Knitting

Free Patterns, Tutorials and Project Ideas

Learn Intarsia with this DVD Guide

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inside intarsia dvd

The winner is Chris.

Intarsia is a fun knitting technique that involves working different colors in blocks across the knit fabric. In stranded knitting, you work just a few stitches of one color then change to the other and back again, stranding the unused yarn across the back of the work as you go, but in intarsia you drop the old yarn completely, pick up a new yarn for the new section and continue on in that way across, with each little patch of knitting worked from its own ball.

This allows you to knit larger-scale designs, and it’s really lots of fun, but it does take some getting used to.

This week’s giveaway will help. Inside Intarsia with Anne Berk is a DVD produced by Interweave that runs 117 minutes and includes all the basics, such as how to read a chart and join yarn, as well as more advanced techniques like working intarsia in the round and fixing mistakes.

The DVD originally came with two patterns, which may still be available from Interweave (my DVD is still shrink-wrapped, but there’s probably something in there that points you to a website with the patterns on it).

Note: though the picture says download the prize is the DVD, which I will ship to you.

If you’d like a chance to win this DVD, leave a comment on this post by the end of the day Sunday, Aug. 13. I’d love to hear about your experience with intarsia or what scares you about it if you haven’t tried it yet. (I really like it  and have a few patterns using the technique in one of my books; the Superstar Scarf is probably my favorite.)

Thanks for visiting, commenting and sharing, and good luck!

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Comments

  1. I really want to know how to do this. I have seen several projects that appealed to me, but I did not know how to go about this. I guess I am scared because stranded knitting is a major failure for me.

  2. My problem is with finishing the ends once the item is completed. Any help with this would be great! Thank you for the giveaway chance.

  3. I’ve only done a few small projects with intarsia but would love to attempt something bigger. It’s really beautiful.

  4. I learned to knit as a youngster but didn’t actually do much knitting until the last few years. I am essentially a self taught knitter. The intarsia projects I’ve tried have ended up lumpy in my attempt to twist the different colored yarns as they intersect. Obviously that’s wrong. I am so excited to have the chance to win instructions on how to accomplish color work. Thank you.

  6. I have tried working Intarsia on a couple of projects of my own design. I taught myself from a couple of books so I understand how to work Intarsia, I just don’t feel confident. If this DVD is clear and easy to understand I should be able to fill in the gaps. Thanks for the chance to win it!

  7. I would love to learn how to do Intarsia. I am not new to knitting, but new to a lot of techniques. I have always just done the basics. One year I made hats and learned new stitches. That was fun. So as fall approaches it would be fun to learn something new again. Thanks for the chance to win.

  8. I have attempted intarsia on a project, but it didn’t turn out very well. I would love to be able to do it well.

  9. I have been knitting for over 50 years and am always looking for new challenges. I would love to learn this technique and hope you will send me a copy of this DVD explaining how intarsia is done.

Have you read?

Learn a Flower Bobble Technique to Knit a Fun Shawl

Generally I like knitting patterns where I feel like you can use whatever yarn you have (because my stash is big enough and I want to use it, thanks) and make a successful project. This is one of those times when a special yarn makes the process that much easier. 

The Floral Bouquet Shawl from Xandy Peters uses a specific extended color pooling yarn from Feisty Fibers, which allows you to place the bobble flowers with increasing frequency as you knit the project. 

It starts with a solid color yarn, then the two color yarn is added in, and you make a bobble whenever you encounter the color pops. This would be hard to replicate with other yarn that doesn’t have the extended color pooling built in.

The background of the shawl is ribbed, making the project reversible. 

The shawl uses fingering/sock yarn and comes out to be an asymmetrical triangle that’s 54 inches/137 cm long and 36 inches/ 90 cm deep and 60 inches/150 cm across the top edge. 

Xandy says the pattern is for intermediate to advanced knitters. Knowing how to work traditional bobbles would probably help, but there’s a great video tutorial for how to work the floral bobbles so you can practice on other yarn or even incorporate the bobbles into other projects. 

The bobbles are five-petaled flowers but they also kind of look like starfish to me, which could be fun on a child’s cardigan or other pattern. They’d also be fun on the leg of a sock or around the brim of a hat for extra whimsy. 

The pattern includes photo and video tutorials, and written and charted instructions. It also includes tips on what to look for if you choose to use different yarn for the project, and instructions on how to dye your own yarn to use in the project. 

If you want to give it a try, you can find the pattern on Ravelry. 

[Photo: Xandy Peters]