Learn How to Knit Intarsia in the Round: Step-by-Step Guide

If you’re a knitting enthusiast looking to take your skills to the next level, then learning how to knit intarsia in the round is a must-try technique. This knitting technique allows you to create intricate colorwork patterns in a seamless and continuous manner. Knitting intarsia in the round opens up a world of possibilities for creating stunning designs on sweaters, hats, and other circular knitted projects.

Unlike traditional intarsia knitting, which is typically done flat, knitting intarsia in the round requires a slightly different approach. Instead of using separate bobbins for each color, you’ll be working with a technique called “stranded knitting” or “fair isle knitting,” where you carry the unused colors along the back of the work.

In this step-by-step guide, we’ll walk you through the process of knitting intarsia in the round and provide helpful tips and tricks along the way. Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced knitter, this guide will help you master the art of knitting colorwork in the round and create beautiful, eye-catching projects.

So grab your knitting needles, choose your favorite color palette, and let’s dive into the world of intarsia knitting in the round!

What is Intarsia Knitting?

Intarsia knitting is a technique used to create large blocks of color or pattern in knitted fabric. It involves working with multiple colors and yarns, but instead of carrying the unused colors along the back of the work like in fair isle knitting, each color is worked with its own individual ball or bobbin of yarn.

This technique allows for the creation of intricate designs or images in knitted fabric. By using different colors and yarns to create blocks of color, you can create complex patterns, pictures, or motifs within your knitting.

Intarsia knitting is often used to create designs such as geometric patterns, shapes, or images on garments such as sweaters, scarves, or blankets. It can be a fun and creative way to add personalized touches to your knitting projects.

When working with intarsia knitting, it’s important to keep the tension of the yarns consistent to ensure that the fabric lays flat and the colors blend seamlessly. This can be achieved by using separate bobbins or balls of yarn for each colored section, and twisting the new color around the old color at the beginning of each row.

Although intarsia knitting can be more time-consuming and requires careful attention to detail, the end result can be stunning and unique. With practice and patience, you can create beautiful pieces of knitted fabric with intricate designs using the intarsia knitting technique.

Why Learn Intarsia Knitting?

Intarsia knitting is a technique that allows you to create intricate color patterns in your knitting projects. Unlike fair isle knitting, where multiple colors are carried along the back of the work, in intarsia knitting, each color is knit separately and is joined to adjacent sections using a separate ball of yarn.

Here are some reasons why learning intarsia knitting can be beneficial:

Endless Design Possibilities: Intarsia knitting gives you the freedom to create complex and detailed designs in your knitting. You can create images, logos, or even write words using different colors of yarn.
Enhance Your Knitting Skills: Mastering intarsia knitting requires attention to detail and precision. It helps improve your knitting skills, such as reading complex patterns, managing multiple strands of yarn, and creating clean color changes.
Create Unique and Personalized Projects: With intarsia knitting, you can design one-of-a-kind garments, accessories, and home decor items that reflect your personal style. The ability to incorporate unique color combinations and patterns adds a special touch to your projects.
Challenge and Creativity: Intarsia knitting is a challenging technique that keeps you engaged and encourages creativity. It allows you to experiment with different color combinations and develop your design skills.
Expand Your Knitting Repertoire: Learning intarsia knitting adds another valuable skill to your repertoire, expanding the range of projects you can tackle. It opens up new possibilities for creating stunning, eye-catching knitted items.
Express Your Artistic Side: Intarsia knitting is a wonderful way to express your artistic side through knitting. It allows you to combine colors and shapes to create beautiful, wearable works of art.

Whether you’re a beginner knitter looking to expand your skills or an experienced knitter wanting to take on new challenges, learning intarsia knitting can be a rewarding endeavor. It offers endless design possibilities, helps you improve your knitting skills, and allows you to create unique and personalized projects that showcase your artistic flair.

Materials Needed

To get started with knitting intarsia in the round, you’ll need the following materials:

Knitting Needles: Choose a set of double-pointed needles or a circular needle, depending on your preferred method of knitting in the round. Make sure to use a needle size that matches the recommended gauge for your yarn.
Yarn: Select the colors of yarn you’ll be using for your intarsia design. You’ll need at least two colors, but you can use as many as you like. Be sure to choose yarn that is compatible with your needle size and provides good stitch definition.
Yarn Bobbins: These are small spools used to hold smaller amounts of yarn. They are essential for managing multiple colors in intarsia knitting.
Tapestry Needle: You’ll need a large-eyed needle for weaving in ends and finishing your project.
Stitch Markers: These are used to mark the beginning of rounds or specific stitch patterns in your knitting.
Scissors: A pair of sharp scissors is necessary for cutting yarn and trimming ends.

With these materials on hand, you’ll be ready to tackle intarsia knitting in the round and create stunning colorwork designs in your projects.

Step 1: Preparing Your Yarn

Before you begin knitting in intarsia in the round, it’s important to prepare your yarn. Here are the steps to take:

Choose your yarn colors: Intarsia involves knitting with multiple colors. Select the colors you want to use in your design and make sure you have enough yarn in each color to complete your project.
Wind your yarn: If your yarn is in skeins or hanks, you’ll need to wind it into balls before you can work with it. Use a yarn swift and a ball winder, or wind the yarn by hand. Make sure each ball is roughly the same size so that you have consistent amounts of each color.
Organize your yarn: Use yarn bobbins, small plastic bags, or other containers to keep your yarn organized. Separate each color into its own container so it’s easy to access while you’re knitting.
Label your yarn: To avoid confusion, label each container or bobbin with the color name or number. This will help you keep track of which color to use for each section of your design.

