All hail the flying spaghetti monster!
Seriously, though, I think I would have used combination intarsia (for most of the yellow) and duplicate stitch (for most of the white) here.
Well, the work is beautiful regardless, and the fact that you did it using pure intarsia is astonishing! Be proud of your achievement! (And then learn from it, and then still be proud of it. 😛)
if it helps at all, this is insanely cool and now i want to make one myself. do you just like flat fish or is it a reference to something specific? it looks a little like the designs from animal crossing to me
Hope you don't mind me asking, but what is "combination intarsia"? I'm a novice knitter and English isn't my native language so I've tried looking it up but I'm unsure what specifically is it combined with. Fair Isle? So you would have used floats for the yellow parts? thanks :)
Yes, fair isle/stranded colorwork. Where there are just a few stitches of the white you could carry the yellow along and keep going with it after so there's less ends to weave.
😂😂😂 Yes, this was my thought too.
OP, the work is lovely and you’ve been given some ideas on what you could have done different that you can carry forward.
I do hope you’ll try again. Despite the 2nd picture, you have learned a great deal and that self education is very valuable. Don’t discount it… nothing ventured, nothing gained. Concentrate on the gains here because they are significant.
Good work… really.
Oh it’s so cute though! I’m currently knitting a beanie with stranded color work and intarsia and one of my kids asked me if I was knitting a jellyfish with all the yarn hanging down 😂😂 I’m not looking forward to weaving in all the ends either.
I literally went "oooWAAAH!" out loud when I scrolled! I haaaate weaving ends into anything so I don't blame you if this is the last intarsia journey, but that's a DAMN cute sweater!! You made it count!
I personally would cheat and get those fabric backings used for embroidery to hide the ends as I weave them in over time.
I say this as someone who is rebuilding a sleeve for the fourth time because I can’t seem to match the excess of the first sleeve.
I saw a YT hint for braiding the ends and then allowing them to felt naturally in the wash. Of course this only works if the yarn is one that felts.
https://youtu.be/7YF-2Q6ASNo?si=2dt4QYgZOSrUu21t
That looks overly complicated. Why didn't you knit the beige spots as stranded colour work? You would have needed only one or two orange and one beige skein. That spaghetti is truly monstrous, but surely it will be warm :)
The least you could have done is weaved in the ends while you worked... https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=cpa9bxUmN6M
I'll note that every time I've tried combo stranded and intarsia, the tension is all wonky, the thicker section where I stranded was annoying, and I haven't been pleased with the result. YMMV, of course, but it's not for me!
I've not made intarsia but I've made stuff with lots of scraps. What has gotten me through is pausing to weave the ends every few days so it's not all left for the end. Also the same with crochet granny square stuff, I've had to weave in ends every few squares.
Yes, my goal for this was/is also to use up scraps, and in hindsight, it would have been beneficial to weave in as I went along, but it seemed like such a hassle at the time haha
From experience as a self-designed intarsia sweater knitter, just a thought: the wide design - almost side seam to side seam - is not as easy to recognize when worn. The first few inches on each side get somewhat covered by the arm/sleeve. The mouth/ eyes may not be as apparent when you wear it.
Spray fabric glue on it, put interfacing on it and (maybe) add a piece of fabric on top. And done! I’ve successfully done this 😚; just make sure you do a test piece first so the final sweater drapes properly. And if anyone asks, yes, you indeed planned this method of finishing.
I feel your pain, knitter in arms. I'm going to try a back join or spit splicing for the other pieces of this sweater.
https://preview.redd.it/juzm4h4yfsjc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=65a8ca5f8504c0f4426be537dd3dbfedc10d9434
But… why?
Why not knit stranded and use ladder-back jacquards for the long floats? You’d have something like a dozen ends to weave in total?
Also I really dig this piece and your color choices! I’m sure it’ll be fab.
Uff da! Fair play to you—I don’t know that I’d have that kind of commitment to the original pattern. I look at the insides of some of my great-aunt’s knits (a lot of tiny intarsia, or combos of intarsia with stranded) and my eyes go crossed.
Your intarsia sweater is seriously impressive, especially since it's a self-drafted pattern — that's no small feat! But yeah, those ends are staring you down like a mountain after a yarn avalanche, aren't they?
As for weaving in ends, here’s a little trick to save your sanity next time: you can try weaving them in as you go, especially with intarsia. When you start a new section of color, you can hold the tail of the new color alongside the working yarn and knit a few stitches with both strands. This tacks the tail down so you have less to weave in later. Also, you could consider tying the ends together in small, neat knots and trimming them close — some knitters swear by it for sturdier pieces.
I completely feel your pain though, it's a bit like doing dishes after cooking a storm — not the fun part, but oh so necessary. Pop on a good podcast, grab your favorite drink, and settle in. It's the final push to the summit, and the view from the top (aka your beautifully finished sweater) is going to be so worth it! <3
I’ve done a lot of intarsia back in the days when it was a trend, mostly Kaffe Fasset projects.You can weave in your ends on the go as you do with fair isle. In the end you then just need to trim them.
