intarsia and knitting in the round

[viki]

I'm working on a cap and knitting it in the round. I want to put a letter on it, but just read that "You can't do standard intarsia knitting in the round." Does anyone know why or what the alternative "more complex" method is? :thinking: Might it be ok to just go ahead with my plan since it's just one block letter? (I'm working on the "devil's hat" that I found under the free patterns section.... our high school is the Blue Devils so I'm doing it in navy with a white "M" for Marietta.)
Thanks.

[Ingrid]

There is a way to do intarsia in the round for patterns where both colors are carried through. I posted on it somewhere around here a while back but I'll try to explain it.

When you knit around the first time with the two colors, no problem, right? Kind of like a fair isle. The problem comes when you come around again and you cc yarn is at the wrong end of your pattern. At this point, you knit the background colors and slip the cc, knitting a few more bc beyond the pattern and trapping the cc. Then you turn you work so you're working the purl side. At this point you purl the cc and slip the bc. When you get to the end of the design, you slip the whole thing back onto the left hand needle, turn, and continue on your way. So every other round requires you to slip and purl back.

[viki]

I think I get it. At least the part about how you run into trouble after the first go-round of the pattern
When you say slip the stitches, do you mean put them on another needle to work back the purl direction and then put it back on the needle to continue? If this is so, would this be something I do on only the even rows?
Why does every new thing I try seem to put me out of my league. I thought this would be simple!!!!

[Ingrid]

No you don't have to put them on another needle. Just slip them pwise from one needle to the other. It's as though you taking turns with the colors. First you're knitting the main color across, because you don't have the cc yarn available to you. You just slip the cc colors on to your r needle. then when you turn the whole thing around, you slip the stitches you've already knit and purl the cc that you slipped before. This leaves the mc where it should be and brings the cc back to where you need in on the next round. Try it on a round needle with some scrap yarn. It's so much easier to understand when its in front of you.

It's only out of your league if you somehow try to slip these to another needle! When you look at 99% of knitting books, they say knitting intarsia in the round is impossible. I learned this from a quarterly knitting pattern put out by Schoolhouse Press.

[KellyK]

OR, since M is the same forwards and backwards, you could make a nice toasty warm double-knit hat! Then it would be reversible!

I've made two of those hats...I made a few adjustments, like CO both colors at once, and carrying one yarn in each hand...if you are interested, you can see & read about it in my blog

[viki]

Thanks Ingrid... that makes sense now. I'll give it a try, and no doubt a try and a try and a try :D (but I won't give up). You're a true genius.

KellyK - I love the hat!!!! We live in Georgia.... it would be too warm!!! I'm way too much of a beginner for double knitting (I think) but I think once I get this thing I'm working on now done, it would be a good thing to make for my niece and nephew in Michigan.

Thanks all!

[Aby]

You could also felt a square of white wool, then cut out the M and stitch it to the hat. Just a thought.