Flickr

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10,000 Words!

I've finally posted my photos to flickr -- current incarnation of the DNA scarf.

Here's a photo of when it was a wee baby scarf, back on Valentine's day.

The poor abandoned fingerless mitten is here. It got a bunch of work done one it at the beginning of the scarf, before I got into the rhythm of the cabling.

Roma, how is the shawl coming? I don't think I could bear to frog an entire shawl -- you are very brave. Pseudo, any photos (or at least descriptions) of the scarf? Anyone else knitting?

Tectonics scarf!

A big welcome to Pseudotachylite! In more geologic news, the charts for the tectonics scarf are now online, here and here. Even better, R. has charted more geologic ages than she used in her scarf, so if we chose different times we can still have unique scarves. I am really wanting to do these in a rich, rust-orange brown and deep medium blue, with the continents purled instead of knitted to stand out a bit more.

Also, R. shared with me how she did the charts: imported tectonics charts off the web into adobe illustrator, changed to two contrasting colors, and then pixelated the result to get the charts (the ones online have been converted to jpeg, which is why they are slightly wonky). This seems like a great way to make charts in general -- though these are not among my current AI skills, I'm sure it wouldn't be too hard to figure out.

DNA scarf first impressions

Someday I will find my camera cable and I will post some pictures! I've done 1.5 reps, and it is exciting to watch it take shape.

I started the DNA scarf on circular needles, and then discovered that I hate knitting on circulars for such small needles. I like to hold my needles at about a 120 degree angle, and the cable just jerked the needles around too much for me. So I'm doing it on straight needles now. All of the pictures of the DNA scarf in progress online have been on circular needles, so I must be a Luddite or something.

The yarn is a bit thinner than I would like. Even though it is a close match for the yarn in the original scarf (weight vs. length), it is ending up a bit "lacy." I would rather have a bit bulkier yarn that didn't show any holes. I think it would be a bit easier for me to knit, too, since the stitches are loose and keep wanting to twist on the needles. I will be curious to see, though, whether washing and blocking at the end will make the finished product more like the oringinal scarf.

My mini-cables on the side are backwards, but as long as I am consistant I don't think it matters!

I really want the scarf in green - I was afraid the cables wouldn't show up well, but this one in green makes me want to go for it. The one I'm working on now will be a gift -- since it is for someone a little over 5 feet, I will likely only do four repeats instead of five (ah, laziness!).

Online cabling help (for Dummies, no less!)

I finished the first 8 rows of the DNA scarf, in seed stitch. I am really glad now that I knit that k1 p2 ribbed scarf out of S'n'B, since it made doing the seed stitch a lot easier -- at first I had trouble telling the knits from the purls, since the bumps move around more! For some reason I thought the borders were much larger, but now it is on to the dual challenge of reading a pattern and cabling. Or perhaps I should say triple challenge, since I've just realized that I've never knit in stockinette or any other non-reversible stitch, and I have a sneaking suspicion grading to horrible fear that my tension will be off and it will look crappy. Well, I suppose I shouldn't go borrowing trouble.

More geekiness

On the moebius front, there is a lacy moebius scarf, that can also be used as a head fitting, designed by Mary J. Saunders. And someone (namely Isaksen and Petrofsky) designed a whole new moebius stitch, to have symmetry on both the horizontal and vertical axes. Another file on creating a moebius scarf and klein bottle hat, and a crocheted moebius scarf.

Those of you looking for cushions, there are tons of mathematically inspired ones at Woolly Thoughts. Check out the other designs, too -- I especially like the Double Vision scarf and the Square Deal afgan. The Roman Mosaic jacket is incredible, also... too many potential projects! Many of the projects can be crocheted, if that is more to your taste.

Just for inspiration, Eleanor Kent is a textile artist who knits fractal designs and mathematical formulae.

This is made into math problem for students, but it shows that people in Antarctica knit, too. Cool -- we are taking over the world!

