Illusion Checkerboard by Steve Plummer

Illusion Checkerboard

This pattern is available as a free Ravelry download

March 2015

This chart has been available on The World of Illusion Knitting web site for over five years. We have eventually got round to making a pdf version which can be downloaded direct from this page.

When you look straight at the knitting you see only narrow stripes. If you look from an angle you will see a checkerboard pattern with alternating squares of dark and light.

This is a very simple pattern and is recommended as an introduction to Woolly Thoughts illusions. If you are new to illusion knitting you might like to try this before you embark on one of our bigger pieces.

You could use the square as a washcloth or you could incorporate the design into a sweater or other garment. It would also create interesting effects if you were to use the square as an afghan block and join several squares together with the lines running in different directions.

You can use any thickness of yarn. The example shown used approximately 45 metres (50 yards) DK in each of the two colours. It measures approximately 25 cm (10”) square.


If you downloaded the pattern on the first day it was available, the number of repeats across the square was wrong. It has now been corrected.