Iโm a big fan of colorwork knitting, especially stranded, but there are times when you want a single, non-repeating, bold color motif: intarsia.
Intarsia is a colorwork technique where a single strand of yarn is used to create a patch of color. When knitting flat, you knit with the main color, then knit your little patch of contrast, and end the row with the main color, continuing the pattern as you knit back on the wrong side.
When knitting in the round, the problem with intarsia is that every row is a right side row. So, when you come back to your colorwork patch, the yarn end youโre knitting with is on the other end of the patch.
Some resources claim intarsia in the round is impossible, requiring many cuts in the yarn for each row. But you don’t have to do it!
Let start.
For a few stitches, you could make a float or use a separate strand of contrasting color for each row. But for a large design, youโll need to figure out a way to get back to the end of the patch where the yarn is.
The answer is that youโll have to work wrong side rows.
Generally, most intarsia in the round techniques are ways of knitting flat and seaming as you go. But I don’t like seaming (and you don’t like it too; otherwise you wouldn’t be here!), so I searched for different ways to do it.
I found two methods, both valid.
W&T – Wrap and turn
Knit your RS row as usual to the end of the round, then W&T (Wrap and turn) the first stitch of the round.
Knit a WS row to the wrapped stitch. Pick up the wrap and knit it with the stitch, then W&T the last stitch of the round.
Continue until your colorwork is done, then return to regular knitting in the round.
My thought: this technique is evident on the fabric surface.
YO, SSK, and P2tog – Yarn Over, Slip slip knit, and Purl 2 together.
YO at the beginning of the first RS intarsia row, then knit as usual to the last stitch.
SSK the last stitch with the YO from the beginning of the round.
Turn, YO then knit the WS row to the last stitch.
P2tog the last stitch with the YO from the beginning of the round.
Continue until your colorwork is done, then return to regular knitting in the round.
My thought: none of the YO passes in front of the round stitch, so this method is much less visible.
Ps: here a great YouTube video for it.
Here are the two intarsias in the round techniques; what do you prefer?