To a knitter who has not tried it, entrelac can look mysterious and difficult; it is not.

When that barrier is overcome, you see how simple it is. (Remember your first cable?) The next assumption is that all entrelac looks the same; it need not. Entrelac rectangles and triangles can be shaped and fitted, incorporated as a detail or highlighted element, worked in any type and weight of yarn—and not just in stockinette or garter stitch.

Gwen Bortner, Laura Bryant, and Anna Walden each take you through their design processes. From initial ideas, to swatches and sketches, to a completed piece, they'll show you what entrelac does well and what you may want to avoid. Most of all, you'll see why they keep coming back to entrelac—as they meet this and other design challenges.

Laura often finds entrelac the best way to showcase her handpainted yarns. She controls the flow as colors move rhythmically along entrelac's diagonal lines and through its repeating blocks.

Anna enjoys mixing entrelac with other techniques. Transitions are very important in her montage-style knits. Sometimes, she emphasizes the transition with a tuck; other times, she smooths it with decreases or increases. Always, she finds entrelac a stimulating and edgy way to work with color.

Gwen's focus is on the frontier, pushing entrelac beyond our expectations and to its limits. This provides opportunities to solve technical challenges and create interesting knits.