10 Free Crochet Intarsia Projects

While intarsia may be more associated with knitting, you can also work it in crochet! You’ll make small balls of each color and work on the colors in sections. This works instead of carrying the colors along the length of the row the way many colorwork techniques do. Try these free crochet intarsia projects today!

Learn how to work crochet intarsia with Camp Colorwork!

Don’t miss the free knit intarsia projects too!

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Check Out These Free Crochet Intarsia Projects!

• It’s Gonna Be a Good Day Intarsia Crochet Blanket With bright yellow sun, rippling sand, and bright blue waves; this blanket will take you on a journey to distant shores!
• Shadow Box Crochet Blanket Check out this intriguing blend of triangles and squares in this cozy blanket.
• Flower Power Crochet Blanket One huge five-petal flower decorates this solid color background for this back-to-nature design.
• Rocketship Crochet Baby Blanket Shoot for the stars with this amazing blanket adorned with a fanciful rocket ship!
• Corner to Corner Crochet School Bus Blanket Bright yellow against a fabulous turquoise blue background shows this school bus driving away. Choose your own background color to relate to where you live.
• Pop Art Flowers Crochet Blanket Psychedelic floral squares join harmoniously with this throwback style.
• C2C Blast Off Crochet Baby Blanket Another rocket ship design to send the kiddos into outer space!
• Crochet C2C Big Star Blanket Crochet a single five-point star on this blanket destined for greatness!
• Corner-to-Corner Pretty Florals Crochet Graphghan A gathering of brightly colored flowers brings happiness to this corner-to-corner (C2C) design.
• Gray Shades Tartan Scarf Take a trip across the pond to Scotland with this tartan scarf in shades of grey.

Learn intarsia with Camp Colorwork!

You May Also Like

• Have you heard of Interwoven Crochet?
• What about Interlaced Stitches Crochet?
• Crochet Fair Isle Projects and Patterns

Frequently Asked Questions

What is crochet intarsia?

Crochet intarsia is a colorwork technique where separate yarn supplies are used for each distinct color section within a row or across the fabric. Unlike tapestry crochet (where you carry unused yarns across the back), intarsia uses individual yarn bobbins or balls for each color section that you switch between as the design requires. When you move from one color section to the next, you drop the current yarn and pick up the next. This creates clean, sharp color boundaries between sections without the density of tapestry crochet.

What kinds of projects use crochet intarsia?

The 10 patterns in this collection show the range! Garments with large color-blocked sections or graphic motifs on the front panel. Bags with bold geometric or pictorial designs. Blankets with large-scale colorwork. Wall hangings with abstract color design. The key is that intarsia works best for isolated, large color sections… a big heart on a sweater front, bold geometric blocks in a blanket. For small repeating colorwork motifs (like stranded Fair Isle), tapestry crochet or mosaic is better. Intarsia shines for graphic, high-impact isolated designs.

Is crochet intarsia the same as knit intarsia?

The same principle but different execution! Both use separate yarn supplies for each color section and twist yarns at color joins to prevent holes. In knitting, intarsia is worked flat in rows and the yarn management involves letting yarn bobbins hang at the back. In crochet, the technique adapts to crochet fabric properties… the stitches lock differently and the fabric drape is different. Crochet intarsia can create beautiful geometric results but the fabric has more body than knit intarsia. Both produce that characteristic clean color boundary without floats.

How do I manage multiple yarn bobbins in intarsia crochet?

Organization is key! Small plastic bobbins wound with each color section’s yarn keep the supplies tidy and prevent tangling. Only unwind enough yarn to work the current section… don’t let all the yarn loose at once. Let bobbins hang freely below your work as you stitch. When you finish a color section and move to the next, the bobbins hang in order below the fabric. Going slowly and checking that each bobbin stays untangled before starting a new section prevents the yarn avalanche that makes intarsia frustrating for some crafters. Some people use small zip-close bags instead of bobbins.

What’s the most important technique in crochet intarsia?

Locking the yarns at color joins! Every time you switch from one color to another, you need to lock the yarns together by picking up the new color from under the old color before working the first stitch of the new section. This prevents holes and gaps at the color boundaries. If you just drop one yarn and grab the next without locking them, you’ll have visible gaps between every color section. It takes a bit of mindful attention at first, but becomes automatic with practice. Clean, secure color joins are what separates beautiful intarsia from sloppy colorwork.