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10 Intarsia & Technique Tutorials for Spiral Hill Sweater Vest Knitters

October 5, 2023 Leave a Comment

Check out 10 video & written tutorials to help you knit the Spiral Hill Sweater Vest, including intarsia colorwork, make 1 increases, and a German Twisted Cast On.

After announcing the Spiral Hill Sweater Vest Knit Along, I had a couple of knitters reach out who are super excited to make the vest, but are brand new to intarsia (and in one respectably brave case, new to knitting). This post is all about rounding up the videos & written (blog post) tutorials that might come in handy as you knit the Spiral Hill Sweater Vest. There are 10 videos, 7 about intarsia, plus a bonus 11th video, the first video of this knit along.

Check out 10 video & written tutorials to help you knit the Spiral Hill Sweater Vest, including intarsia colorwork, make 1 increases, and a German Twisted Cast On.

September marked 13 years since I started blogging & Hands Occupied, so sometimes it is surprisingly easy to forget all of the tutorials I’ve done. Several of them cover techniques I love to design patterns with. The Spiral Hill Sweater Vest pattern from the new Nightmare Before Christmas knitting book was designed with a German Twisted Cast On, Make 1 (M1R & M1L) increases, intarsia colorwork, and picked up stitches, so scroll on for all of the Hands Occupied tutorials that can help you successfully knit your vest. Let me know in the comments if you have any questions!

Check out 10 video & written tutorials to help you knit the Spiral Hill Sweater Vest, including intarsia colorwork, make 1 increases, and a German Twisted Cast On.

German Twisted Cast On

This knitting cast on is similar to the widely-used long tail cast on, but includes an extra twist that provides added yarn to each stitch of the cast on, resulting in a stretchier cast on edge. This cast on is great for socks, mittens and sweater sleeves – really any edge you would want a little stretch for!

Make 1 Increases

Make 1 Right (M1R)

Learn how to work a M1R stitch in knitting. A M1R results in an increase of one stitch when worked.

Make 1 Left (M1L)

Learn how to work a M1L stitch in knitting. A M1L results in an increase of one stitch in between two stitches when worked.

Intarsia 101

Intarsia 101: How to Knit Intarsia

Get acquainted with intarsia, a method of colorwork knitting, which allows knitters to create isolated blocks of color as well as intricate multicolor motifs. For the purposes of this introductory tutorial, basic intarsia worked in stockinette stitch is featured, along with lots of tips and tricks to keep knitters from overthinking and get on with it. With a little practice, you’ll be an intarsia wizard. ;)

Intarsia 101: How to Estimate Yarn Tails

Learn how to estimate the amount of yarn you’ll need to work a section of intarsia colorwork in knitting. An easy trick is demonstrated, along with tips and tricks to help knitters avoid common tail estimation pitfalls.

Intarsia 101: How to Manage Yarn Tails 3 Ways

Once you’ve estimated your intarsia yarn tail length, you’ve got a few options for how to manage it. Whether you prefer fast and loose, bobbins or a yarn butterfly, this video will show you how and why you might want to use each method.

The Case for Disorganized Intarsia

Learn why you might wan to try intarsia knitting without tail management of any kind. This quick demo helps illustrate why you might want to play it fast and loose with this sometimes-intimidating technique.

How to Knit Intarsia without Bobbins

If you want to knit intarsia, but are turned off by all the tail estimation and bobbin creation, don’t think you have to miss out on this technique! Learn how to knit intarsia by working from both ends of a single skein at once, avoiding tail estimation and bobbins entirely.

How to Pre-plan an Intarsia Knitting Project (in-depth)

You’ve mastered the basics of how to knit intarsia, but your new pattern is a little more involved. How do you know how many yarn tails you’ll need to successfully make this pattern (without ending up with a ton of unnecessary yarn breaks)? This video will walk you through how to break down an intarsia chart into sections, decide how many yarn balls your pattern will require, and get the stitch count you’ll need to estimate your tail length.

