Diamond / lozenge colour block

Machine types that can knit it

• Single bed, punch card
• Single bed, electronic
• Single bed (punch card) + ribber
• Single bed (electronic) + ribber
• Double bed with pushers (Passap type)

The full card

What it looks like

A single or repeated diamond of contrast colour in a flat ground. Sharp, short-stepped diagonal sides. In a repeat it forms a harlequin grid.

How it behaves

Flat.

How it works

Split the work into sections lettered in knitting order: (1) a left wedge that tapers to a corner, (2) a right wedge, (3) the central diamond, which grows from the centre 2 needles by 1 each side per row and then shrinks back, (4) two fill-in wedges that return the side needles, (5) plain rows across all needles. Each section can be its own yarn. Using one ground yarn plus one motif yarn gives the intarsia look.

Machines

Single bed, hold. Needle-number labels L/R from centre 0 help.

Parameters

W (≈40); diamond max width D (≈28) and min width 2; rate 1 needle per row per side; corner remnants (≈6 needles); colours 2–7.

Steps

A: base. B: hold just over half from the L, then 1 per pass until c needles remain at the R. C: plain pass, hold just over half from the R, then 1 per pass until c remain at the L. D: centre 2 working; add 1 each side per row up to D, then remove 1 each side per row down to 2, then hold. E/F: return the side needles 1 per row from each corner. G: plain all-needle rows.

Charting

Draw the section letters inside the grid regions. Arrows only on sections where the start side matters (the diamond can start either side). For repeats, tile horizontally and vertically.

Limits and common problems

Losing count of needle positions breaks symmetry, so label the bed. Holding many needles for many rows strains loops, so use weights.

Combines with

pk-intarsia-blocks, pk-peak (raise the diamond).

Pieces and assembly

Motif placement within a piece; repeatable across the width.

Related techniques

• Partial-knit pseudo-intarsia
• Hand-laid intarsia, single bed
• Intarsia carriage or built-in intarsia setting
• Intarsia by holding, one carriage pass per colour
• Boundary behaviour and finishing in intarsia