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.

Link -via Craft

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.

Link Via Craftzine

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

Why not Zoidberg? Zoidberg can keep your head warm. And moist, too! Just hold still for a moment.

Link | Photo: deviantART user knerdy knits

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.

Link Via CraftZine

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:

• booklet
• yarn
• felt
• darning needle
• knitting needles
• needle & thread
• and toy stuffing

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!

Link

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

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!

Link -via Craft

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.

Link Via Craftzine

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.

Link

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

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?

Link via Craftzine

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.

Link via GeekDad

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

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

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

If you’ve ever spent long hours knitting socks and sweaters, you’ve probably wondered if it would be possible for a machine to all of this work that you are forced to do by hand. Well, then, good news! YouTube user correx37 built such a device.

via Technabob

Tara Wheeler knits Doctor Who paraphernalia, especially the scarves worn by the Fourth Doctor. She’s also created TARDIS socks. Since they’re bigger on the inside than the outside, they have a slimming effect. At the link, you can find the pattern so you can make your own.

Link via Comics Alliance | Photo: Tara Wheeler

Ben Cuevas knitted a realistic human skeleton. He calls the project “Transcending the Material”, and made it while in an art collective called the Wassaic Project. There are eleven more pictures at the link. The level detail on the vertebrae is amazing.

Link via Make | Photo by the artist

Providence, Rhode Island-based artist Dave Cole specializes in large-scale knitting. Recently, he created an enormous knitted piece covering an old bridge in Melbourne, Australia:

All around there it’s very dust-colored, so I chose the brightest, most fluorescent colors – orange and pink – and with 40 people we knitted one kilometer of two-foot-wide surveyors’ tape along the bridge. I used the Fibonacci sequence as a basis for the design so it looked like it was curving in and out and up and down.

Link via DudeCraft | Photo: Frockfaire | Artist’s Website

Previously: Dave Cole’s Knitting Machine

Flickr user MrsWoman knitted this wig that will make any man look cool, like The King. Sadly, she doesn’t provide any instructions on how to make your own. But at her site, you can examine similar crafts that she’s made.

Link via The Presurfer | Crafter’s Website

Artist Clëmence Joly knitted a scene from a butcher shop and put it in a shop window in London. Her project is called “The Wool Butchery” and you can view a gallery of eighteen images at the link.

Link via Nerdcore | Photo: Artist Clëmence | Previously: Knitted Meat

Industrial designer Siren Elise Wilhelmsen made a clock that knits a 2-meter scarf over the course of one year. It’s called “365″, and its purpose is:

[...]to give a physical manifestation to the change of time. drawing from the change that is witnessed through the growth of human bodies and hair, the same concept is found in ’365′ which translates time through the growth of knitted material. the clock houses a circular knitting machine with 48 needles, a thread spool, a thread holder and roll of yarn. moving in clockwise direction, one day leads to a complete round, while a year gives users 2 meters of a complete scarf.

The clock was exhibited at the DMY International Design Festival in Berlin this year. You can view more pictures and a completed scarf at the link.

Link via DudeCraft | Photo: Design Boom | Artist’s Website

Stephanie Casper, a design student at the Pratt Institute, knitted a few meats. They’re shrink-wrapped, so as long as they haven’t been out of the fridge too long, they’re probably safe to cook and eat.

Link via Make

Deep Sea Crafting

Coral reefs are some of the most beautiful underwater structures around. Unfortunately, a lot of people don’t get to see these beauties in their natural habitats. Enter the world of crochet coral, a collective project by The Institute for Figuring. Crafters from around the world have added their interpretations of crochet reefs and the entire exhibit has travelled through museums across the U.S.

Image via Margaret Wertheim [Flickr]

I’m King of The World…He’s Prince of The Cosmos

It’s one thing to say your baby boy is a prince, it’s an entirely different matter to say he is the prince of the universe. Fortunately, with the adorable hat pattern from Itchy Stitchy, you can dress him like the prince of the cosmos from Katamari Damacy without looking like an egotistical jerk.

Image from the creator’s Flickr stream.

Ukulele Gone Wild

If you’re going to make adorable art out of crochet critters, why not take it a step further and make a stop motion music video out of a pair of amagami playing the ukulele and singing? Apparently these two cuties make up a music group known as U900.

Pinhead Bunny Amagami

Etsy seller Moons Creations always has some interesting bunnies in her shop, including cathulus and Olympic skiers, but perhaps her greatest creation is the Pinhead bunny seen in this blog post. While this one is already sold out, if you PM her, maybe she’ll custom make you your own.

Ultraviolent Pleasantries

Crochet is normally such a sweet and happy medium but the designs created by artist Patricia Waller (some pics mildly NSFW) are anything but. Her goretastic crocheted plushie collection includes a bunny killed with a pitchfork, Miss Piggy falling into a meat grinder and a unicorn that has driven its horn through a teddy bear. While the pieces are quite impressive, it’s probably best to avoid letting your kids see them –unless you’re into the whole traumatizing-your-kid-for-life thing.

