Through the Eyes of a Machine Knitter

Intarsia—sometimes called picture knitting—is such a fun way to add color and personality to your projects. Unlike Fair Isle, there are no floats across the back. You can drop a color right in the middle of a row exactly where you want it!

This superhero sweater uses three shades for that lightning bolt. If you’ve never tried intarsia before, this is the perfect project to dip your toes in. And here’s the best part: no matter what machine you have, you can work intarsia.

• Manual method: Use slip or hold and knit one color at a time. It may take a few extra carriage passes, but it works on any machine.
• Built-in intarsia setting: Some machines let you lay strands across the needles and knit all the colors in a single pass.
• Intarsia carriage: If your brand offers one, swap it for your regular carriage and easily knit multiple colors across the row.

Tip: Be sure to twist the yarns where they meet so you don’t end up with holes between your colors.

Don’t let intarsia intimidate you—it’s playful, creative, and adds endless possibilities to your knitting. From bold shapes to stripes to custom motifs, you’ll be surprised how quickly you’ll want to add it everywhere!