Knitting Basics: Intarsia

The intarsia knitting technique enables you to introduce areas of color in any shape, size, and number to the background. Think of these intarsia areas as islands floating on the sea of their background. Intarsia fabric is lightweight and fluid because it is only one strand thick. Intarsia pieces are most easily worked flat in rows and seamed. The motifs in this technique are made by following knitting charts.
Not unlike a paint-by-numbers canvas, you place the colored stitches in an intarsia design by following a chart row by row. Each row in an intarsia chart follows its own rules, with no restrictions on the number of stitches or colors used.

When working in intarsia, it is easiest to use untreated (non-superwash) yarns. Cotton, silk, and synthetic fibers are much more challenging to use because they are slippery. Save them for after you have had some practice using forgiving wools.

Changing colors

With rare exceptions, intarsia is worked flat, back and forth in rows. This is due to its special construction. When changing colors, you drop one strand of yarn and leave it hanging for use in the following row. Each time you change colors in an intarsia design, you do it the same way, regardless of whether you are working from the right or wrong side of the piece.

• Attach a new color: Following the chart, work all the stitches you need in the first color. Drop the old strand and forget about it until you need it again in the next row. Tie the new strand around the old one. Work with the new color according to the chart.
• Change strands: To change strands, bring the new color up from underneath the old one. This twists the strands together, preventing holes from forming on the front of the work.
• To knot, or not: It isn’t necessary to knot the strands around one another to keep the knitted fabric secure, because the ends will later be woven in.

Managing your yarn supply

Each area of color in your design requires its own individual yarn supply, resulting in many strands hanging from your work. Whether you create a new supply of yarn for each area of color as you come to it, or prepare them ahead of time by carefully analyzing your design chart. Either way, the amount of yarn needed for each color island will vary, so just loosely estimate how much length you need.
From each main skein of yarn, break off no more than 3 or 4 yards at a time to make a yarn supply. You can add on to a yarn supply if it runs short by splicing or by tying knots.
How you control the yarn sources will depend on how many there are, and how long they are. Here are some options:

• Loose strands: The simplest technique is just to let each yarn supply dangle freely from the work. As long as the strand is not longer than 3 or 4 yards, you will be able to pull it free when you need it.
  
• Butterflies: Rather than letting the strands trail, you can bundle each one neatly into a “butterfly” by winding it around two fingers (a) and tying the end around the center in a half-hitch (b). You pull on the butterfly to release more yarn as needed.
  
• Bobbins: Another alternative is to wind your yarn supply around a separate object, such as a commercially available bobbin, a homemade cardboard one, or a clothespin. While they are easy to use and keep your yarn clean and tangle-free, bobbins can create tension problems if they add too much weight to each working strand.

Weave in the ends

Your intarsia fabric won’t be finished until all the ends are woven in on the wrong side, using a tapestry needle. Look carefully at the front of the work before weaving in each end. If you notice gaps, holes, or tension inconsistencies, use the yarn tails to correct them from the wrong side. Here are some tips:

• Close gaps: To close a gap, run the yarn tail under, through, or around its neighboring strands to create the necessary twist between strands.
  
• Adjust tension: Use care to keep the stitches on the right side of the work even when you weave in their tails. Pulling them snugly, neither too tight, nor too loose, will correct the tension on the public side of the fabric.
• Wrong-side duplicate stitch: To preserve the elasticity of your knitting, weave the tails in using duplicate stitch on the wrong side. With your threaded tapestry needle, simply follow the pattern of each knitted stitch from the wrong side.
  
• Under the purl bumps: Another method for fastening the yarn tails is to zigzag under the bumps of the stitches from the wrong side. To keep the yarn tails secure, run the point of your tapestry needle between the plies of the last stitch or two.
• Color matching: Whenever possible, weave the yarn tail into the back of an area of the same color. This will prevent the weaving from showing through on the right side of the work. Because there will be so many ends to weave in, take a break from knitting every now and then as you work to weave in a few. 
  
  
  Source--  http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/knitting-basics-intarsia.html

Stranded Intarsia Knitting Method

‘Stranded intarsia’ method

1. Knit in the round until you’ve done the last row before the intarsia starts.
2. Start working the contrast colour, but: instead of using a separate strand of yarn every time you change from contrast colour to main colour, use only one strand per colour. When you’re not using the second colour, carry it around in the back every two or three stitches, as you would for stranded knitting.
   Note: Don’t pull your yarn too tight, it’ll take the stretch out of your work. Don’t leave it too loose either, or you’ll create holes in your work. To maintain a nice stretch, make sure that you can still spread your stitches on your needles as you would when working with one colour only. It may take some practice, but you’ll get there.
3. When you’ve reached the end of your row, cut the contrast colour yarn if you haven’t done so already. Make sure to leave a long enough tail to weave it in once you’re finished.
4. Continue knitting in the round, adding the contrast colour to each row when you need it, carrying it along the back of your work until you’ve reached the last stitch on that row.
5. Repeat steps 3 to 4 until the whole intarsia part is done.
6. Continue knitting in the round as you would normally do.