The Godfather Part Craft

Perhaps you like your gory crochet pieces to send a message to your enemies though. This knitted horse head pattern from the Anti-Craft is a vegan-friendly way to remind your enemies about the offer they can’t refuse.

Crochetadermy?

Speaking of vegan-friendly dead things,. Artist Shauna Richardson is quite possibly the authority on crochet animals in the wild and has quite the collection of taxidermied crocheted beasts. Anyone who loves taxidermy but hates to see the poor little dead animals is certain to enjoy her creepy-cool gallery.

Knitted Dissection

If you objected to dissecting frogs back in school, then this knitted frog dissection by Etsy seller craftyhedgehog might just be the ethical alternative you were dreaming of. It is also a great gift idea for anyone who overly enjoyed the frog dissection in school. If frogs aren’t your thing, she also makes rat dissections as well.

Knitting For Miniatures

No article about crocheting and knitting would be complete without mentioning Anthea Chrome, the amazing artist who created all of the tiny clothing used in Coraline. While she’s best known for her work in the movie, her tiny sweaters are famous in their own right and have been a favorite of collectors and  have been featured in museums.

Underground Knitting

One yarn movement that’s been sweeping the country and has even made its way on to the homepage of Neatorama this week is the idea of Knitting graffiti. It has taken place in Massachusetts, Houston, Finland, Ohio, British Columbia, Sweden, and New York –be sure to click on this link for Deputy Dog to see pictures of all of these places. Some of the artists, like those from the International Fiber Collaborative, have obtained permission first, while others are acting rogue in the dead of night.

The funniest part to me is that of all the articles I’ve seen, only one person seems to dislike the work. Mark Lukas, who has a winter home in Cape May, told the Press of Atlantic City that he found the tree cozies in his neighborhood hurt the charm and authenticity of the Victorian homes in the area, “I don’t think it’s appropriate. It’s a public space and people should not be able to go in and do what they want to do.” Am I the only one who thinks this guy is a total spoilsport?

But not everyone is keen to stop the mysterious knitter – and the mayor and many residents admit they have been enthralled by the rainbow of colours.

Susan Longacre takes a walk each morning in Wilbraham Park, where several tree branches have been covered in the handiwork of the Midnight Knitter.

“I think it’s wonderful” she told the newspaper.

Link | Photo: US Department of Homeland Security

If you can’t fit into that old sweater grandma gave you ages ago, don’t throw it away! For $30, computer programmer-by-day and fashion-maven-by-night Gayane Avanian, and her son Haik Avanian, will take your old sweaters and reknit them into scarves, gloves, and hats.

Link to Reknit website | NPR’s All Things Considered story

Craftster member teriyakimoto made this knitted gas mask for a friend who thought it would be a cool way to stay warm while riding his bike in winter. It is attached to his knit cap by Velcro straps. Link -via Unique Daily

Knitters around the net rejoice, Threadless is holding a new contest until January 18, 2010. Whoever makes the coolest knitted version of one of their shirts wins, so get your needles clicking.

Link Via Craftzine

Etsy user Tiny Tangerine, aka Kelly Burghardt, knits these adorable baby hats. My favorite is the cow hat. Craftzine has a great interview with her or you can just click on the link and look at her great gallery of work.

Link Via Craftzine

All you science-lovers on Neatorama should appreciate this great sweater featuring the Periodic Table of Elements. The sleeves feature fungi and bacteria names. The creator made it for her husband, a microbiologist working in the pharmaceutical industry.

Link Via Craftzine

Sure it’s a little bit morbid, but at least it’s creative (remember that line?) Etsy user Emily Stoneking created this knitted lab rat and put it on a real dissection tray that we all surely remember from high school. At least this particular "dissection" doesn’t smell bad at all: Link

If you like that, check out more geeky Knit Art and Yarn Graffiti and 176 Great Geek Approaches to Design, Art & Technology at our pal Web Urbanist – Thanks Mu!

A group of ladies in England have knitted their entire village – to scale.  Dozens of pictures at the link.

…every inch of this village – Mersham, in Kent – has been lovingly knitted by a small group of very twinkly ladies who started 23 years ago with a couple of cottages and some pigs, and ended up creating more than 60 properties, complete with wheelie bins, outdoor loos, gas tanks, cars in the driveways and even a smart red telephone box.

Link – via uniquedaily

From the Upcoming ueue, submitted by Minnesotastan.

Look closely: that’s a wonderful OWLS sweater, made by Kate Davies of needled blog (who’s offering the pattern for free). The buttons really made the design pop! Link – via NotCot

Our very own Jill Harness found this and other fun burger-related items, as posted on her neat article at InventorSpot: Link