Free PDF Pattern to Knit Your Own Intarsia Sweater

Use this beginner-friendly, step-by-step pattern and grid diagram to knit a wavy-patterned sweater in multiple colors

Knitting your own garments from scratch helps you to develop a better understanding of what makes great quality clothes, and a greater appreciation of how much care goes into them.

Knitwear designer Laura Dalgaard (@lauradalgaard) is the founder of her own brand where she sells hand-knitted pieces and knitting patterns. Here, she shares a detailed pattern featuring both step-by-step instructions and a grid, to show how to knit and purl your own intarsia style sweater with a loose, chunky design.

Laura grew up in a family of artists, surrounded by creativity, before going on to study fashion knitwear at the Royal Danish Academy of Art. While studying, her work began receiving attention and attracting freelance projects.

Laura built her own brand for ready-made knitwear, knit kits, and knitwear patterns. She has also collaborated with clients including Anthropologie and The Maritime Museum of Denmark. She seeks to tell stories through color and composition in her designs, which she shares with over 30K followers on Instagram.

In this example of an intarsia knit with a wavy design, she says, “the pattern is beginner-friendly and a fast knit. Choose your favorite colors and make your sweater even more personal by embroidering on it at the end.”

But before you download the pattern to start knitting, let’s learn more about this specific knitting technique.

What is intarsia?

Intarsia’s name comes from a woodworking technique where different colors and shards of wood are inserted together in a pattern. The name may come from the Latin "interserere" meaning "insert". In knitting, it’s a way to make patterns and designs using many colors, seamlessly inlaid together. It’s usually worked flat, rather than in the round, and each time the color is changed, the previous yarn is left to hang.

Intarsia is common in big, cozy sweaters and other cold-weather wear, because it allows for statement designs like flowers, snowflakes, and other shapes to be laid right into the fabric.

What you need to make your sweater

To ensure the sweater hangs correctly, and you can maintain the same tension as Laura’s work, try to choose the same or similar yarn. Puno is a tube yarn which is lightweight. You’ll also need circular needles and double-pointed needles, the details of which can be found in the download. Other than that, you’ll want some basic tools for knitting: scissors, a wool needle, a stitch holder, and a stitch marker.

Download the free intarsia sweater pattern

Inside the download you’ll find detailed instructions on how to knit the sweater. You’ll need some basic understanding of knitting terminology. Laura describes each element of the sweater and how to make it. After the written instructions, you will see some grid diagrams for the front and back panels of the sweater.

The grid diagrams included are to help you get the right number of stitches for each color to make the wavy design demonstrated by Laura. It is shown in XS/S, M/L, XL/XXL, and XXXL, so you can use the appropriate size for the fit you desire.

If you’re ready to start, click the link below. You’ll find a PDF file called Free Intarsia Sweater Pattern by Laura Dalgaard in your Downloads folder.

If you want to learn more, you can sign up for Laura’s course, Intarsia Knitwear Design and Creation. You’ll learn how to use the intarsia technique to create wearable art, combining organic shapes and harmonious color combinations.

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