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Intarsia in the Round

There are several knitting techniques with the same name, but this one covers:
- the base color of the garment is always knitted in the round
- the motif in pattern color is always worked flat

I have used the technique on these socks, to work the feather and the butterflies

The only video I have been able to find on this particular technique is in Swedish,
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aG-
IxgFH8lo&feature=youtu.be&fbclid=IwAR3GFjE8tFa2mtP7EvNxaxiziaUvsVwhlF4R9C_x-3W-5ARFvIM-
qmkj5Mg&ab_channel=CeciliaAhlstr%C3%B6m
It shows the technique very well, but for those of you, who do not understand all that is said, there is a
general tutorial of the technique here:

It is possible to knit a single or more motifs or into a garment worked in the round and this way you can
get a result that can look nicer, than double stitching them in with a needle afterwards.
Though:
- There is a limit to which build of motifs you can use though, defined by floats: how many same-color-
stitches you can have in a row, at least on the “intarsia-purl-rows”, without your floats getting too long
- The technique has a “weak spot”: take a look at the feather in the pic above and notice the laddering on
the right side of the motif. Sock is knitted cuff-down, so the laddering is in the beginning of the motif
pattern and it is very hard to lock your yarns nicely there, especially, if the motifs starts in same vertical
spot/stitch in more than 2-3 rows.
Both issues can be remedied by some carefully placed stitches as you weave in ends anyway, so it is up to
both your motif, carefulness and temper, if this technique will be of interest to you

”Intarsia-knit-rounds”.
Here you can work the motif as in any colorwork technique (including catching floats).

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Cita Steinmeier, November 2020
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What is important is locking your yarns to avoid holes: when you have worked the last stitch in your motif color,
drop that yarn and see that your other yarn goes over it (no need to twist them) when you continue your round.

“Intarsia-purl-rounds”
After doing a round and coming back to your motif, your pattern yarn now lies in the wrong end for knits.
So you knit all stitches in base color and slip all stitches in pattern color with the yarn to the back.
Turn and work from the back side of the work: purl all stitches in pattern color and slip all in base color with your
yarn to the front.
Then turn again and slip the motif stitches of this row to your right needle and continue the round in the base
color to you get to your motif again
Note: Remember to lock yarns real well, to avoid holes, when you start your next intarsia-knit round – this side of
the pattern have a tendency to make a holes (as in laddering) if you are not real careful.

Plan well where and how to start your intarsia motif:

Let us say you want to put this motif on the
upper side of a pair of mittens. You knit from
the cuff and wants the heart placed over your
knuckles and the heart seen for others as in
the picture to the right .

First you will need to find out the length of

your knitted heart, as to know where to start.
This you can measure out in the rounds of your first part of knitting.

Then you have to consider float lengths when knitting the pattern.
If you want floats to go over max 4 stitches, you have more than that
on row 6-8 of the chart.
On intarsia-knit-rows you can work both colors and catch floats, so my
own choice would be having row 6 as an intarsia knit row.
The thin “stem” of the hearts (rows 1-5) I would definately choose to
do in double stitching, so:
This motif I would start knitting at row 5 as an intarsia-purl-row.

Doing vertial sequence of motifs as the butterflies of the green socks:

If you work a vertical sequence of relatively close intarsia motifs, there is no reason to break the pattern yarn
between each:
Mark where the stitches of you next motif will be in the round. Note if the shortest distance will be to start
your next motif on an “intarsia-knit or -purl round”. Then lead your pattern color to that point, by catching it with
appropriate length of floats in your no-motif rounds.

You may freely share this document or parts of it, to wherever you find it useful
Cita Steinmeier, November 2020
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The socks with the feather is this pattern: https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/strejfet-af-englefjer

The socks with the butterflies is one of my own and not translated into English (yet)

The heart used as motif example above is from the foot of this pair of socks.
I designed them for a KAL and the inspiration is the traditional Danish Christmas
decoration, hearts made by plaiting two different colors of paper together, for form a
small hanging pouch.
The pattern is free and can be found under files in this Facebook group:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1059225917857223

You may freely share this document or parts of it, to wherever you find it useful
Cita Steinmeier, November 2020