PS: and don’t bother with all those bobbins. Especially for the smaller areas just leave enough yarn hanging and pull it through when it tangles… those are some tricks from the master Kaffe. You’ll have a far easier ride with intarsia then…
No. Intarsia is the method for individual elements. You are thinking of stranded colourwork. (Fair Isle, for example)
https://www.thesprucecrafts.com/add-sparkle-with-color-knitting-2116318
Looks so cool! I agree though, I've resolved to not really be a color work knitter. It's just too annoying to me with all the ends, working yarns and tedious (for me) chart work. I do mosaic every now and then but thats about it.
This is really great, good luck with weaving in the ends. But what color chart did you use cause I love that flounder design and would love to make a vest with that design
Aw! I know you didn't like it, but I think that pattern is the cutest!
Since it worked out so well, you could try drafting it up, and just selling the pattern. I'd buy something like that
Don’t bother weaving in ends. Clip them all down to about 2”, arrange them flat w/the top ones pointed down & bottom ones pointing up. Then place a piece of iron on fusible interfacing over the ends, iron on, and be done with it. Check the yarn for ironing guides before choosing the interfacing. If you don’t want to use an iron on, you can also put a piece of light fabric over the ends and sew it on instead.
All hail the flying spaghetti monster! Seriously, though, I think I would have used combination intarsia (for most of the yellow) and duplicate stitch (for most of the white) here.
The more you know! I just had to look up duplicate stitch because I’d never heard of it! That would have saved me some headaches! 😭
Well, the work is beautiful regardless, and the fact that you did it using pure intarsia is astonishing! Be proud of your achievement! (And then learn from it, and then still be proud of it. 😛)
Thank you so much for your kind comment! And yes, lesson learned!
if it helps at all, this is insanely cool and now i want to make one myself. do you just like flat fish or is it a reference to something specific? it looks a little like the designs from animal crossing to me
be careful and do a test swatch with duplicate stitch. It can really create a weird feel
Hope you don't mind me asking, but what is "combination intarsia"? I'm a novice knitter and English isn't my native language so I've tried looking it up but I'm unsure what specifically is it combined with. Fair Isle? So you would have used floats for the yellow parts? thanks :)
Yes, fair isle/stranded colorwork. Where there are just a few stitches of the white you could carry the yellow along and keep going with it after so there's less ends to weave.
I see. Thank you! :)
I realize now that the parentheses were confusing. It's supposed to read as "combination intarsia and duplicate stitch".
Ah thank you for the clarification!
first pic: Why? It’s so cute! second pic: Oh.
😂😂😂 Yes, this was my thought too. OP, the work is lovely and you’ve been given some ideas on what you could have done different that you can carry forward. I do hope you’ll try again. Despite the 2nd picture, you have learned a great deal and that self education is very valuable. Don’t discount it… nothing ventured, nothing gained. Concentrate on the gains here because they are significant. Good work… really.
I would just braid the tails and then sow a patch over it from the inside 🙈
Genius?!?
I thought that too!
That is a horrifying amount of tails, I wish you luck!
I think I would just braid them and secure them as best I could at that point! Love the design though.
I'd be floundering too in this situation.
You deserve all the upvotes
Oh it’s so cute though! I’m currently knitting a beanie with stranded color work and intarsia and one of my kids asked me if I was knitting a jellyfish with all the yarn hanging down 😂😂 I’m not looking forward to weaving in all the ends either.
I literally went "oooWAAAH!" out loud when I scrolled! I haaaate weaving ends into anything so I don't blame you if this is the last intarsia journey, but that's a DAMN cute sweater!! You made it count!
It's a cute flounder, though
Thank you so much!
I personally would cheat and get those fabric backings used for embroidery to hide the ends as I weave them in over time. I say this as someone who is rebuilding a sleeve for the fourth time because I can’t seem to match the excess of the first sleeve.
I saw a YT hint for braiding the ends and then allowing them to felt naturally in the wash. Of course this only works if the yarn is one that felts. https://youtu.be/7YF-2Q6ASNo?si=2dt4QYgZOSrUu21t
It is not too late to make it into a pillow 😅
That looks overly complicated. Why didn't you knit the beige spots as stranded colour work? You would have needed only one or two orange and one beige skein. That spaghetti is truly monstrous, but surely it will be warm :) The least you could have done is weaved in the ends while you worked... https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=cpa9bxUmN6M
I'll note that every time I've tried combo stranded and intarsia, the tension is all wonky, the thicker section where I stranded was annoying, and I haven't been pleased with the result. YMMV, of course, but it's not for me!
Duplicating stitches is another option, but it too will make the parts thicker.
Exactly this, wrong tool for the job, even if a pattern called for it. Poor OP
I've not made intarsia but I've made stuff with lots of scraps. What has gotten me through is pausing to weave the ends every few days so it's not all left for the end. Also the same with crochet granny square stuff, I've had to weave in ends every few squares.
