Mad for Plaid: Combined Techniques

Picture Perfect Plaid by Theresa Schabes
from 60 Quick Baby Blankets

I love combining two different techniques for creating knitted plaid fabric into my designs because the resulting design has so much complexity.

The simplest example is by baby blanket at left.  The main body is simple intarsia.  While intarsia may not always be described as simple, in plaid designs it is simplified by being worked in a regular geometric shape.  As a result, the pattern is easily memorized and there's no staring at a chart for the entire knit.

The horizontal stripes are knitted into the base fabric, and where the vertical stripes will be placed a column of purl stitches is worked.  After the base fabric is completed, the purl columns are an easy guide for placement of a crochet chain.  

Cuthaig Plaid Mitts
by Theresa Schabes

My favorite combination is two-stranded intarsia and applied crochet chain.  The intarsia patterning gives you a blurred base fabric that closely simulates weaving, while the vertical crochet chain and horizontal stripes give you a sharp, crisp line of color.  This is certainly an advanced knitting technique, but my Cuthaig mitt pattern is an opportunity to try it in a small dose.  If you enjoy the challenge and appreciate the gorgeous fabric, you can move on to my Gait's Haire wrap/cowl or one of the plaid sweaters I have designed for Vogue Knitting/Sixth & Spring books.  

Gait's Haire by Theresa Schabes

#27 Tartan Pulloverfrom Vogue Knitting Winter 2014/15

I hope you've enjoyed my series on plaids.  Next up:  a couple new designs which have just been published and adventures in indigo dyeing.