Intarsia Crochet Tutorial How to crochet with multiple colors

Did you know that you can also crochet with pixel patterns? In our Once Upon a Pixel book we’ll show you an example of a horse cushion. In this intarsia crochet tutorial you can learn how to use this technique to turn any pixel pattern into a blanket or cushion.

What you need:

intarsia crochet how to crochet with multiple colors

Basic crochet stitches you need to know for Intarsia Crochet

How to make a Slip Knot

Your crochet project always starts with a slip knot. There are many ways to do it, we’ll show you one way.

Make a loop with the yarn and pull your hook through the loop. Make a knot by pulling the tail of your yarn. Now you have made your slip knot.

How to make a Chain Stitch (CH)

Now that you have your slip knot, you can make your chain. Pick the yarn around your crochet hook and pull it through the loop. Now you have a chain of 1 stitch, or 1 CH. Repeat this step as often as needed for your pattern. For our example that is 19 CH.

How to make a Single Crochet (SC)

After you made your chain, you can start making Single Crochet (SC) stitches.

Insert the hook from front to back into the second chain from the hook. Be sure that you have the right side of the foundation chain facing you and your yarn hand holding the foundation chain.

With your yarn hand, wrap the yarn from back to front over the hook. What you’ve just done is called a yarn over (abbreviated yo).

Rotate the throat of the hook toward you with your hook hand, and pull the hook with the wrapped yarn through the stitch. You should have two loops on your hook.

With your yarn hand, wrap the yarn from back to front over the hook. You completed another yarn over.

Rotate the throat of the hook toward you with your hook hand, and draw the hook with the wrapped yarn through both loops on the hook. One single crochet is now complete, and one loop remains on your hook.

Repeat as often as needed according to the pattern. In our example this is repeated until the end of the chain (19 SC).

How to make a Slip Stitch (Sl.St.)

Like with the SC, insert the hook into the next chain. Pick up the yarn as shown on the picture. Pull it through the SC, and directly through the chain on your hook. This stitch is indicated as (1 Sl. St.)

How to make a Turn Chain (Tch)

To continue stitching from row to row you will have to turn your work at every row. To continue keeping 19 SC you will have to make an extra chain at the end of every row. This is called a turn chain. Turn your work and pick up the first SC. Continue to make your SC as per the pattern.

Intarsia Crochet Step by Step

How to Crochet with multiple colors following a pixel pattern?

Below we will explain how to work with multiple colors using this pattern. Each block represents one stitch.

At the right side of your work (uneven rows)

Please note: Start reading your graph at the bottom and work your way up. You will always be crocheting from right to left. BUT you will be reading the graph from right to left on one row (the right side of your fabric), followed by reading from left to right on the next one (the wrong side of your fabric).

Start with a chain of 19.

Crochet SC with color 1 as usual until you reach a pixel in a different color on the graph. Do not finish the last stitch of color 1, but leave two loops on your hook.

Make a loose loop with the color 2 yarn.

Pull the loop through the two loops on your hook. Keep all tails on the wrong side of your work.

Continue working with color 2 until you need to change colors. Again, do not complete the stitch, leave two loops on your hook.

Bring color 1 around the back of your work and loop it round your hook. Pull it through the two loops on your hook completing the stitch.

Please keep your loose ends at the backside of your work. You will pick them up as you need them in the graph.

At the wrong side (even rows)

As with the right side, crochet your SC as usual until you reach a pixel in a different color on the graph. Do not finish the last stitch of color 1, but leave two loops on your hook.

Get the tail of yarn to the wrong side of your work (the side that is now facing you) and keep it out of the way (so keep it right if you crochet right handed or left if you crochet left handed)

Make a loop with the color 2 yarn and pull the loop through the two loops on your hook.

Keep all tails on the wrong side of your work.

Continue working with color 2 until you need to change colors. Again, do not complete the stitch, leave two loops on your hook, and bring the tail of your yarn to the wrong side that you current face.

Bring color 1 around the back of your work and loop it round your hook. Pull it through the two loops on your hook completing the stitch.

The right side of your work looks like this:

The wrong side will look like this:

Cut off the tails of your yarns and use an embroidery needle to secure the ends behind a few stitches at the wrong side of your work.

intarsia crochet cushion tutorial