Mastering Color Knitting: Simple Instructions for Stranded, Intarsia, and Double Knitting

by Melissa Leapman

One of the reasons knitting and colorwork master Melissa Leapman first learned to knit was her wish to make one special project—a sweater using Fair Isle technique. Now, for the first time, she brings her passion for advanced color knitting to knitters who want to knit with any and every color of yarn they can wrap around their needles.
 
Conquer classic stranded knitting, “draw” images in yarn using intarsia, and make two projects in one with reversible double knitting. Leapman’s clear instruction proves that knitting with multiple colors may appear more complex, but it doesn’t have to be difficult. She includes the quickest, easiest, and most intuitive methods for each technique, using knowledge honed over years of color knitting workshops with knitters from across the country.
 
Once you’ve learned the basics, practice your new skills by creating projects for yourself, your friends, and everyone on your gift list. Each chapter includes a handful of sample projects to get you started, a Designer Workshop that teaches you important concepts in every designer’s toolbox, and a pattern treasury of unique patterns to apply to projects of your own creation—more than 50 patterns and 12 projects in all.
 
Throughout, Leapman’s helpful collection of how-tos, diagrams, tips, and hints (including a refresher course in color theory to help you choose the perfect color combinations) makes Mastering Color Knitting the book you’ll turn to for information and inspiration time and time again.

Genres: Knitting, Nonfiction, Crafts, Reference

176 pages, Paperback

First published November 9, 2010

About the author

AKA Melissa Leapman Blowney

Reviews

[Rachael · Rating 2 out of 5]

so if i was stranded on a desert island with needles, some yarn, and this book... yeah i'd be pretty screwed.

it's not a bad book by any means, and i'm going to make sure i keep it handy for reference tips and tricks. maybe they're useful.

but if i didn't have access to youtube or other knitters to explain things to me when they don't make sense, this book would have just left me more confused than i was starting out. i'm not exactly an advanced knitter or anything but i'm learning as i go, and i feel like the things i understood are now more intricate than they were in my own head, which is amusing as the author keeps reminding you just how simple everything is.

i kinda wanted to punch her in the face after the 5th time she pointed out something was easy. even reading is difficult for someone who has no experience with it and continually telling them it's easy when you just have a lot of experience is really friggin' condescending and patronizing.

i really liked the pages of fair isle motifs. but other than that i always wonder why knitting reference books tend to include patterns most people don't want to knit.

[thuy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a good book on colorwork for beginning or intermediate knitters who want to try or are not very familiar with colorwork. It has techniques, some cool tips and tricks as well, as a good primer on color theory. The book is divided into three sections and covers stranded colorwork, intarsia and double knitting, with four projects for each technique. Patterns range from home accessories like pillows to sweaters, hats and scarves. While I think the projects would be good for practicing the techniques, I was not in love with man of them, though there were a couple of hats and a scarf I liked.

This book is a good overview on colorwork. I am not into intarsia or double knitting and, personally, would prefer a book focused on stranded knitting. There is also a good section on color theory that is helpful for those who want to learn more about how to put colors together. While most of the projects didn't appeal to me, I think this would be a good intro colorwork book for those who haven't done much or any colorwork. I'd recommend checking out a copy from your LYS or library to see if the techniques and patterns interest you before purchasing.

[Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a solid reference book.

[Sara · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book has the best explanation of color theory that I've ever read. While I was in school, we didn't ever learn anything about art in my Parochial school. I was too busy being "academic" to learn fun things that might have interested me. These explanations fill in the holes in my education.

[Arlian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Usually I give books that I don't think are "for me" 3 stars. And this book doesn't have any patterns I personally want to make. But it's still probably one of the best books on intarsia ever written! If you want to learn how to be amazing at colorwork, this is the book for you.

For me personally thought, none of the patterns speak to me.

[Jackleen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great patterns with clear instructions and useful tips.

[Rob · Rating 5 out of 5]

Real simple instructions and a great all around book to add to your knitting library.

[Ruth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice pattern treasury of stranded knitting.

[Janet Moulton]

I flipped through the pages and read several patterns but didn't finish reading to the end. I had to return it to the public library before I could finish.

[Jane Killough · Rating 4 out of 5]

I use it as a reference book. Not one I would read from beginning to end. It does have helpful ideas ofr Color knitting.

[Madelon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good overview of colour knitting and it's possibilities. Some more detailed basic information about things like carrying floats would have been appreciated. Luckily youtube can help.

[Annmarie Stocker-shea · Rating 5 out of 5]

A good reference book for sure.

[Aiden]

Looks like a helpful book, and I'll probably go back to it when I start my mitten project.

[Claire Kidwell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great guide, probably more helpful to someone who's attempted more complex project before, but still we love free patterns and helpful tips!

[Tracey · Rating 3 out of 5]

nonfiction; knitting (advanced)
I checked this one out along with Knitting Double: Mastering the Two-Color Technique with Over 30 Reversible Projects from my local library and like the patterns and step-by-step illustrated instructions better in this one.

Months later (thank you, pandemic borrowing rules!) I finally took a second look at the instructions and figured out double knitting (as well as increases and decreases when double knitting). Not all steps are illustrated, and you have to be able to figure it out from text only, but I found it to be pretty clearly written. I looked at the special "invisible" casting-on technique featured in here for double-knitting, but decided it's a bit too finicky for my lazy hands, and I'll just go with standard, more visible casting-on, and perhaps also binding-off.

