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Mathematical crafters Pat Ashforth and Steve Plummer have lately been exploring ways to knit optical illusions. The results are amazing! They have other knitted illusions at the link, including ones showing characters from Doctor Who, Twilight, and Harry Potter.
Previously by these artists: Knitted Napier’s Bones
Etsy seller Pamela Joyce Tan-Javate has just what you need to keep warm in the sewer during winter. A true fan, she offers to make custom beanies to match the styles of different eras of the TMNT franchise.
Link -via Fashionably Geek
Looking for a good way to show your love of the Muppets while staying warm this winter? You could always try knitting your own Muppet hats like Annie of Wattlebird did. Unfortunately, she doesn’t have any patterns and isn’t planning on selling them, so if you want to make your own Statler or any of your other favorites, you’ll have to figure it out on your own.
Because they are awesome, Pat Ashforth, Steve Plummer and Ben Ashforth illustrate math through their crafting projects. Pictured above is their knitted version of Napier’s Bones, a calculation device invented by Scottish mathematician John Napier (1550-1617). George Hart explains how they work:
The image below shows how to arrange the bones if you wanted to multiply by 76495. For example, the bottom row, labeled 9 at left, allows you to read off 9 x 76495. The rightmost digit of the answer is the 5 seen in the triangle at right. Then read off the remaining digits by adding the two numbers in each parallelogram, carrying as necessary, e.g., 1+4 gives 5 as the next digit and 6+8=14 gives 4 as the following digit, with a carry of 1 into the digit after that. The result can be quickly read off as 688455.
Crafters’ Website -via Make
Photo: Lynn Zwerling
Forget snitching - the hot word in this Maryland prison is stitching. Behold, the most popular course in prison, Knitting Behind Bars by Lynn Zwerling, where even the most hardened criminals got hooked on the joy of knitting:
In late 2009, Lynn Zwerling stood in front of 600 male prisoners at the Pre-Release Unit in Jessup, Maryland. “Who wants to knit?” she asked the burly crowd. They looked at her like she was crazy.
Yet almost two years later, Zwerling and her associates have taught more than 100 prisoners to knit, while dozens more are on a waiting list to take her weekly class. “I have guys that have never missed one time in two years,” Zwerling says. “Some reported to us that they miss dinner to come to class.”
GOOD Magazine has the story: Link
Sarah of the food blog Snippets of Thyme stayed at a bed & breakfast in Dingle, Ireland. Breakfast included soft boiled eggs kept warm in adorable little sweaters. The duck feet on the cups only added to the cuteness.
Link -via Tasteologie | Bed & Breakfast Website
Blogger MaDonna Flowers made these fantastic knitted Game Boy gloves just in time for winter. I can’t knit, but if I could, I would certainly make great designs like this.
Link Via Geeks Are Sexy
Inspired by the drama and majesty of the Bayeux Tapestry, Anna Hrachovec created an enormous, sprawling battlescape showing the savage war fought between snowmen and gnomes for control of Mochimochi Land. The panel-by-panel story presented in it is hilarious.
Gallery and Exhibit Website -via Craft
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Why not Zoidberg? Zoidberg can keep your head warm. And moist, too! Just hold still for a moment.
Link | Photo: deviantART user knerdy knits
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Yes, the former Marine sergeant and actor who played the drill instructor in Full Metal Jacket (NSFW language) can knit. Got a problem with that?
Link -via New Jovian Thunderbolt | Photo: Laurie Perry
If you’ve ever wanted to make your own nyan cat scarf, now you can with the help of this pattern available for sale on Etsy. Of course, if you can’t knit, you’ll just have to deal with admiring this picture instead.
Link Via The Mary Sue
Artist Andrew Salomone hacked a knitting machine and made a sweater featuring an infinite loop of Cosby wearing a sweater featuring Cosby wearing a sweater…
Link Via Geekosystem
Shrimp scampi is yummy, but woven scampi -not so much.Even so, it’s certainly cute, unique and it would be a smash when worn to a dinner party.
In 1878, photographer Eadweard Muybridge settled a wager made on a widely-debated question: do all four hooves of a horse leave the ground when it runs? Muybridge set up a line of cameras, each of which was triggered when the horse ran into strings placed across its path. The resulting images settled the debate (all four hooves leave the ground) and led to the development of the zoopraxiscope, one of the earliest motion picture projection systems. To commemorate this historic event, Flickr user Ms. Cleaver knitted a cap showing the sequence of images.