For those of you who are fans... a mathematical derivation to create a perfectly proportioned quidditch scarf.

And last but not least, Mathematical Aphrodisiac. A fictional story with math, knitting, and romance... what more could one want?

I'm on board for the DNA scarf!

I'm betting following the pattern and the cables will be the difficult part -- the "background" in the pillow and scarf should be relatively easy. So we should still be able to help each other. I need to rip out the last two rows in the mittens (sigh) -- the knit2 purl2 is off on the last 6 stitches. Then a quarter inch more of ribbing. If I get through with that, I will switch to doing a swatch for the DNA scarf.

Apparently you can use double-pointed needles to hold the cables... my only set of double-points is the right size, but the mittens are on them! So I bought another set! The dangers of starting more than one project (though I might have enough double-points now to start knitting the other mitten immediately from the other end of the yarn -- I hate the thought of starting "all over again").

Calling all geeks!

Oddly enough, knitting and geekiness are like chocolate and peanut butter -- what at first seems like an odd combination is very complimentary. The mathematics that underlies knitting probably helps...

I thought I would start collecting some of the great geeky patterns out there:
botanicallyhip has suggested the following: Geek Chic from the Fall 2003 back issue of Interweave Knits, and from Priscilla at Fuzzy Galore there is the Probability Sweater, which involves randomization through rolling a die, and Fibonacci Socks.

Mr. Snow (earning my undying gratitude at finally finding geologic knitting) suggested a tectonics scarf (now, 65 Ma, 190 Ma, 220 Ma, 280 Ma, and 350 Ma. Unfortunately, there is no pattern, but it does get the creative juices flowing. From the same knitter: a "Terry Dactyl" doll; the pattern is listed as 'Alan Dart.'

One of my personal favorites is the DNA scarf. This is also very popular amongst knitters, as googling "DNA scarf" brings up a multitude of scarves knit on this pattern. I also really like the moebius scarves and klein bottle hats; there are multiple patterns for these. Going back to Priscilla at Fuzzy Galore, I particularly like her Moebius Capelet, which solves the problem I had with the scarves, which is that they are too droopy. My favorite Klein Bottle Hat, at sarah-marie's mathematical knitting pages; there are lots of other interesting mathematical shapes (warning, sarah-marie's patterns are written for left-handed knitters).

Okay, this is not knitting, but there is a beautiful crocheted Lorenz manifold. Also, the AMS Special Session on Mathematics and Mathematics Education in Fiber Arts has some interesting abstracts relating to knitting and other fibers, and here is a list of articles, mostly on weaving.

Navigating blogger (and buying yarn!)

Has anyone tried their own post? (Rather than just commenting on the first post.) I don't know what browsers y'all are using, but here is a foolproof method: click on your username (top left), then hit the "home" link on the next screen (bottom left), and hit the green plus beside the Phinished Knits! on the next screen (top left).

Both html and the shortcuts (I forget what they are called -- they are common on message boards) are enabled.

Blogger also has information on how to post pictures. You need to upload your pictures to the web first (there are free services like flickr), and then link to them.

I bought the yarn (and needles) for the DNA scarf today! I've gotten to the point where I will need a lot of help for the fingerless gloves (as I'm sure I will need with the scarf also), but hopefully I will not be stalled on both at the same time. I am very excited about the scarf, I have wanted to do this since I found the pattern, but was seduced by the pretty colors available for the fingerless gloves (River Run Supersock from Cherry Tree Hill Yarns). I've gotten an off-white alpaca wool from Plymouth Yarn (the lightest color in the color chart).

I will try to post pictures tomorrow.

First post...

To activate yet another knitting blog. The goal is to set up a group knitting blog for PhinisheD denizens, and perhaps host knit-a-longs.

Just to confuse everyone, I am using my current nom-de-plume, thomasina (my heroine in Tom Stoppard's Arcadia). My phinished posting name, which is ancient and I would change if it didn't break continuity, is Geo.