Having shown several intarsia sweaters from the 80’s I thought I’d better demonstrate how to work this technique, especially since the recent edition of Vogue Knitting shows a tasteful use of this technique.
Intarsia is a traditional knitting technique used knitting multi-color patterns with isolated blobs of color. Typical examples include the diamonds on Argyle sweaters, but this technique can be used create free form designs which look like pictures of some sort.
When knitting intarsia the sweater pattern will generally include a gridded chart to illustrate the picture. Each box on the grid will indicate a color to be worked. Because the grid looks like the picture, this part of the instructions is generally obvious; intermediate knitters often cast on and begin to knit.
Often, they discover the not-so-obvious part of intarsia.
How do you change colors without leaving holes? Checking the instructions, they will read something like “Be sure to twist yarns when changing colors”.
Huh?
It’s actually very easy to do. Still, I think it helps to look at the front and back of a bit of intarsia before trying the technique. Examine the two pictures immediately below. Notice the blue and very light pink regions are side by side, but they two regions appear to be linked on the back side.
Obviously, you want the two side by side colors to be linked; this is the purpose of “twisting” the yarns.
Here’s how I twist the yarns:
When purling across the row, start with one color; here I began with the light pink yarn. Purl until you reach the point where you need to work with the other color (which in this case is blue.) Insert the tip of the right needle to purl. Drop the the pink yarn. The blue yarn will be dangling on the left. Pick it up, take it below the pink yarn and move it to the right. Now, raise the blue yarn, and wrap to purl. work the stitch.
In the photo, you can see the pink yarn labled “1″; I moved the blue yarn to the right, passing it behind pink, then raised and wrapped the blue yarn around the right needle tip. See the blue yarn slanting from the lower right to the upper left? When I raised and wrapped the blue yarn around the needle, it passed in front of the pink yarn. So, the blue yarn is wrapped or twisted around the pink yarn.
When I purl the next stitch this, I try to make sure I tighten the yarn so the interlinked region is nice ans snug, and the new blue stitch is the same size as the other stitches. I find if I’m not careful, the new stitches tend to be a bit loose, which is not what I want.
So, now, you give this a try. After you change colors, notice the two yarns twist around each other causing the regions to link together.
Now, work across the row.
When changing colors working a knit side facing row, you do pretty much the same thing; it’s just more difficult to photograph what’s happening.
I knit across with blue, when I reached the stitch that needed to be pink. I inserted my right needle tip as to knit and dropped the blue yarn. I picked it the dangling pink yarn up and moved it to the right passing between the blue yarn and the fabric on the needles. Then I raised the blue yarn, wrapped and knit the stitch.
Once you do this a two or three times, you’ll figure out you can just sort of toss the yarn to the left when you are dropping it, and grab the new yarn from “underneath”. The work will interlock automatically.
Of course, I know what you’re asking: “How can I tell if I do it right?” If the strands of yarn link together , you’re doing it right!
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Lucia Liljegren: Copyright 2005-2007 Rights to all site content including knitting patterns, generators and haikus reserved.
Thank you so much. This business was absolutely too confusing to me. I don’t have anyone to learn from, so nobody could show me how to do it. I’m working from the book Stitch ‘N Bitch. In there they only say to take the pink strand up and to the left, then pull the blue under it. The diagram isn’t specific and is actually misleading. This really cleared things up. Thanks again!
Comment by Spikey Mikey — 11/17/2005 @ 7:44 pm
You’re welcome!
I always liked lots of pictures when I was learning. I’m glad this helps others.
By the way, I love Stitch ‘N Bitch– but pattern books can only show techniques up to a point. I actually think the web can be better since a person can write up an extremely long article without worrying that the whole site is incomplete.
Comment by lucia — 11/17/2005 @ 8:13 pm
I’m working on that Vogue pattern from fall of 2005, the Gypsy Rose shrug knit in circular form. I’m a pretty competent knitter but the twisted knit stitch used here I just can’t “see”. It isn’t the usual fairisle carry, it doesn’t seem to be this intarsia form with a block of another color. From the picture it looks like a textural thing much like a garter stitich will raise the pattern only it looks like it’s making a chevron.
Round 10 you pick it up and twist 2nd c over but in round 15 it untwists while on round 13 you have to be carefull to push it down around the main color yarn. Have I managed to confuse you as well by now? I live in the middle of a knitting desert, there’s no one to turn to. The shop I bought the yarn from is about a 2hr drive.
Maybe someone there could point me in the right direction online? Much appreciated,
Corinne
Comment by Corinne — 11/30/2005 @ 7:51 am
Yep! You’ve confused me. It’s often hard to describe things in words. Do you have a camera? Maybe you can take a photo and send me the picture.
There is also the knitlist (an email list.) Some one there may have actually knit this sweater, which always helps! You can join them here:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/knitlist/messages
Then post a question.
Comment by lucia — 11/30/2005 @ 8:28 am
What is a garter stitch, and how do you do it for knitting.
Comment by patrice — 1/20/2006 @ 4:41 pm
Garter stitch is the first stitch most people learn to knit. It is worked back and forth is created in one of two ways:
Method 1: Work Garter stitch by knitting.
