Illusion Knitting

Elephant in Illusion Knitting

Illusion knitting is the easiest thing and also highly effective. You knit fabric in two row stripes. On the right side every row is knit stitches. The stitches of the wrong side rows determine which colour is raised and therefore visible. The background fabric is composed of two rows in colour A in stockinette, the next two rows in colour B are in garter stitch.

Elephant viewed from above. All you see is stripes.

The wrong side of the fabric allows you to see the shadow of the design. 

These are such fun to knit. Check out my Ravelry Store for more illusion knit designs including a large number of kitties. 

 

Rainforest Socks

Strange times have had me slow down a little and reflect. I discovered that I wanted to do something to simplify my life. For that reason this design uses an easy stitch pattern with a 6 stitch repeat. It looks complex but isn't. Instead it provides a satisfyingly intricate effect with very little effort. 

I would like to introduce my latest sock pattern

The Rainforest Socks are worked top down with a short section of 1x1 rib, a stretchy lace ribbed top and a lace pattern all around the leg of the sock. The heel is knitting in a slip stitch pattern creating a heel flap and turned heel with gusset. For the foot, the lace pattern is continued down the top of the foot. The wedge toe is worked in stocking stitch ending with only 12 stitches to graft together. 

It was published in the August 2020 Edition of Addicted to Sock Knitting zine courtesy of @yarn.struck

The yarn was hand dyed by Naomi Cork of @thedyeshack

Layered Colorwork - Knitting Intarsia in the Round

Layered colourwork is a new name for knitting with two strands held together. The tension of both strands is the same. Sometimes the background colour is wrapped to the right of the contrasting colour yarn which hides it, or if it lies to the left of the background yarn it shows through producing an overall mottled effect. It is best suited to a large area of intarsia without any fine detail.

As a sock knitter the question is: “How do I do that in the round”? Essentially it is a special case of intarsia in the round. It is necessary to allow for the fact that even though you have an area of contrasting colour you also use the background yarn to knit it. After experimenting and much research, this is what I have found.

The technique works best if you use a much thinner yarn for the coloured area. For a sock I used 4 ply sock yarn and the heart motif is sock yarn held together with mohair laceweight yarn.

Method 1:

Stranded / intarsia hybrid.

It is possible to knit in the round, however to use bobbins in order to strand across the motif only. There are no strands between the motifs. The strands are kept short by using more than one identical bobbin for each area of colour. I found that the transitions were visible therefore it is best to stagger the area covered using each bobbin. For example you could use the chart below, knitting entirely in the round and two bobbins of coloured yarn for each heart, four in total for the round.

(The orange squares are worked with a second strand of the same colour as the red squares).

Method 2:

yo turn.

At each turn you start the row with a yo, which you decrease with the last stitch of the row using either ssk or p2tog depending on whether it is a knit or purl “row”. My attempt at this was neat and produced a flat join. For a sock leg with 56 (64, 72) sts the instructions would be:

Row 1: P1, k54 (62, 70), p1. Turn.

Row 2: Yo, k1, p54 (62, 70), ssk. Turn.

Row 3: Yo, p1, k54 (62, 70), p2tog. Turn.

Repeat rows 2 and 3 until desired length before inserting chart.

Method 3:

Lift a strand from the neighbouring stitch (the last stitch of the row) which you decrease together with the first stitch when turning to purl back. This is very similar to doing a left or right lifted increase and closes the turning gap by joining the start to the end of the “round”. I had difficulty doing this because the strands were too tight. Perhaps with practice, but all in all I gave up on it.

Method 4:

Hide the turning gap with a wrap and turn (or double stitch).

Depending on the yarn you use, the wraps can show, although with the German “double stitch” (DS) method this can be almost invisible and therefore a good choice. In my sample the stitches next to the turn were tight followed by a loose stitch next to that.

If you place the turning point next to your motif, any imperfections will show next to the design you intend to show off, making an end of round on the other side of the sock a better choice.

For the double stitch method and using a turning point at the end of the round, the instructions would look something like this.

For a sock leg with 56 (64, 72) sts.

Row 1: K54 (62, 70), p2, turn.

Row 2: DS, k1, p53 (61, 69), knit the DS through both strands, k1, turn.

Row 3: DS, p1, k53 (61, 69), purl the DS through both strands, p1, turn.

Repeat rows 2 and 3 for 1”, ending with a row 2.

