Illusion knitting is a fairly simple way to create an image on an item using only knit and purl stitches with two colors of yarn. You don't need to cut the yarn when you change colors because you'll only be doing two rows of each color at a time and carrying up the unused color to the next section.

The trick is to use the correct combination of knits and purls in the two colors to make it look like a striped piece from straight on and like a solid color piece with a contrasting image from above or below.

I've seen needle-knit examples where the image is totally hidden when viewed from the front. It may be the restricted gauge of the Knifty Knitters that makes the heart visible from the front. A smaller gauge might hide it better, but I'm happy with the fact that there's a heart on my bag and it looks different from different angles.

This purse is made on the yellow 38 peg Knifty Knitter long loom. It's 6" wide and 7" tall. I used Patons Classic Wool in Rose and Taupe, using less than a full skein of either. This yarn is rated medium, or worsted weight. I marked the loom center point on each side with a permanent marker to help me map the chart to the stitches on the loom.

For my bag, taupe is the main color (MC) and rose is the contrast color (CC). Except for the cast on and first row, every stitch is either a flat knit stitch (K) or a purl stitch (P).

For my friends that like to use directions instead of a chart, I've attempted to document in words what I did. I myself found the knitting chart very easy to follow (well, I made it so, of course!)

Begin with the MC. Using two strands (one from the inside and one from the outside of the skein) as one, wrap the yarn around the outside of the entire loom twice - this gives the length you'll need to do a long-tail cast-on. Tie a slip knot at this point and put it on one of the end pegs (a vertical one, not one of the yarn holder pegs). Now e-wrap the working yarns (the ones going to the skein) around the other 37 pegs, working your way around the loom. Then e-wrap the loom using the long tail yarn strands. Knit off the row by lifting the bottom loop over the top.

Knit with a flat, not e-wrap, stitch for 14 rows. This will give the top a fat curled edge. Do not cut the MC, but wrap it with a half-hitch around the little peg that sticks out to the side at the end on which you began.

Now with the CC, using two strands as one again, tie a slip knot about 3" from the end and place this on the same end peg that you used to begin the MC. Knit two rows with this color. Unhitch the MC from its holder peg and hitch the CC there.

MC - K all

MC - P all

CC - K all

CC - K all

MC - K all

MC - P all

CC - K all

CC - K all

MC - K all

MC - P(5) K(3) P(4) K(3) P(9) K(3) P(4) K(3) P(4)

CC - K all

CC - K(5) P(3) K(4) P(3) K(9) P(3) K(4) P(3) K(4)

MC - K all

MC - P(4) K(5) P(2) K(5) P(7) K(5) P(2) K(5) P(3)

CC - K all

CC - K(4) P(5) K(2) P(5) K(7) P(5) K(2) P(5) K(3)

MC - K all

MC - P(3) K(14) P(5) K(14) P(2)

CC - K all

CC - K(3) P(14) K(5) P(14) K(2)

MC - K all

MC - P(3) K(14) P(5) K(14) P(2)

CC - K all

CC - K(3) P(14) K(5) P(14) K(2)

MC - K all

MC - P(4) K(12) P(7) K(12) P(3)

CC - K all

CC - K(4) P(12) K(7) P(12) K(3)

MC - K all

MC - P(5) K(10) P(9) K(10) P(4)

CC - K all

CC - K(5) P(10) K(9) P(10) K(4)

MC - K all

MC - P(6) K(8) P(11) K(8) P(5)

CC - K all

CC - K(6) P(8) K(11) P(8) K(5)

MC - K all

MC - P(7) K(6) P(13) K(6) P(6)

CC - K all

CC - K(7) P(6) K(13) P(6) K(6)

MC - K all

MC - P(8) K(4) P(15) K(4) P(7)

CC - K all

CC - K(8) P(4) K(15) P(4) K(7)

MC - K all

MC - P(9) K(2) P(17) K(2) P(8)

CC - K all

CC - K(9) P(2) K(17) P(2) K(8)

MC - K all

MC - P all

CC - K all

CC - K all

MC - K all

MC - P all

CC - K all

CC - K all

MC - K all

MC - P all

CC - K all

CC - K all

MC - K all

MC - Flat bind off to close up the bottom of the bag.

Then, I made huge stitches with a piece of yarn around the top curl to hold it in a fat roll.  I made an I-cord about 45” long and threaded each end through a stitch under the top roll on each side and fastened it back onto itself, making a loop on each side. I also tucked the last few rows of stitching up into the bag to make a wider base and fastened each corner to the inside of the bag.

I’m happy to answer any questions or get any feedback you have on this pattern. Please contact me or leave a question as a comment. Of course I'd love to hear from you about how it worked!

Update: A blogging friend has made this bag and has it posted on her site - visit Christhalinette's site to view it! What a thrill to have someone use my pattern!

Update #2: Christhalinette asked me if she could translate the pattern into french and she now has the translated version on her site. She also describes how to create the bag using double-pointed needles, in case you're more comfortable in french and needle-knitting!