


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