The secret garden
Vilde Westlie
The Swedish School of Textiles, University of Borås
This project explores the potential of visual illusions in knitting through a collection of three textiles. Inspired by Op Art, colour theory, and traditional knit design, the collection investigates how colour, texture, and pattern can create dynamic surfaces that change with viewing angle, distance, and interaction. Each textile explores a different technique: The Looming Tree uses Ottoman ribs, The Flowerbed combines links-links and plating, and The Insect Crawling employs false lace to create a never-ending pattern repetition. The resulting textiles reveal hidden motifs, shifting colours, and patterns that appear to swirl around the objects. By engaging both sight and touch, the collection challenges static perceptions of knitted textiles and demonstrates knitting’s potential as a medium for optical illusion and sensory experience.