Cast on any number of stitches on a straight needle (so as to work back and forth. You will turn the work at the end of every row.)
Row 1: Knit all stitches in row.
Repeat row 1 until the work as long as you like.
Method 2: Work Garter stitch by purling.
Cast on any number of stitches.
Row 1: Purl all stitches in row.
Repeat row 1 until the work as long as you like.
Comment by lucia — 1/20/2006 @ 4:47 pm
Hi, Im knitting an afghan its a charted pattern, my question is this, how do u join the contrasting color neatly, its a pattern of squares and so changing colors every line on the square part is going to be messy? Im not sure how to go about it.
Comment by Cathy — 2/11/2006 @ 10:43 am
It really sounds interesting but how do you initially start knitting with different colors? How do you get the yarns joined in the first place?
Comment by Margie Christian — 2/28/2006 @ 6:49 am
I just drop the old yarn, and start knitting with the new color leaving a tail. Later on, I just weave the tail in. I suspect I need to illustrate weaving tails in some day!
Comment by lucia — 2/28/2006 @ 6:55 am
Hi,
.
This is a great blog. I was searching for a knitting website & found this one.
I have started knitting just one month back. I am knitting a simple scarf now. I just wanted to have some strips(say 10 rows of white & then 10 rows of grey) on it. But I am not comfortable with changing colors. I read in the knitting book that, we have to tie a square knot leaving a 4-5 inch tail of old yarn and cut off it & start knitting with the new yarn. Now my doubt is, what shd I do with the tail. It looks so odd. Please tell me what should I do.
I cannot drop the old yarn as it is since i wont be using it for next 10-15 rows
Thanks
Shilpa
Comment by Shilpa — 3/7/2006 @ 10:45 am
[...] Intarsia, it must be noted, is an obscure latinate word meaning ‘excruciating torture’. I’ve only ever attempted it once before, with my very first sweater, and let’s just say I failed. While it was a little easier this time working with something the size of a large washcloth, I still breathed a sigh of relief when I could go back to plain old straight stockinette. [...]
Pingback by Knit Like a Man » Junior’s Robot — 3/10/2006 @ 9:54 pm
I stumbled across your site when googling both for stockinette and for changing yarn colors. I’ve since found your website to be very helpful on a variety of topics. You’ve created an invaluable resource. Thank you!
Comment by Sarah — 4/13/2006 @ 12:02 pm
I have read your very clear instructions & feel “enthused” to have another go! I can’t tell you how many times I have tried and given up with a great mass of tangled wool on my lap. As Autumn beckons, I am determined to knit myself a beautiful multi-coloured sweater…… Kate, England, UK
Comment by Kate — 9/6/2006 @ 2:23 am
Thank you! You’re right, the book I was using just said to “twist the strands together on the wrong side.” Ugh. Thank you for your photos and clear descriptions!!
Comment by Heather — 1/27/2007 @ 3:48 pm
I am knitting a hat sideways instead of rounds. It says to knit to last 2 stitches, turn. How do I handle those 2 stitches because the next knit row will be to leave 4 stitches. This is the shaping of the top of the hat. There is something further on in the instructions that mentions whenyou get to the wrapped stitches. I assume they are talking about those odd stitches at the top of the cap.
Thanks, SUe
Comment by Sue DAidone — 2/6/2007 @ 8:57 am
Hi,
I am a new knitter and have a pattern for a bunny hat for babies, I am having a problem with the ears. The pattern tells me to knit 12 stitches for the outside of the ear and right after 10 stitches in the pink for the inside of the ear. The next row confuses me. I have to knit the outside wool then twist the wool once to make it joined into one piece then purl the remaining stiches. My problem is it looks messy and not alway the same. Where do I put the wool for the twist so it won’t show on the finished product?
Thanks
Linda
Comment by Linda — 10/18/2007 @ 8:55 am
When you are changing colors, do you have a ball of yarn for each color change? I am knitting an afghan with the cables a different color than the background. So, for example, if the background is green and the cable pink, should I have 2 greens and 1 pink ball of yarn for each segment of the cable? thank you
Comment by Louise — 10/25/2007 @ 6:55 am
Thank you so much. For years, I’ve tried to learn intasia via books and even one web vid but couldn’t grasp it. You made it seem so simple too! Thanks a billion. I’ve had so many projects brimming in my head that called for intarsia that I was going crazy.
Comment by Shannon — 12/3/2007 @ 8:36 am
I have the same question as Louise – I would like to attempt an aphgan with a brown background and beige cable. Do I need to have a separate ball of yarn for each cable and for each section of background between the cables? If so, how do I twist the tail on the intial row of casting on the stitches?
Comment by Raizel — 12/24/2007 @ 9:40 pm
The intarsia instructions were very helpful. I have one question though, if the shape is in the centre of the knitting piece, how do I get the background colour wool from one side of the shape to the other side? Do I need an extra thread of wool? How do I connect it into my existing knitting? How do I tie the wool to knit the shape in the centre?
Comment by Ingeborg — 9/10/2009 @ 1:50 am