Knit and Math Combine for a Cool (Warm?) Kickstarter

The other day my husband sent me a link about this Kickstarter that’s happening right now in which a knitter/mathematician is knitting custom algorithm-based scarves, all worked in black and white, and designed in such a way that no two will be alike.

Called KnitYak even though the scarves will be merino, the project is the brainchild of Fabienne “fbz” Serriere, who is a hand knitter but will use some of the funds raised to buy a knitting machine to produce the final scarves (and swatches for those who don’t want to pony up $150 or more) and shawls.

The scarves will be made using elementary cellular automata algorithms, which use simple rules to determine what color a stitch will be, and each row is affected by the row above. I don’t completely understand the explanation, but I get that using these different algorithms, and starting the scarf off in different places in the pattern, will make a bunch of different looking scarves. It’s a cool idea would make a great gift for the math geek in your life.

[Photo via Kickstarter.]

Next Pattern:

Not too long ago I was seeing a crochet pattern for a glasses holder shaped like a bear all over the Internet. It was super cute, and also useful as a place to put your glasses on your bedside table instead of just throwing them somewhere random.

This project stewed in my brain for a little while and I decided I needed to make a knit version, but I didn’t want to make a bear. If you know anything about me you might know that I’m a cat person, so of course my version had to be a cat.

The base is just a basic little basic worked from the center out to the desired size, then up the sides as long as you want them. Knit some ears and add embellishments to make it whatever kind of animal you want.

The way I figured out to work the base from the center out was to use a crochet cast on, which gives you an easier way to pick up stitches from the back of the cast on than if you worked a more traditional cast on for a knitting project. It’s kind of fun to do things in a different way from time to time.

This little project is adorable if I do say so myself, and even as a plain little basket not made into an animal it’s a cute way to keep your glasses or other little things in one place. I’m tempted to make one for my desk to hold pens or even little little scissors and sewing needles that are always on my desk but somehow always seem to get lost on my desk.

If you need a little holder for your glasses on your table, check out the pattern at Our Daily Craft.

[Photo: Our Daily Craft]

Next Pattern:

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