Link -via Nerdcore | Image: Flickr user ms.cleaver
Knit Your Own Mini Ninja – $11.95
Have you always dreamed of knitting your own army of mini ninjas, but just didn’t know where to start? You need the Knit Your Own Mini Ninja from the NeatoShop. This fantastic kit includes:
This is a perfect set for a beginning knitter who longs to take over the world.
Be sure to check out the NeatoShop for more hilarious Toys & Games!
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Knitted Princess Leia buns are so yesteryear. What you need is this nice, ear-warming Knit Vulcan Hat, or “Spock Touque.” Live long and keep warm! These caps are hand-made by Etsy seller Becca Stundel, who runs FiveCornersDesign. Link -via Geeks Are Sexy
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People look at you funny if you roll around in public in a realistic R2R2 costume. This sweater by Etsy seller Erica Schoenberger is a more discreet and possibly even workplace-friendly alternative. Link -via OhGizmo!
Max Alexander knitted this adorable octopus, hoping that the little fella will be as good a knitter as himself:
I seem to have a bit of a thing for knitting octopuses at the minute. (2 here and 1 here!) I’m not sure why because I always get bored of the tentacles after I’ve done two or three. So I decided to make one that’s good at knitting in the hope that it’ll do some for me. This one is already much better at colourwork than I am!
I have to admit, I’m a bit obsessed with socks, which is why I desperately want a pair of these knitted Tardis socks. While the pattern is available online, I still don’t know how to knit, so it might be a while before I get a functional pair of socks, let alone socks with a recognizable Tardis.
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Anna Hrachovec knits a lot, but always in little quantities as you can tell from the pictures of her projects above. At one point, she challenged herself to make one tiny knitted project per week and since that point, she’s stayed on the schedule for two years straight. Over at Craftzine, you can read a great interview with her where she reflects on the project and on her cute creations. It’s a pretty fun read if you have time.
It’s never to early to start training your kids in geekdom. That’s why I highly endorse these adorably geeky baby beanies made by Etsy seller Fancy Purls.
Link via Laughing Squid
No matter what, The Little Red Plane Would be an impressive stop motion animation due to the level of attention put into its creation. But the fact that it’s made out of knit and stitched creations only makes it even more stunningly impressive.
Video link via Craftzine
Yes, sadly, this is a real book. I guess we should all be glad that it’s been discounted heavily. The Amazon reviews are harsh, which we fellas should take as encouraging.
Link via Urlesque | Photo: Flying Scotsman
No cutesy knitting here. Tracy Widdess’ custom knitted "Brutal Knitting" masks are inspired by "creepy sci-fi and horror." Take a look (and I’ll see the one on the right in my nightmare tonight!): Link – via Cakehead Loves Evil
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I don’t know about you guys, but I would absolutely love to have my own knitted Tardis blanket like this one, created by Flickr user hedoknitstic. Aside from the obviously awesome style it adds to your room, how cool would it be to get to tell everyone that your bed is bigger on the inside than on the outside?
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Ordinary LEGO bricks just aren’t heavy enough to hold back a door (although you can wedge them in between the door and the floor). So Instructables user lizzyastro knitted a cover for a brick, using bottle caps to form the knobs.
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Plarchie is a 8-meter long squid knitted entirely out of plastic bags! Deadly Knitshade made and displayed him at London’s Natural History Museum, where he also posed for pictures with a statue of Charles Darwin. See more pictures at Whodunnknit. Link -via Ectoplasmosis
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Why are you wearing a plastic insulated electrical cord around your neck? Nguyen Le, a photographer and crafter in Brooklyn, made one out of cotton and wool yarn that is probably a lot more comfortable.
Link via Geek Crafts | Le’s Blog
So, do you want to throw snowballs, or are you just going to look at those cute little hedgehogs on your hands? These hedgehog mittens aren’t for sale, but you can get a kit to knit them yourself! Link -via Laughing Squid
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Blogger Acornbud knitted a toilet paper roll cozy shaped like the titular character in the anime movie My Neighbor Totoro. At the link, you can view detailed instructions on how to make your own.
Link via Geek Crafts
Previously:
Totoro Cat Bus
Totoro Bento Box
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