Intarsia

Intarsia is a type of colorwork knitting. It is used when you have large chunks of color that have too many stitches to carry the yarn across the back. In intarsia you will have a new ball of yarn for each segment of color. If there are several segments of color to be worked, you may find it difficult to work with several large balls or skeins of yarn. For this reason, bobbins are often utilized in intarsia knitting. Bobbins are plastic frames that small amounts of yarn can be wrapped around to work with. These small amounts are much easier to handle while working. You don’t need to purchase bobbins to work intarsia. You can also use clothespins in place of bobbins, or make small balls of yarn called butterflies.

Work in the first color to the point of the color change. Bring in your new color from below the previous color. This traps the previous color between the new color and the fabric. When you use it on the next row, repeat the process of bringing it from below the previous color. This process twists the yarns around each other and prevents holes. Work in the new color until you need to change colors again, and repeat the process.