How to Weave in Intarsia Ends

Intarsia can be an intimidating knitting technique. If you’re watching this video, you might find yourself in this boat: You’ve mastered the technique and are SO excited because you’re almost done with your project…… And then you remember how many ends you’ve got to weave in. So many folks find weaving in ends to be one of the most frustrating parts of the skill, and with all colorwork, ends are a necessary part of intarsia. Let’s walk you through how to weave in all of those pesky ends, specifically for intarsia colorwork.

Please note: In a couple weeks, I’ll be doing another video on weaving in intarsia ends, which will address more of the intarsia tail-weaving questions I occasionally receive. Inquiring minds want to know even more on the subject, and I have more to share. Because I’m a weirdo with a passion for technique, what can I say? 😜

New: Understanding Gauge in Intarsia Knitting

In case you missed it: the first video lesson for the Spiral Hill Sweater Vest is live on YouTube as well, and it’s all about better understanding gauge in intarsia.

Check out 10 video & written tutorials to help you knit the Spiral Hill Sweater Vest, including intarsia colorwork, make 1 increases, and a German Twisted Cast On.

Filed Under: Knit Along, Knitting Tagged With: german twisted cast on, intarsia, kal, knit along, make 1 left, make 1 right, spiral hill sweater vest, spiral hill sweater vest kal, spiral hill sweater vest knit along

About Heidi

Heidi Gustad (she/her) is a craft book author & designer specializing in yarn crafts. Her work combines vintage and modern design elements, prioritizing color and graphic motifs. Her first book, Latch Hook: 12 Projects for the Modern Maker, is out now.

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Heidi Gustad from Hands Occupied / Craft Book Author and Knitting, Crochet, Latch Hook and Macrame Designer

Hi! I’m Heidi (she/her/hers), and I’ve been helping yarn crafters untangle various techniques on the internet since 2010. I got my start here, as a blogger, and since then I’ve shared more than a few tutorials here and on YouTube as I’ve grown as a pattern designer. 🧶 

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Heidi Gustad 🧶 knitting & yarn crafts

handsoccupied

Knitting & yarn crafts designer 🧶
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Stay up-to-date 💌 & shop new patterns ⤵️

