can you see Him?
using annie's chart for the shroud of turin, knit using the illusion knitting method, i have learned one thing for sure: the illusion method is a one-trick pony that i don't think will be interesting me again anytime soon. (nothing anyone can take personally, mind you.) from what i read about it, it is often used in machine knitting, which is not my bag.
i have ripped out to the start twice on jesus so far, sort of attracted/repulsed by my efforts. i think started out knitting too loose. also, before i realized that illusion knitting was "supposed" to look just like plain stripes (it didn't, and mine doesn't), i added a third color to the mix -- where color "A" would be purled on WS rows, i now have a third color. it doesn't seem to harm the illuuuusion, but it also makes it look as though you are looking at SOMETHING (a relief map?) rather than just really f***ed up stripes when you are just up next to the thing.
it's also very elongated. the other examples i saw of illusion knitting created vertical stripes, not horizontal ones, like this chart does. (again, no one's fault -- what can you do?) but i do realize that i will, if i finish this (and i am on the fence about it), have a long stringy nebulous Prince of Peace on a piece of knitting that will be, in shape, useful for nothing. here he is in all his unblocked Glory.
maybe i will apply panels to either side of it and make a triptych. at least then it will be sort of pillow-sized. i have wanted to try mitered squares -- maybe i can just attach some along the sides of this piece.
i have read that jesus really liked swiss chard, so i will possibly back the pillow with this fabric. can you guess who makes it?
update: yeah, i have begun to see the issue here. if i'm wrong i hope someone will correct me. but the reason most illusion knitting reveals its "illusion" image when viewed from the SIDE appears to be because the ridges created in the knitting of it run VERTICALLY. in the case of the shroud of turin, the ridges run horizontally across the image -- therefore, you're best going to see it when viewed from underneath or above (underneath works best if you want to see it right side up.)
where a sweater or pillow or other knitwork can easily -- and even accidentally -- be viewed from the side to reveal it's illusion image, it takes some work to get to the FOOT of a piece of knitting and peer upwards. that seems to be what will have to happen to view the shroud's image. if anyone was thinking of making a sweater out of it, or a tank top, they will have people on their knees before them, literally, trying to see Christ.
further update: i have ripped it all out. cool idea, but i'll have to be counted out on this one. i hope to see what other people come up with!