Tutorial: Intarsia in the Round

As much as you all mock me when I am not around for all of my intarsia love (I know you do, it's okay.  I mock you too), I also happen to know that some people wish they knew how to drop the little flower into the back of Kate's Bird in Hand Mittens.  I have the emails to prove it.  I also got a phone call a few weeks ago from someone in my local yarn store who needed to know how to do it right now!  It was a knitting emergency, and I was there in an instant to help. 

I've had the question asked enough that I thought it should be answered here (I mean what's a blog for?).  Understand, I have no idea if this is the orthodox method.  I just figured this out when I wanted a third colour for the mitten's flowers.  And you should also know that this is fiddly, and some people would be better off just duplicate stitching the thing, but for knitters like me?  Who like fiddly stuff?  This is for you.

First, knit the round as usual, and (leaving a tail of about 6-8 inches for tacking down floats later) knit the new colour in the stitches where you want them: in this case, the flower.

Knit to the end of the desired area, and work the background colour for a stitch or two.  You need this as an anchor for what you are about to do.  Stop.

Turn. Slip those background stitches onto your right needle without knitting them.

Pick up the new colour, and purl back according to the NEXT row of the chart, being careful to slip without working the stitches that are not charted as the new colour.  In this case, the center of the flower on the chart is the background colour.  Leave them unknit.  Just slip them as they are, and let the new colour "carry" across them. Knit the rest of charted stitches that you want in the new colour.  Stop.

Turn.  Here you see that I stopped, leaving one stitch in the new colour on the right needle before I turned my knitting.  That's because in the next row of the flower, that stitch is in the background colour.  I'm leaving it there for later.

You have now knit two rows of the flower. Slip all the flower stitches without knitting them onto the right needle, until you find yourself back to where you left the background yarn waiting.  Pick the background back up and proceed around the row as usual.  In this case, you also have a very long float to pick back up.  Don't worry about it because you can tack it down when you weave in ends.  Remember that longish tail you started with? That's what it's for.

You have now knit two rows of the flower, but you have knit only one row of the rest of the chart.  When you come back around to the flower section (for this row shown, first knit with the background colour that stitch the chart told you to leave be), slip all the stitches you already knit,

and when you get to the flower center where you left stitches waiting for the background colour, knit them with the background colour.

Slip the stitches already knit, knit the stitches you saved, and when you finish the second row of the flower chart, everything lines up nicely.

Repeat.

The trick is to keep track of where you are, the first or second round of this method.  I mark stitches off my chart as I knit them so I know if I'm in the first round or second round of the pairing.  The Bird In Hands are beautifully suited for this method because you never find your new yarn hanging way out in West Jersey.  It's all very civil after all the fiddling.

I hope this gives you ideas.  And keeps you from mocking me quite so much.

Comments

[Mary K. IN Rockport]

What a good idea - thanks!

[sara l]

Damn that makes perfect sense and is genius all rolled up into one. THAT'S why I sit next to you!
:)
Ps just bought metal dpns... 00 000 0000. Let the cursing begin.

[Bex]

Brilliant!

[PumpkinMama]

You clever knitter you. I'll cease the mocking for a moment and bow in awe of your cleverness.

[britt]

So I have never tried intarsia, but after reading your tutorial (twice, I am slow) I understand what you are saying and if I ever need to work a flower into bird in hands I will actually know something! THank you!

[Punkin]

Thanks for sharing that. Sara is lucky - she gets to sit next to you and soak up this knowledge.

[Tanya]

It is amazing the difference that good pictures and clearly written words can make. I've read several different articles and posts on how to do intarsia in the round and have always ended up with a tangled mess and some very bad words. This actually *makes sense* and I am reasonably sure that once I get needles and yarn in hand I will be able to make it work. Maybe my mom will finally get the socks she's been asking for. You know, the ones with two cats on each sock that I refused to do in duplicate stitch....

[Jason]

Excellent tutorial. I'll have to try this...someday. Would it work well for larger blocks of color? Namely argyle socks? I'm guessing no since you'd have to float the 'main' color over the back of the intarsia.

[Julie]

I've been intrigued by this technique for awhile but the explanations I'd seen thus far fall short of the mark. Your tutorial is fab, thanks so much! It's clear as a bell now.

[Stella]

Brilliant. Thank you!!

[Kathy]

Very cool! Thanks for sharing.

[Sharon]

You just made my head hurt a little...thanks for sharing, though! I have these on my to-do list, so I'll be coming back here to thank your for your brilliance later. = )

[julia]

Yay for fiddly knits! At this stage in my knitting career, I welcome them.

[Alison G. W.]

That is f*ing brilliant. You are a genius! Thanks for the tutorial.

[Abby Franquemont]

Beautifully documented! Woot!

[Lori]

I don't know who's been mocking you, but that intarsia thing is just about the coolest idea ever! Good job.

[twinsetellen]

Nicely done! I mean the explanation. It is indeed more clear than most that I've read, in fact it may be clear enough for me to be able to remember it.

[Danielle]

Who's mocking you? I'll beat them up for you, because this (1) intarsia is good and (2) this tutorial was very useful. Almost makes me want to cast on for another pair. Muchas gracias.

[Dr. Judy]

Sweet!

[Kelli]

That actually makes more sense to me that any intarsia instructions I've seen before. I might actually try it now. :)

[robyn]

love this tutorial! wanted to let you know i featured it earlier today over at Craft and Found.

[Lucia]

You're awesome. After I try this I must somehow find a way to mock your awesomeness. (Spite and jealousy, don't you know.)

[di]

Wow. That is so supremely clever! Tricky yes, and requiring some concentration, but amazingly clever for those times when you want to slip a little intarsia into some knitting in the round. Wow. Thanks!

[Nim]

oh wow. i wish i'd read this before tackling my first intarsia project (made up, of course). poor little puckered-up guy. this is awesome!

[Ann in Nashville]

Crazy, woman. CRAZY! Well described! Braveaux!