Intarsia is “normally” done while knitting flat. For an instruction on intarsia see this nice post over at the Purl bee on the subject. It is possible to use intarsia for round objects without seeming afterwards and yes there is a reason I didn’t say knitting in the round. There are at least 2 methods (or 3 depending on how you look at things) out  there on the interwebs, and I would not be surprised to find more.

The first that caught my attention was described by Moth heaven. This method is worked in the round, with the added colour section worked back and forth two rows at a time, and then slipped as you work the second row with the main colour. Below is a few charts that shows how this is performed. The numbers represent the order in which to knit the stitches and s is for slipping a stitch.

I understand the principle and I can execute it but the tension is all over the place. I just couldn’t get it too look right.

There are also methods for working the intarsia part flat. Either using wrap & turn (w&t) or yarn overs, which to me at least seems to be the same thing – wrapping stitch or needle and subsequently sealing the joint as you go. Below is again a chart to demonstrate the order of working a tube back and forth by using wrap & turn (w) and working the wrap with the stitch on the next row.

Both these created the same end result. At least if you can manage to keep a steady tension. For me the second method was easier to use to produce a nice result from the get-go. It’s what I’m using for my SYTYCK project.

I finally wove in the two ends on the shawl. It’s finished.

From Knitted

Pattern: Till minne by Triinu Andreassen.

Yarn: 1 skein of Grignasco merinosilk in pale pink, approximately 30 grams left.

Needles: 2.5 mm addi lace circular 120cm.

Size: 140cm across the top and 104cm top to bottom.

Notes: It was knitted on for several years, and unfortunately I knit at different tension on different parts. It was blocked with wires and therefore the many points around the edge are a bit too narrow and pointy.

From Knitted

Verdict: The pattern is well written although it did take me a few rounds before I got the hang of how the edge rows were divided. I like the shawl despite the mistakes. But I have no idea when I will ever use it, maybe except at my wedding.

From Knitted

From Knitted

From Knitted

I decided to go with the buttons I had bought, and finally finished the cardigan earlier this week.

From Knitted

It is difficult to capture the real colour; it is less blue and more green.

Pattern: Broderie by Connie Chang Chinchio

Yarn: Drops Muskat colour 74 petrol around 9 or 10 balls

Needles: 3.5 mm circular, both addi lace and a bamboo due to airport security reasons

Hook: 3.5 mm

Notions: 2  withe mother of pearl buttons

Modifications: I did knitted set-in sleeves because I didn’t know how much yarn I had. It would most definitely been easier to knit bottom up sleeves as per instruction, but it was nice practice.

Notes: Gorgeous design with a clear and easy to follow pattern. My bamboo needles are slightly green from the yarn. I was worried that the edges would curl too much, but they turned out quite nicely. Maybe because I did a sewn bind off?

Yeeez, I have a spot at the great knitting event happening here in March: Stickfest i Väst. Now I need to save loads of money to spend on yarn.

It was just posted that sending an email at 10:00 was not enough to get a spot (in Swedish). Uh, I thought I was safe. Guess you can never be safe with so  many crazy knitters. I would have been crushed if I’d not gotten in.

Thank you Marie, Linda and Ingrid for all the hard work. I guess you have figured out just how much we love what you do.

Broderie cardigan is almost done. Some ends to weave in and fix the closure. I’ve put it off for a while now but a few days ago I decided to get it over with. But as I tried to position the buttons, it just didn’t feel right.

From Knitted

I did have a small ball of yarn with me when I bought the buttons. They’re white mother of pearl. But maybe a bit smaller and a more matching colour.

From Knitted

It’s just not working. I had a plan, but it’s just not gonna happen the way I wanted. So I give up.

This was the first plan:

From Knitted

Ordering yarn online isn’t always so easy, especially when trying to match colours. The green and pink just didn’t look as fantastic as I wanted. Therefore I tried:

From Knitted

Much better. I really like this combo of purple and pink. But only using two colours didn’t seem like a big enough challenge, and therein lies my current problem. I added a third: green. To do this I used intarsia in the round. There are certainly many different descriptions out there on how to do this. But I liked the one found over at Moth Heaven. It’s got both images and text, which I usually find is necessary.