By taking the time to prepare your yarn before you start knitting, you’ll save yourself a lot of frustration and ensure that your intarsia in the round project goes smoothly.

Step 2: Casting On

Once you have gathered all your materials and chosen your yarn colors, it’s time to start casting on your stitches. Casting on is the process of creating the first row of stitches on your knitting needles.

To cast on for intarsia in the round, you will need to use the long-tail cast-on method. This method creates a sturdy edge that is perfect for working in the round.

Here is a step-by-step guide on how to cast on for intarsia in the round using the long-tail cast-on method:

Hold your circular knitting needles in your right hand with the yarn tail hanging down from your thumb and the working yarn coming from your index finger.
Make a slipknot by crossing the yarn tail over the working yarn to form a loop. Pull the yarn tail through the loop to create a knot.
Slide the slipknot onto one of the knitting needles and tighten the loop by gently pulling on the working yarn.
Hold the knitting needles in your left hand with the slipknot on the right-hand needle.
With your right hand, bring the yarn tail between the needles and wrap it under and around the left-hand needle.
Use your right hand to bring the yarn tail over the top of the left-hand needle and back between the needles.
Use your right hand to bring the working yarn between the needles and wrap it under and around the left-hand needle.
Use your right hand to bring the working yarn over the top of the left-hand needle and back between the needles.
Repeat steps 5-8 until you have cast on the desired number of stitches for your pattern.

Using this method, you will create a row of stitches on your knitting needles. These stitches will serve as the foundation for your intarsia in the round project.

Once you have completed the casting on process, you are ready to start knitting the first round of your project.

Step 3: Knitting Intarsia in the Round

Once you have mastered the basics of intarsia knitting, you can take your skills to the next level by learning how to knit intarsia in the round. This technique allows you to create intricate color patterns in your round projects, such as hats, socks, and sweaters.

To knit intarsia in the round, you will need multiple balls of yarn in different colors, as well as a set of double-pointed needles or a circular needle, depending on your project’s circumference.

Here is a step-by-step guide to knitting intarsia in the round:

Start by casting on your stitches using your main color yarn. Make sure to leave a long enough tail to weave in later.
Place stitch markers at the beginning and end of each round to keep track of your progress.
When you reach the point in your pattern where you want to introduce a new color, bring the new color up from under the old color and start knitting with it.
Continue knitting with the new color until you reach the end of the round.
To carry the unused yarn across the back of the work, twist the old and new colors around each other every few stitches. This will prevent long floats on the inside of your project.
When you need to switch back to the main color, simply drop the new color and pick up the old color. Again, twist the old and new colors around each other to avoid long floats.
Repeat steps 3-6 as needed to create your desired color pattern.
Continue knitting in the round, following your pattern, until you reach the desired length.
Finish your project by binding off all stitches and weaving in any loose ends.

Remember to take your time and practice this technique before attempting more complex patterns. It may take a little bit of trial and error to get the tension and color changes just right.

With some practice, you will be able to create beautiful, seamless designs using intarsia in the round. Have fun experimenting with different color combinations and patterns!

Step 4: Changing Colors

Changing colors in intarsia knitting is an important technique to create intricate designs. Here’s how to change colors when knitting in the round:

Start knitting with the new color by dropping the old color yarn and picking up the new color yarn. Leave a tail of yarn about 6 inches long.
Hold the old color yarn and the new color yarn together for the next few stitches to secure the yarn change. This will help prevent any gaps or holes in the fabric.
After a few stitches, drop the old color yarn and continue knitting with the new color.
To prevent the colors from tangling, twist the yarn at the back of the work every few stitches. This will help keep the yarns neat and untangled.
If you need to switch back to the old color, simply drop the new color yarn and pick up the old color yarn. Again, hold the two yarns together for a few stitches to secure the yarn change.

Remember to always weave in the yarn tails at the end to ensure that your color changes are secure and do not unravel.

Changing colors in intarsia knitting can be a bit tricky at first, but with practice, you’ll be able to create beautiful designs with multiple colors.

Step 5: Finishing

After completing your intarsia design, you’ll need to finish off your project to ensure its durability and a polished look. Here are some steps to follow:

Weave in the ends: Take the loose yarn ends left from changing colors in your design and weave them into the back side of your knitting using a tapestry needle. Make sure to secure them firmly so they won’t unravel over time.
Block your project: If your knitting looks a bit uneven or needs flattening, blocking can help. Wet your project with water and gently shape it to the correct measurements, then let it dry flat. This will help even out any stitches and give your project a polished appearance.
Trim any excess yarn: If you have any long tails or strands of yarn sticking out, use scissors to carefully trim them to match the length of the surrounding stitches.
Add any desired embellishments: If you want to add additional details to your intarsia design, such as embroidery or duplicate stitching, now is the time to do so. Use a tapestry needle and coordinating yarn to add these extra touches.
Enjoy your finished project: Once all the finishing touches have been completed, admire your work and enjoy your newly created intarsia in the round project!

FAQ:

What is intarsia knitting?

Intarsia knitting is a colorwork technique in which blocks of color are knit separately and then joined together to create a design.

Is intarsia knitting difficult?

Intarsia knitting can be more challenging than basic knitting, as it involves managing multiple colors and yarn ends. However, with practice and patience, it can become easier.

Can I do intarsia knitting in the round?

Yes, you can do intarsia knitting in the round. There are different techniques and methods for knitting intarsia in the round, such as using a circular needle or a magic loop method.

What kind of projects can I make with intarsia knitting?

You can make a variety of projects with intarsia knitting, such as sweaters, scarves, hats, and blankets. The possibilities are endless as you can create intricate designs and patterns using different colors.

Learn How to Knit Intarsia in the Round