Baz is my somewhat eccentric Step Father-in-Law. He's ace; I am very fond of him. He is really into aliens and consiracy theories. Also, he's a primary school caretaker and loves anything that provides a starting point for conversation with the kids at his school. The kids there love him.
When I came across this pattern in the excellent Stitch and Bitch book, I thought of Baz straight away. I knew he'd love it, and I had a blast making it. He did, indeed, love it.
Just a normal green and black stiped scarf.... but look at it from an angle and....
... like magic the spooky alien faces appear. A sort of 'magic eye' knitting project.
Cost:
I used really cheap acrylic for this, as I knew it would need a lot of washing. 2 balls - one green one black. Total cost £4.00.
Time taken:
about 2 weeks - it was quite labour intensive.
Lessons learned:
How to follow a knitting chart, which was educational. That knit stitches are shaped like a V, and purl stitches are shaped like a U (or a noose, as described in S&B). The effect comes from knitting the pattern in purl stitches. This creates a fabric that's slightly raised in unexpected places - you can't see it from most angles, but at the right angle you can only see the raised bumps and none of the knits - hence the pattern appearing.
Satisfaction Rating:
10/10. It was challenging enough knitting to hold my interest, but easy enough to do in front of the television. It has been universally loved and admired by everyone who has seen it. It really is knitting with the wow factor.
WOW - that is really clever - and my head still hurts from trying to work it out...!! Well done!
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