Once you have set this up, you insert the chart twice in the round.

The stitch counts in rows 2 and 3 are correct, as the reverse stocking stitch is worked twice.

Method 5:

Using any method, it is possible to hide irregularities using seam stitches.

As all methods produced at least a minor visible irregularity I wondered if there was a way to optimise. That was when I remembered that traditionally stockings were knitted with a “seam stitch” which is purled. Therese de Dillmont describes the “seam stitch” as follows: “To ensure the right proportions between the several parts of a stocking, the following directions should be attended to. …. When the top part is finished, you make the seam, at the beginning of the first needle of the round, of one, or two purled stitches, or sometimes, a narrow pattern of purled stitches. This marks the middle of the stocking.“ Encyclopedia of Needlework p.178, first published 1886.

In my sock leg the transition from stockinette to reverse stockinette “seam” stitches hides the position where the turn was performed. The turns recede into the leg of the sock. 

"Winter is Here" Sock Pattern

 I was keen to try out stranded colourwork and also wanted to have a go at something inspired by Latvian Mittens. I own a copy of Maruta Grasmane's Mittens of Latvia so it has heavily influenced my choice of pattern. I liked the round patterns as well as the bold snowflake. They are in fact suns and symbolise renewal, life and transformation or rebirth. 

This is the result. It is a top down knitted sock with a heel flap and turned heel, gusset construction. In colourwork socks the heel diagonal can often be too tight because there is less stretch possible than would be the case in other socks. For that reason it is necessary to pick up enough stitches along the edge of the heel flap to account for this. I find that measuring the heel diagonal and picking up stitches in gauge helps.

If H is the heel diagonal measurement (widest measurement around the heel) and G is the stitch gauge then you need a total of

HxG/10 stitches around the heel.

These stitches are the sum of the instep stitches across the top of the foot, the sole stitches left over after turning the heel and the stitches picked up along the two sides of the heel flap.

(The picture right was taken before I had enough stitches for the gusset).

If you would like to buy this pattern it has been included in the October 2019 Issue 18 edition of Addicted to Sock Knitting ezine or you can buy the pattern separately in my ravelry store.

Buy "Winter is Here" Socks pattern on ravelry

Subscribe to the Addicted to Sock Knitting ezine (you need issue 18 for this pattern).

Leaf Lace Socks

Leaf Lace Socks by Knitting Emporium on ravelry

My newest design is inspired by the leaves that we find all around us. I went out sketching recently on a lovely winter's day and the result was this pattern.

The stitch patterns are from Hitomi Shida's Japanese Knitting Stitch Bible . I like to play with the patterns and mix and match them to suit my design, which is what I have done here.


The socks are knitted top down in the round with a heel flap and turned heel. I know you should use wool with something in it to make the toes and heels sturdier but I love the feel of 100% wool so I have gone with Bergere de France Merinos 2.5 for these but any 4 ply sock yarn in a solid colour would be suitable. Here is a copy of the pattern information page.

Frosted Flowers Scarf

My newest design plays with chevrons and leaves in one colour. It was inspired by the abutilon flower which led to the cowl of the same name but this time I wanted to only use texture, hence the one colour version of the design. It is knitted flat.

One colour brioche appears not to be as widespread as two colour brioche stitch but is just as easy. In fact even easier because there are no brp stitches.

I love the reverse too, which is somewhat different to the front pattern but nevertheless enchanting. 

Even if Spring will soon be here I think there will be enough opportunity to wear this squishy scarf when temperatures drop. 

A note about the decreases in one colour brioche stitch. They are exactly as in two colour brioche stitch knitted flat. 

Purchase my pattern on ravelry: Frosted Flowers Scarf

                                  or etsy: Frosted Flowers Scarf pattern on etsy

Palm Leaf Brioche Wrap

This is a lovely squishy mohair wrap in two-colour brioche stitch. It was inspired by a visit to Viaduct Animal Sanctuary My daughter likes snakes and would like to own one but I feel that in fact visiting the snakes, reptiles and other animals there will make up for it. It will have to because I will not let a snake into the house. 

 They plant palm trees in pots to create an exotic atmosphere. 

The snakes themselves have so far not inspired me much although the patterning on them is beautiful and they move very gracefully.

 If you would like to purchase a copy of the pattern please click the link here: Palm Trees Wrap Pattern