Recommended for advanced knitters, especially if they are able to teach themselves "from a book."

[Apryl Anderson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an excellent overview of the major colorwork techniques: Stranded, Intarsia, and Reversible Two-Color Double Knitting. Although there are other more all-encompassing books out there, I appreciate leaning over Ms. Leapman's shoulder, as it were, to observe how she plays with color. In fact, the first chapter, "Getting Started" is one of the most helpful guides to applying color theory in knitting. Because I'm more interested in creating my own designs, I've not used any of the patterns included here, so I can't speak to their accuracy. Having said that, they are lovely, and truly inspire.If used in conjunction to other knitting references and tutorials, I'd recommend this book to any knitter who's interested in moving from following to mastering colorwork technique.

[Ina · Rating 4 out of 5]

For an advanced beginner like me the book contained enough to cover all my color knitting desires. I did't read everything in detail but got an overall impression of all the techniques possible - I will read them when I need it (for example the chapter about intarsia, not so interestet into that at the moment).
I liked the pattern 'library' best - used some of the charts for this project.
Most of the projects in the book are nice but are explicit and time consuming ones so I wouldn't knit one of them (except for the small stuff like the hats).
All in all a small encyclopedia for color knitting adequate for my needs, I bought the book in case I would like to design or modify a pattern according to color knittin and this book will definitively do the job for me.

[jahiebert · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent guide if you are thinking of getting into color knitting. As a fan of double knitting, I really appreciated the amount of information and variety of techniques covered in the double knitting section.

Nice, clear illustrations for most of the techniques in the book. Would like to have seen a few more for techniques that were only described in text format but at least the text explanations were nice and clear.

A good complement to The Essential Guide to Color Knitting Techniques, which covers a much wider range of techniques (including texture knitting with color), but only devotes 5 pages to double knitting.

[Kristi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Complete and clear instructions on what the subtitle says - stranded, intarsia and double knitting. The first chapter does provide a brief overview on color knitting concerns such as choosing colors and dealing with yarn ends, though the proceeding book in the series covers those issues more in depth I'm told.

As a knitwear designer and knitting instructor who has studied both knitting and color theory extensively, there were no "ah-ha" moments for me. The presentation of the information was well done and the pictures and illustrations were clear and showed details well.

[Cayenne · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was excellent and had the best explanation with visual aids that I've seen of the color wheel and color combinations. The writing was excellent and the concepts taught were well-presented. Even though I have previously studied and practiced all of the techniques examined in the book, I understood them even better after reading this book. I'm sorry to have missed Leapman's workshop that was held here only a couple months ago. What a lost opportunity! This woman is obviously a very good teacher.

[S. · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book taught me everything I needed to know to pick up my needles and conquer my fear of Fair Isle and Intarsia both!

For years I have been skipping patterns that involved colorwork. I bought this book and read it from cover to cover. Melissa has a wonderful gift for teaching. She made my demons vanish by showing me that my fears were all in my head!

Today, I LOOK for colorwork patterns to challenge myself and improve my knitting skills. I cannot wait to read and try another of Melissa's books!

[Tara]

I read this at the library this morning and found it very helpful. I only liked the two hat patterns so I will check it out in the future to try my hand with color knitting. The best part, though, was the explanation of how to read a knitting chart. I realized I had done a pattern in a different book the wrong way! It's no wonder the head band looks different than the picture. The point is that this book seems to explain the three techniques simply, with color-coded illustrations.

[Meghan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a knitting book I really enjoyed! I came into it as somewhat of a novice, having only ever done stripes before in terms of color knitting, and it was a great guide with lots of pictures and plenty of explanation. Wide variety of awesome patterns for men, women, and kids, along with handy color guides and skill tips.

Recommended to anyone tackling color knitting for the first time or refining technique, or that one relative that always asks how you make such cool stuff.

[Jackie Fowler · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a well organized and formatted knitting book for the Kindle. The only reason I didn't give it 5 stars is because it's meant more for beginners. It's a great introduction and resource for those tentative about jumping into color knitting. I liked all the extended e-book content available online via hyperlinks such as charts and knitter's graph paper.

[Susan Eubank · Rating 3 out of 5]

It is a very, good basic book about the different kinds of color knitting. I guess I was hoping for more. Each kind only showed a few beginning projects, with more charts. I would have liked to have been wowed with the strengths of each kind. I hope I can find in-depth books on mosaic, intarsia, and double knitting, now though.

[Janell]

I'm trying some reversible stuff now and it is hard!! Well, keeping track of it is interesting anyway. I think the book is good for learning techniques, but most of the actual projects I won't want to make.

[Ciaobella · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a lovely book! Leapman's passion shines, but there is such a great deal of detail... if only it was spiral bound. This is essential reference for people considering the Master Knitter's program.

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved all the patterns. I just wish the colors would have been included in the keys for the pattern library. There were a few that had combos I would like to use. I'll just have to guess the colors.

[Shannon · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent resource for learning or perfecting knitting with colour. The techniques are explained clearly and this is a go-to resource for me. This book has helped me to perfect my stranded knitting and I will definitely return to this book when I decide to figure out intarsia - one day!

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

A through guide to the basics of several techniques, and good advice for designing your own projects in each. If you're not ready to plunge into designing, there's a small but nicely varied selection of full patterns, and a wider ranging sampling of charts and motifs.