Archive for February, 2006

Crocheting chaos: science into stiches

Wednesday, February 15th, 2006

Bristol Centre for Applied Nonlinear Mathematics: “This paper explains how one can crochet the Lorenz manifold, the two-dimensional stable manifold of the origin of the Lorenz system.”

The BBC shows a nice picture of the scientists with their crocheted model. How gorgeous. And there’s even a pattern available!

Crocheted chaos from PhysOrg.com:
The famous Lorenz equations that describe the nature of chaotic systems – such as the weather – have been turned into a beautiful real-life object, by crocheting computer-generated instructions.

It is not often that a serious mathematics journal contains a crochet pattern, but the current issue of the Mathematical Intelligencer has instructions on how to crochet your very own model of chaos. It looks like a large Christmas decoration.
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My shoulder bag

Monday, February 13th, 2006

my bagI really want to make myself a new handbag. I had a great bag, but it’s very worn. My sister said it looked horrible. I’m sure if I mom saw it, she’d say it makes me look ‘like a ragamuffin’. The only reason I have not got a new one, is I can’t find one nice enough- that I can afford. And the last time I tried buying a cheaper one in Brussels (€20) it fell apart in a few weeks.

I tend to tote around alot of stuff ‘in case I get bored’, which never happens since I always find something to occupy me. But I need something fairly sturdy, easy to get into, and with a small pocket for keys.
My favourite, but rather worn bag looks like this picture. It’s nice because the straps are actually the sides, and they are wide and comfortable. It’s great for slinging over cross-ways, as I wear my bag.

I got it in Taiwan probably about six years ago. I thought it looked like bags I had seen monks carry. But it’s not a monks bags actually- here are some pics of what those monk’s bags look like (for sale). I’m going to draft up a pattern and figure out how much fabric I would need.

I better do it soon, since the 20% off sale ends soon!

Mittens mittens

Friday, February 10th, 2006

Red mittensThis is not a pattern, it’s instruction for freestyle crochet mittens.

I’m going to start putting in stuff I have done in the past, so it can be more like a scrapbook and ideas space. I wrote these instructions a while back, and I’ve taught people how to make mittens this way.

This is fun and simple, I promise. I have tried making mittens with the three double ended knitting needles before. And that was hell-on-wheels. I ended up feeling, (as usual when I follow patterns) inadequate and unlikely to ever finish a mitten. But crochet is much easier to shape.

Here you can see my buddy modeling the first pair I made. Red and white, since you stop and start mid-mitten, it’s very tempting to add a color. Here they look dipped in red paint.

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Silhouettes from cut paper

Thursday, February 9th, 2006

This could potentially be a bit cheesy. But I secretly like profile portraits made from black paper. I also like the idea of one of me and Ronan.
Here is a traditional style cut from black paper. Small scale. Delicate looking. http://www.cutarts.com/index.htm The artist, Karl Johnson, shows examples of how they are done from photos.
The artist Peter Callesen is making sculptural forms from paper. This is illustrative, image-making. And Chris Natrop is exploring the shadows with the cut paper. Very lacy, layered. Natural lines and forms. Look like twigs, trees, water and vines. I found that through ‘Paper Forest’.

At first I was just thinking something simple, like our portraits in profile. But I’d like to do something layered, perhaps with foam-core between the layers to mount them, and get shadows? I dunno. I need to play around!
The Seattle band ‘The Postal Service’ even have a nice song to sing along to while you make them: “We will become silhouettes” (page with video).
Supplies Needed:

  • - Self-healing cutting mat
  • - Small knife (got that)
  • - Stiff paper in black and white (i have white)
  • - Foamcore

Oh goody, my own little crafty blog space

Thursday, February 9th, 2006

So glad I finally set this up! It’s been on my mind for weeks, but I had to wait to ‘reward’ myself after finishing some work-work.

There we go. Got a page, a silly background image, and some categories. Now I can start making posts.

I have a feeling this site will be overflowing with things I want to make. But at least I can now tick this site into the ‘things i finished’ category!