POV: Showing you how my new Bevelled Tank pattern POV: Showing you how my new Bevelled Tank pattern fits with no ease vs. 4” of positive ease. There’s a bit more length to the cotton (brighter color) sample, but both are cropped and feature shoulder seams designed to sit an inch back onto the shoulder instead of on top, giving it a little swing. Length is easily adjustable for folks looking for less of a crop. 
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Pattern: Bevelled Tank by @handsoccupied for @pompommag x @hobbii_yarn summer 2024. Available for free from Hobbii at the 🔗 in my profile.
Yarn pictured: @kelbournewoolens Skipper and Camper. 
Dress form is adjusted to a 36” chest and ~5’3”ish in height. 
Human has a 40” chest and is 5’5”.
Both skirts are vintage.
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#pompomxhobbiisummer2024 #handsoccupied #intarsia #handmade #knitting #colorwork
Let’s talk about fit and ease! . During the Beve Let’s talk about fit and ease!
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During the Bevelled Tank design process for @pompommag, I knit 2 samples using 2 different @KelbourneWoolens yarns. One was in Skipper (100% cotton, second photo) and the other was in Camper (100% 2 ply wool). The Skipper sample was knit for a 36” bust, which measures in at 40” with 4” of positive ease. And I knit the Camper Sample for my 40” bust with a 44” finished measurement. (BTW, I’m 5’5” for folks that find that measurement helpful in visualizing fit.)
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Based on the size chart for the Bevelled Tank, that means I knit one size 3 sample and one size 4. As designed, I conveniently fit a size 4 as intended with 4” of positive ease. When I wear the 3, there is no ease at all because the garment and my body are both 40” in size. Comparing the 2 garments, you can see how the fiber content (cotton vs. wool) and fit (no ease vs. 4” of positive ease) makes a difference in the look and feel of the finished garment. 
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These samples are a great way to compare what ease looks like on different bodies. While I can fit both a size 3 and 4, the garment with no ease feels more like pajamas or a bralette when I wear it. On the other hand, when I wear the one with 4” of positive ease, I feel comfortable enough to wear it to work, even as a crop top. Plus, it leaves me with enough room to layer it with a nice button down if I’m not feeling the cropped look one day. 
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I’m curious - how would you style this tank? Would you modify it with a few stockinette rows for added length? I’m so curious now that this pattern is finally out in the world. :) 
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#pompomxhobbiisummer2024 #bevelledtank #handsoccupied #knitting #intarisa #handmade #kelbournewoolens #croppedsweater #summerknits
After a 6 month hiatus, I am happy to say I’m ba After a 6 month hiatus, I am happy to say I’m back with a brand new pattern in 9 sizes, and it’s FREE as part of @pompommag x @hobbii_yarn’s summer design collection! (Link is in my bio.)
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In my December newsletter, I announced that I was soliciting test knitters for a pattern that had originally been selected for the summer ’24 issue of Pom Pom Quarterly magazine. However, the magazine ceased publication after its spring ’24 issue, leaving in-progress designs unpublished. (It happens.) As a result, I’d begun the long process of editing, testing, and photographing the pattern for independent release through the Hands Occupied pattern shop and Ravelry.
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Before I was done with that process, Pom Pom Quarterly’s former editors reached out with an exciting proposal for the pattern. Post-magazine, they’ve begun to partner with yarn companies to produce high quality pattern collections. They wanted to include designs from the would-be current issue of Pom Pom Quarterly in a new collection for Hobbii yarn, including my Bevelled Tank. I worked with the same technical editors I would have for the magazine on this one, and as you can see from the photos, Pom Pom’s team did an amazing job of styling the garment to the beautiful standards they’re known for.
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You can learn more about the pattern on my blog and get the free pattern from Hobbii yarn - links to both in my profile. I’ll post sizing info in the comments for quick reference too. 🧶
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#pompomxhobbiisummer2024 #knitting #intarsia #sponsored #colorworkknitting 
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Photos: @dianascarrunz 
Model: @angel.jade_
Here’s a nice throwback for you: my take on a vi Here’s a nice throwback for you: my take on a vintage knitting pattern from 1938 called the Fernlace Pullover. A pattern so nice, I knit it twice.
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Yellow version 💛: knit with Despondent Dyes’ Vintage Vixen Sport after attending a @squidneyknits vintage knitting retreat in 2019 & learning *so much*. Paired with a self-drafted circle skirt pattern. 
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Blue version 💙: knit with @eweeweyarns Ewe So Sporty in Sky Blue. Paired with the 1940s Boardwalk Duet sewing pattern from @decades_of_style 
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Head to my stories for 🔗🔗 to the handmade wardrobe blog posts I wrote about each take on the Fernlace Pullover, working with a vintage pattern, where to find vintage patterns (including the one I used), & some thoughts on sizing. 
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Image descriptions available in alt text. 
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#handsoccupied #handmadewardrobe #fernlacepullover #vintageknitting #vintageknittingpatterns #knitting_inspiration
Frogging is a word in the knitting world that mean Frogging is a word in the knitting world that means to rip out your knitting. It’s called frogging because frogs say “ribbit,” and when you’re tearing out your knitting, you will “rip it” out, and that sounds like ribbit. No really. 🐸 Did you know this fun fact? 
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P.S. I did like this design concept, but to make the pattern more knitter friendly as well as more wearable, I am making some tweaks to the construction. Excited to share when it’s ready! 🥰🧶
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Yarn: @blueskyfibers Woolstok North in Morning Frost & Highland Fleece 
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#handsoccupied #knitting #frogging #blueskyfibers #knittersofinstagram #blueskymakers #knittingvocabulary #bsfmakers #knitdesign
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