[FONT=Century Gothic]So I’ve decided that my next knitting feat will be learning intarsia. I have done extensive searches via google, and there don’t seem to be a whole lot of intarsia patterns out there pre-made and for free. I’ve been messing around with some of the chart creators, but I have several questions:
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When I create a chart online, it just shows up as different colored squares or blocks that make up the picture. If I follow these charts, do I just make one stitch per colored square in my default stitch, and my intarsia pattern will come out as it is on the chart? Or do I have to take other things into consideration if the color change is going left, right, horizontal (besides twisting the stitches)
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If I do make a chart from a website such as http://www.microrevolt.org/knitPro/[COLOR=Black] (upload a picture and it gives you a chart), should I download the free chart graphing paper and draft it up by hand to fit my gauge?
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I’m thinking of downloading the Knit Visualizer, which is a program that allows you to create your own charts with an extensive stitch library to choose from. Has anyone used it? Pros, cons?
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Is there any website that has an arsenal of pre-made charts and written intarsia patterns?
Thanks for your help in advance. I can’t wait to see your responses 
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[FONT=Century Gothic]One more thing:
Is there a difference between written intarsia patterns and intarsia charts?
Thanks!!!
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Don’t know the answer to your questions at the moment, but gotta ask…did you look on Ravelry? There are 165 pages of intarsia patterns. 
Granted some may be misfiled, but even if there were only a 100…that’s a lot of patterns! Some are simple, some complicated, some free, some to buy. Take a look.
I left search box open and just clicked on “pattern browser advanced search.” Then I went to the filters and selected “colorwork” and then chose intarsia. You can further filter too for various things.
Not sure what you’re getting at… A chart is a chart…a pattern tells you how to make something and if it’s an intarsia pattern it will will either have a chart and/or written instruction for the design.
[FONT=Century Gothic]Jan in CA, so smart, and always so helpful. Thank you!
For some reason, I did not think to look on Ravelry, but I’m naturally blonde, so it can’t be held against me lol.
I found a couple on knittingonthenet.com, but they weren’t really pictures that I was interested in (blues clues, frogs, etc). And hopefully, reading the patterns on Ravelry will help me figure out this chart situation.
Again, thank you!!! :)[/FONT]
I think it’s a good idea at least for the first intarsia pattern you try to do one that is already charted out as part of a project and probably in straight stockinette as well. I don’t think there’s anything difficult about intarsia as long as you twist the yarns when you change colors. It’s one color per block in all the patterns I’ve seen whether you’re on the front side of the work or the back.
Drawing your own designs is fun, especially when you can’t find exactly what you’d like in books or online. And even working freehand on printed charting paper works amazingly well. Good luck with your first project.
Granted some may be misfiled, but even if there were only a 100…that’s a lot of patterns! Some are simple, some complicated, some free, some to buy. Take a look.