I’m really struggling to get it looking good, though. It’s very uneven, the swatch was better. Might be evened out by blocking. More tricky perhaps is that I’m not totally sold on the green. It’s just a little bit off. So if I’m gonna be happy with the end product it needs to be only the pink and purple.

I give up. First frogging! Second, only knit with two colours – pink and purple.

At this precise moment I am casting on for my project for SYTYCK.

I am using the turkish cast on (here’s a great tutorial for turkish cast on with magic loop) and this colour:

I can start my project today thanks to Maria at Garnkorgen, due to great and quick service.

Good luck everyone!

First some good news. I haven’t worked on my Vine yoke cardigan for a while now because I was worried it was too short. Others have had the same concerns but were totally fine. Even so, since it’s a completely different yarn, yesterday I soaked the sleeve part and it stretched out nicely (about 5cm without pulling or pinning). So now I can continue. Yay!

From Knitted

I did decide on a project late last night and even ordered yarn. It was , I think, the first project I had in mind. But today I as I read others blog posts I started questioning my decision. Am I really challenging myself and staying true to the Broadway style? I totally freaked out and sent an email to see if I could change my order. It will therefore be sent a day later and might not arrive until next week.

Although I am a bit hesitant I am not changing project, but as for the colours…Well lets wait for the package to get here. That said I think I will add a little bit more work into colour. I think the only multiple colours/fair isle project with many different colours that I’ve wanted to do is the Ivy league vest. It is stunning but I would like to have different colours and that will be my other challenge: to work out a colour scheme for when I get the time and money to knit this project.

Sorry if I’m rambling. Now I’ll be watching Gray’s anatomy and knit on vine yoke. Yay again!

What to choose? There are so many nice patterns out there. But I’ve limited it to head, neck or foot wear and I’m thinking something along the line of:

Bird on a wire hat (Ravelry)

Selbu modern Ravelry link+ accompanying cowl

…hmm so hard. I think I got it one minute and the next I change my mind for the umpteenth time.

As for colour I’ve browsed trough both Color for knitters from summer 08 issue of Interweave knits and a Trinny and Susannah book (they have some nice colour charts). Before, with my previous multiple-colour projects, I’ve chosen the same hue with different saturation or just picked what I have at home. That won’t do here. So how do I pick yarns with different hues that both go well together and that I will use?

To be able to follow all the other contenders I’ve imported the opml file in Netvibes and added a label to show their respective challenge styles.

The wonderfully talented Lisa has put together the most amazing knitting contest/challenge inspired by the TV dance competition So you think you can dance – So you think you can knit (SYTYCK). All 66 (I think) entrants have entered the competition in a dance style they are most comfortable with – I settled with Hip hop. Everyone has now  received  a personal challenge to compete in a different style. Mine was Broadway – or as Lisa wrote (via Google translate):

Colorful and “dazzling”.
One color at a time is not for you. It must be more strands, motifs, colors and patterns. Multi-color knitting with all its various techniques belong on Broadway. This of course means that your style often draws its form from other styles, but the important thing for you is the expression, and all the beautiful rainbow colors!
You are probably just as colorful in your personality as in your knitting!

And now it’s Hollywood week. All contestants have one week to decide on project and yarn. Swatching, calculating is allowed but not casting on for the project. The grand show starts in one week at 18:30 CET. Voting is done during all of December and ends on New Year’s Eve.The voting is based on the contestants blogging of their progress and not on the actual FO (or UFO).

Wow! I had several ideas of what challenge Lisa would give me, Broadway was not one of them. But I do think she did an excellent choice. It will definitely be a challenge. I am not to concerned with the technique per se, I have tried it but I have to watch the tension carefully. However, it will be quite difficult to capture the gist of the style.

What should I choose? I have perused Ravelry and I have a few ideas. But I must select the right yarn and project to really make it true to the Broadway style.