INTARSIA - how??

[EffiePerine]

Am knitting a jumper for DS in a rather fetching jockey design, but it has a large intarsia star on the front. I've knitted patterns before but have always carreid the wool across the back. This is too big, plus I'm a bit low on the main colour wool so don't want to waste any. The pattern instructions say 'twist the wool together' - how? Do I carry it across the back ofr a couple of stitches? How do I avoid big holes?

aha, my area of expertise!

you knit along until you need to change colour, pick up the new colour wool and twist it round the old colour (once only) so there isn't a gap. weave in the loose end behind as it'll drive you mental if you have to sew all the ends in at the end.

this site has good videos.

however, i had to learn a few tricks in order to keep things smooth:

• don't be tempted to pull your yarn as tight as you can at the joins, just try and knit naturally
• if it's a vertical line or diagonal moving to the right, cross the yarns over each other to avoid a hole.
• if it's a diagonal moving to the left, DO NOT twist the yarn. you won't have a hole, and it'll avoid leaving a bit stitch which ruins the weave.

hope that makes sense. it took me a while to get the hang of it.

Diagonals? Not sure what you mean...

because knitting is like a grid, a change in colour will either be:

• a horizontal line
• a vertical line
• a diagonal line to the left
• a diagonal line to the right

a square will have two horizontal and two vertical lines
a triangle will have a horizontal line and two diagonal lines

i'm not very good at explaining...

I think I see

[steam coming out of ears]

no good at this spatial reasoning stuff. Will give it a go and report back

yes, that's the best thing. and those videos are good (although they don't explain about the left diagonal, so you might find holes at that point, but you know how to remedy it).