We designed our first afghan in 1996. It came about shortly after the publication of our Woolly Thoughts book when we were contacted by Brown Sheep, a large American yarn company. They asked us if we would design an afghan for them. We agreed but actually had no idea what it was they were wanting. …
Tag: knitting
Reversing Illusion Knitting
We are often asked why Woolly Thoughts illusion patterns are arranged in the way they are. This post will attempt to answer the most frequently asked questions. Illusion knitting works by knitting alternate ridges in two different colours. A ridge is two rows of knitting. Each horizontal stripe on the chart is one ridge of …
Illusion Shawls
I have now collected together all our current illusion shawls patterns. Some of these have ‘pictures’ like our illusion art. Others have colour effects that form patterns, not pictures. Some people would describe these as shadow knitting. It is difficult to draw a line between illusion knitting and shadow knitting. As with all illusion knitting, …
Illusion Baby Blankets
Over the years Steve has designed several illusion knitting baby blankets. When you look straight at the knitting you only see narrow stripes, in two colours. The image appears when you look from an angle. Illusions are notoriously difficult to photograph. They are much more impressive in real life. Most of the blankets are designed …
Menger & Sierpinski
This is a Menger Sponge. It is made from plastic canvas. A Menger Sponge is a 3D fractal. It is named after Karl Menger. The basic idea is that you take a cube and remove a square tunnel from the centre, in all three directions; then you remove a square tunnel, in all directions, from …
Squishy Things
A few months ago I started experimenting with trying to create a particular knitted effect, related to illusion knitting. It didn’t work but I accidentally stumbled into something that became quite addictive. Most Woolly Thoughts patterns are either illusion or geometric. These two patterns aren’t either yet they have a hint of both. It is …
Is this just fantasy?
This illusion has probably taken longer to create than any other. It is based on the iconic image from Queen’s Bohemian Rhapsody video. In one way the charting was difficult because the faces are in deep shadow and trying to make them appear and disappear in illusion knitting was very challenging. On the other hand …
Rainbow Delusions
Illusion knitting – but not as we know it. When you look at illusion knitting from directly in front you only see narrow stripes. An image appears when you look from the side. These ‘Delusions’ are the complete opposite. The rainbow has become the symbol of 2020. It seemed perfect for experimenting with something new. …
Confusing bell gauges
A year ago I blogged about the knitting needle gauges I have in my collection that are shaped like bells. This week I was asked a question about why a size 9 hole in an old UK gauge looks as though it measures 5 or 6 mm when all the gauge conversion charts say size …
Life, the Universe and Everything
As all fans of The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy will know, 42 is The Answer to the Ultimate Question of Life, the Universe, and Everything. Today is the 42nd anniversary of the first broadcast. This cushion is the ideal gift for any Douglas Adams fan, or as a 42nd birthday present for anyone. When …