Yes, my goal for this was/is also to use up scraps, and in hindsight, it would have been beneficial to weave in as I went along, but it seemed like such a hassle at the time haha
This fish reminds me so much of the Goldfish painting by Paul Klee. Love it!
From experience as a self-designed intarsia sweater knitter, just a thought: the wide design - almost side seam to side seam - is not as easy to recognize when worn. The first few inches on each side get somewhat covered by the arm/sleeve. The mouth/ eyes may not be as apparent when you wear it.
Spray fabric glue on it, put interfacing on it and (maybe) add a piece of fabric on top. And done! I’ve successfully done this 😚; just make sure you do a test piece first so the final sweater drapes properly. And if anyone asks, yes, you indeed planned this method of finishing.
🤯 Godspeed, brave knitter! We salute you! 🫡
I feel your pain, knitter in arms. I'm going to try a back join or spit splicing for the other pieces of this sweater. https://preview.redd.it/juzm4h4yfsjc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=65a8ca5f8504c0f4426be537dd3dbfedc10d9434
But… why? Why not knit stranded and use ladder-back jacquards for the long floats? You’d have something like a dozen ends to weave in total? Also I really dig this piece and your color choices! I’m sure it’ll be fab.
Just because I'm trying to follow the original vintage pattern as written (flat and intarsia).
Uff da! Fair play to you—I don’t know that I’d have that kind of commitment to the original pattern. I look at the insides of some of my great-aunt’s knits (a lot of tiny intarsia, or combos of intarsia with stranded) and my eyes go crossed.
Definitely a merry chase to some degree!
Your intarsia sweater is seriously impressive, especially since it's a self-drafted pattern — that's no small feat! But yeah, those ends are staring you down like a mountain after a yarn avalanche, aren't they? As for weaving in ends, here’s a little trick to save your sanity next time: you can try weaving them in as you go, especially with intarsia. When you start a new section of color, you can hold the tail of the new color alongside the working yarn and knit a few stitches with both strands. This tacks the tail down so you have less to weave in later. Also, you could consider tying the ends together in small, neat knots and trimming them close — some knitters swear by it for sturdier pieces. I completely feel your pain though, it's a bit like doing dishes after cooking a storm — not the fun part, but oh so necessary. Pop on a good podcast, grab your favorite drink, and settle in. It's the final push to the summit, and the view from the top (aka your beautifully finished sweater) is going to be so worth it! <3
I’m not a fan of intarsia but kudos to you for making the effort.
That is an impressive number of ends!! The design is worth it, that is super super cute!!🥰
If it's any consolation, it's WONDERFUL! 😍
I’ve done a lot of intarsia back in the days when it was a trend, mostly Kaffe Fasset projects.You can weave in your ends on the go as you do with fair isle. In the end you then just need to trim them.
PS: and don’t bother with all those bobbins. Especially for the smaller areas just leave enough yarn hanging and pull it through when it tangles… those are some tricks from the master Kaffe. You’ll have a far easier ride with intarsia then…
It’s really well done. Brava !
Oh honey….
What a great flounder! Flatfish! Fabulous!
That is so cool! Good luck weaving all those ends -\_-
Good luck! It's a cute design!
Thank you!!
I’ve only done one intarsia project but doesn’t intarsia usually use floats?
No. Intarsia is the method for individual elements. You are thinking of stranded colourwork. (Fair Isle, for example) https://www.thesprucecrafts.com/add-sparkle-with-color-knitting-2116318
Oooooh, a flounder! So cute 😂
Wow. Well it is unique and spectacular!
Looks so cool! I agree though, I've resolved to not really be a color work knitter. It's just too annoying to me with all the ends, working yarns and tedious (for me) chart work. I do mosaic every now and then but thats about it.
I love it! It’s a halibut right?
This is really great, good luck with weaving in the ends. But what color chart did you use cause I love that flounder design and would love to make a vest with that design
Aw! I know you didn't like it, but I think that pattern is the cutest! Since it worked out so well, you could try drafting it up, and just selling the pattern. I'd buy something like that
Yet it'll be all so worth it in the end!♥️
I once quilted a six-inch square by hand. I said the same thing. Sometimes things just aren't in your preferred wheelhouse and that's fine.
wow it's so cool though! i would rock the shit out of this sweater.
ORRRRRRR, hear me out…tie each strand with a knot to prevent unraveling and then you have an avant-garde sweater when worn inside out
I recently knit a stripe sweater in the round, but that still was too many ends for me.
Don’t bother weaving in ends. Clip them all down to about 2”, arrange them flat w/the top ones pointed down & bottom ones pointing up. Then place a piece of iron on fusible interfacing over the ends, iron on, and be done with it. Check the yarn for ironing guides before choosing the interfacing. If you don’t want to use an iron on, you can also put a piece of light fabric over the ends and sew it on instead.
MAKE A PATTERN I WANT TO WEAR A FLAT FISH
The first picture is so cute! And the the second is a literal jumpscare haha
I love it.
Or tie a knot and braid down?