Basketball Intarsia Knit Panel Pattern

Basketball Intarsia Knit Panel Pattern brings a bold, classic basketball to your needles in clean pixel-style colorwork. The ball fills the panel almost edge to edge in warm orange, with heavy black seam lines curving across it in the familiar figure-eight layout. A soft cream background keeps the graphic sharp and readable from across the room.

Worked flat in stockinette stitch with the intarsia method, this colorwork graph turns three simple shades into a crisp sports panel that reads instantly as basketball.

Chart size is 77 stitches x 104 rows, and the finished panel measures approximately 43 x 43 cm (17 x 17 in) in worsted weight yarn.

Pattern language: English.

What you can make with this Basketball Intarsia Knit Panel Pattern

At 43 x 43 cm the panel is sized as the front of an 18 x 18 in pillow cover, since a knitted panel pulls in slightly once it is assembled. It also works as the front of a roomy tote or project bag, a wall hanging for a bedroom, playroom or sports corner, or a framed piece of textile art.

Sew it in as a feature square in a larger blanket or throw, use it as a front panel on a child’s sweater, or turn it into a seat pad or small mat. Whether you knit it for a player, a coach, a fan, or as a handmade gift, the finished panel carries a bold graphic look that suits any room.

How the intarsia colorwork is worked

The panel is worked flat in stockinette stitch, knit on right-side rows and purl on wrong-side rows, using the intarsia colorwork method.

Each color section has its own separate ball of yarn. When you reach a color change, drop the current yarn and pick up the new color from underneath, so the two strands cross and link at the join.

That twist locks the colors together and stops a hole forming between them. Twist on every color change, on both knit and purl rows, and keep your tension relaxed at the joins. Do not carry yarn across the back of the work. Weave each end in along its own color area on the wrong side so it does not show on the front.

What is included in the Basketball Intarsia Knit Panel Pattern

A colorwork graph with gridlines every 10 stitches, divided into sections for easy printing. Row-by-row written instructions in two formats, color block and text, with directional arrows on every row.

Color palette used in this design (3 colors): Cream (background), Orange, and Black.

Skill level and gauge

Skill level: Intermediate. You should be comfortable working with several colors at once and following a colorwork graph, and this Basketball Intarsia Knit Panel Pattern uses simple stockinette stitch throughout.

Chart size: 77 stitches x 104 rows.

Needles: 5 mm (US 8), or the size needed to achieve gauge.

Gauge: 18 stitches x 24 rows = 10 x 10 cm (4 inches).

Finished panel size: approximately 43 x 43 cm (17 x 17 in) in worsted weight yarn.

You will also need a tapestry needle for weaving in ends.

The finished size depends on your yarn weight, needle size and personal tension. Thinner yarn gives a smaller panel, thicker yarn a larger one, and tighter stitches pull the whole piece in. Always work a gauge swatch before you cast on.

Recommended yarn

Any 100% acrylic worsted weight yarn (#4 Medium) in solid colors, with a gauge of 18 stitches x 24 rows = 10 cm on a 5 mm (US 8) needle.

Caron Simply Soft is one example that matches this gauge, and it comes in a wide range of shades for the orange, black and cream in this design.

This knitting pattern has been carefully designed and written by HitsKnits to guide you step by step with clarity and ease.

Each pattern is created manually, without the use of AI (artificial intelligence), ensuring a natural design process, thoughtful construction, and careful attention to every detail.

Pattern language: English.

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Discover more intarsia knitting patterns and graph designs here: https://hitsknits.com/product-category/knitting/knit-intarsia/

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You are welcome to sell finished items made from the Basketball Intarsia Knit Panel Pattern, provided that credit is given to HitsKnits as the designer.