What is Intarsia Knitwear?

Intarsia knitwear is a type of knitting technique that involves creating a pattern or design by using different coloured yarns. It is a popular technique used by many fashion designers to create unique and intricate designs on knitwear.

The intarsia technique involves creating a chart or pattern for the design, and then using different coloured yarns to create the design on the knit fabric. Unlike other knitting techniques such as Fair Isle or stranded knitting, intarsia allows for large blocks of colour to be used in the design. This technique is often used to create images, logos, or geometric patterns on knitwear.

Intarsia knitwear can be found in a variety of garments such as sweaters, cardigans, scarves, and hats. It is often used in high-end fashion collections and can be quite expensive due to the time and skill required to create the intricate designs.

The origins of intarsia knitting can be traced back to the Renaissance period in Italy, where it was used to create intricate designs on furniture and woodwork. The technique was eventually adapted for use in knitting and has since become a popular technique used by many designers.

In recent years, there has been a resurgence in the popularity of intarsia knitwear, with designers such as Gucci, Chanel, and Missoni incorporating the technique into their collections. It is a versatile technique that allows for endless design possibilities and can be used to create both bold and subtle designs.

The beautiful Alpaca intarsia knitwear featured in our Spirit of the Andes collections is created by specialist artisan workers high in the mountains in Cusco in Peru, each of our amazing pieces takes over a week to make. Each piece of knitwear is lovingly finished with detailed hand-embroidery and where the style requires, completed with hand-painted ceramic buttons.