Product Description
I decided it was time someone other than babies got a small illusion blanket.
This lap blanket for the ‘young at heart’ is not much bigger than a baby blanket but you can make it as big as you like by adding a wider border. The blanket shown is 86 cm x 100 cm (34” x 40”) and is big enough to cover a seated adult. It is also an ideal size for someone in a wheelchair. Without the border it is 76 cm x 92 cm (30" x 36")
Illusions can only be seen properly if you look from the right angle. A person covered by this, the long way round, will be able to read the message. Someone looking from the side will not.
Illusions should completely disappear in the right light but the hearts in this design are so bold you can still often see a shadow of them.
Young at Heart Illusion Knitting Lap Blanket
What is Being Made
Young at Heart is an illusion knitting lap blanket designed by Steve Plummer and Pat Ashforth for Woolly Thoughts. This beginner-friendly project creates a finished blanket measuring 80 cm x 96 cm (32" x 38") before the border is added. The illusion knitting technique produces a visual effect that emerges when viewing the knitted fabric, making this an engaging project for crafters interested in exploring dimensional knitting effects.
Illusion Knitting Technique
Illusion knitting is a specialized technique that uses color changes and strategic stitch placement to create images or patterns that appear to shift or emerge depending on the viewing angle. This blanket employs this method to create its primary visual interest. The pattern uses charted instructions that may differ from standard knitting charts, so understanding the chart format before beginning is essential for successful completion.
Stitches and Construction
The blanket is constructed using fundamental knitting stitches with garter ridge borders. Garter ridge stitch—created by knitting every row—forms the border frame around the central illusion-knitted section. The border can be customized in width; the designer's example uses ten ridges, though a single garter ridge all the way around requires approximately 25 metres of yarn.
Knitting Technique Notes
For optimal illusion effect, this blanket should be knitted more tightly than typical DK-weight knitting, while maintaining softness and suppleness in the finished fabric. The designer recommends using needles one size smaller than normally used for DK yarn. The sample was worked on 3.25 mm needles, producing a fabric with the appropriate density to showcase the illusion pattern clearly.
Yarn and Materials
- Yarn Weight: DK and sport weight
- Yarn Quantity: 600 metres (660 yards) dark DK yarn and 600 metres (660 yards) light DK yarn for the main blanket
- Border Yarn: Additional yarn required for the border; approximately 25 metres per single garter ridge, or 250 metres for a ten-ridge border
- Sample Yarn: Stylecraft Special DK in Plum and Parma Violet
- Yarn Flexibility: Any yarn can be substituted; using thicker yarn will enlarge the finished piece, while thinner yarn will reduce its size
- Needles: 3.25 mm (one size smaller than standard for DK weight)
Difficulty Level
Rated as a beginner project, Young at Heart is accessible to knitters new to illusion knitting techniques. However, familiarity with reading charted patterns and understanding the specific chart format used in this design is important before starting.
```Specifications
| Brand: | Independent Designer |
| Yarn Weight: | DK, Sport |
| Pages: | 0 |
| Designer: | Steve Plummer - Woolly Thoughts |
| Craft: | Knitting |
| Format: | Downloadable PDF |
| Languages: | English |
| Notes: | The illusion will work with any thickness of yarn. |
| Number of Patterns: | 1 |
| Skill Level: | Beginner |
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