Source--  http://abfabulies.com/2011/07/how-to-knit-intarsia-in-round.html?lang=en

How to knit intarsia in the round

When you try to find information about knitting intarsia in the round on the internet, most of the time you’ll be told that it’s not possible. The big problem when you try to do it: your yarn ends up at the end of your row, while you need it to be at the beginning.
If you don’t like bending the knitting rules, you’ll have to learn how to live with it: knitting intarsia in the round cannot be done. If, on the other hand, you don’t mind a little experimenting, there are actually two methods to solve this problem:

• the yarn over method
• the ‘stranded intarsia’ method

Both methods are explained below.

Yarn over method

1. Knit in the round until you’ve done the last row before the intarsia starts.
2. Use your main and contrast colours as you would when knitting intarsia flat, until you get to the end of the row.
3. Turn your work, so the wrong side is facing you.
4. At the beginning of the row, do a yarn over.
5. Since you’re working on the wrong side of your work, purl the rest of the row as you would when knitting flat, but do not work the last stitch of the row yet.
6. Purl the last stitch of the row together with the yarn over you made in the beginning of the row, seaming both sides together while doing so. Pull tight enough.
7. Turn your work, so the right side is facing you again.
8. At the beginning of the work, do a yarn over.
9. Since you’re working on the right side of your work again, knit the rest of the row as you would when knitting intarsia flat, but do not work the last stitch of the row yet.
10. Knit the last stitch of the row together with the yarn over you made in the beginning of the row, by knitting through the back loop of these two stitches.
11. Repeat steps 3 to 10 until the whole intarsia part is done.
12. Continue knitting in the round as you would normally do.

Source-- http://abfabulies.com/2011/07/how-to-knit-intarsia-in-round.html?lang=en

The Wood Scrolling Art of Intarsia

Intarsia is an intricate form of woodworking where multiple types of wood are inlayed together to produce a finished product. Intarsia artwork is generally flat with the appearance of a three dimensional image. However, intarsia inlay is often used as decoration on other woodworking projects, such as chairs, pots, and headboards.
Intarsia differs from marquetry. Marquetry looks similar, but it is actually the art of creating decorative patterns by gluing individual pieces of wood to a base product. Intarsia is more like a jigsaw puzzle, where the pieces lock together and create a mosaic. Depth and texture are given to intarsia mosaics by hand sanding and staining individual pieces of wood that will be fit together to create a finished product. Some pieces that the artist decides should stand out may be thicker or thinner than the other pieces around it so that a three dimensional effect is more apparent.
Artists interested in intarsia use different types and shades of wood. They inlay contrasting colors to make the image "pop" from the surface. Skilled artists will angle the wood grain of each piece so that the illusion is even more polished. Stains are often used because working with multiple types of wood can cause problems.
For instance, different woods expand and contract at different points of humidity and temperatures. To avoid an intricate piece of art cracking or popping apart, an artist may use one type of wood throughout and stain individual pieces to create the effect that they are looking for. Another time that you may want to use stain over different types of wood is if only certain types of wood are good for use in your finished product. For example, you wouldn't want to use a soft wood like pine on a project that would be used outside.
A scroll saw is a useful tool for creating pieces that are to be used in intarsia projects. It can be a fun way to use scraps of wood that you have left over from other projects. You can create light switch covers, a hat rack, a picture frame, or a jewelry box just to practice the art. You can use a wood dowel to create hundreds of circles that can be used as abstract pieces or flower centers. Something like a hardwood dowel can be used to create garnishments for your flower bed or garden.
Practice fitting pieces together until you get your technique down. You can hand sand and cut your wood to create unique and personalized pieces. You can also use templates and patterns for simpler projects to get started. Intarsia is an art that can become a lifetime hobby. There are simple designs that you can complete in a few hours or intricate patterns that could take you years to master. Give it a try and see how far you want to take it.

Dave Murphy is the founder and president of Good Wood, Inc., which makes a high quality wood dowel and the best hardwood dowel on the market. Visit http://www.goodwoodinc.com for all of your wood product needs.

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