Making Mathematics with Needlework: Ten Papers and Ten Projects
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Welcome! Our book is published
by AK Peters. AK Peters has their
own page for the book, and it's listed on amazon.com,
overstock.com,
barnesandnoble.com,
Schoolhouse Press,
and Magers&Quinn
(Mpls). (Not in the US? It's available at bookdepository
UK, transatlanticpublishers,
Amazon
Canada, Amazon
UK, Amazon
Japan, and in Sweden, Denmark,
Ireland,
India,
and Australia.)
Here is the WorldCat/OCLC
entry.
So, what is in the book? Every chapter (except for the introduction)
has four sections. First, there's an overview intended for both crafters and
mathematicians, so it should be understandable to mathematicians who don't know
anything about crafting and also for crafters who don't know anything about
mathematics. Then, there's a section of detailed mathematics which is intended
for mathematicians. All of the authors have made an effort to include basic
information so that mathematical enthusiasts who are not professional mathematicians
can follow the bulk of the material. The third section of each chapter contains
teaching ideas, and these range from elementary-school level to graduate level.
Finally, every chapter has a project, with instructions written for and tested
by crafters.
Below is a list of chapter titles, authors, types of mathematics, and projects.
There is an index with both mathematics and craft terms, and the usual acknowledgements,
credits, table of contents, and such.
Introduction by sarah-marie
belcastro and Carolyn
Yackel
surveys of mathematics and mathematics education research in fiber arts, thoughts
on future work, and a comprehensive bibliography
Quilted Möbius Band by Amy
F. Szczepanski
topology, graph theory / project: two quilted Möbius bands
Picking Up Stitches and Diophantine Equations by Lana
Holden
number theory / project: knitted hat
The Sierpinski Variations: Self-Similar Crochet by D.
Jacob Wildstrom
fractals / project: crocheted shawl
Only two knit stitches can create a torus by sarah-marie
belcastro
combinatorics, topology / project: knitted torus
Symmetry Patterns in Cross Stitch by Mary
D. Shepherd
geometry, group theory / project: cross-stitched pillow
Socks with Algebraic Structure by Carolyn
Yackel
group theory, number theory / project: knitted socks
Fortunatus's Purse by Susan
Goldstine
topology, graph theory / project: sewn Fortunatus's purse
(K)Not Cables, Braids by sarah-marie
belcastro, Amy F. Szczepanski,
and Carolyn Yackel
group theory, topology / project: knitted cabled pillow
The graph theory of blackwork embroidery by Joshua
Holden
graph theory / project: blackwork embroidery motif
Stop Those Pants! by sarah-marie
belcastro and Carolyn
Yackel
geometry / project: knitted baby pants (customizable version of the pattern
freely available at the Wolfram
Demonstrations Project)
Media Mentions of Making Mathematics with Needlework
Book
Review (.pdf, from AKPeters), by Terry and Frances Mills, Gazette
of the Australian Mathematical Society, 36(2) (2009), pp. 137–138.
Review in Cool Stuff!,
by Kate Atherley, Spring 2009 Knitty
Book
Review
(.pdf, from AKPeters), by Katja Hülbusch, Mathematische
Semesterberichte,
Vol. 56, No. 1, March 2009, pp. 141–142.
Book Review (.pdf, from AKPeters), by Keith Johnson, CMS Notes, 40 (7) Nov. 2008, p. 6.
Peer
Review: On the Shelf, The
University of Chicago Magazine, 100 (6), Jul/Aug '08.
Book
Review
(.pdf, from AKPeters), by Gwen Fisher, Journal
of Mathematics and the Arts, vol. 2, No.
2, June 2008, pp. 101--103.
Book Review: Picking Up Stitches, by Anna Lena Phillips, American
Scientist,
Vol. 96, May/June 2008 p. 259.
Move
Over String Theory, It’s Yarn’s Turn, by Stuart Fox, scienceline,
May 28, 2008.
Mathematical Reviews 2008j, by John H. Ewing and Janice Ewing, MR2368415 (.pdf,
from AKPeters).
Review in Fiber Crafts, by Jan Zlendich, Library
Journal, April 15, 2008.
Book
Review (.pdf,
from AKPeters), Science News, 3/15/2008, Vol. 173 Issue 11, p. 175.
Book Review
(.pdf, from AKPeters), SciTech Book News, Vol. 32, No. 1, March 2008, p. 179.
Book
Review, Lime&Violet podcast Episode
54, March 2008.
Book
Review
(.pdf, from AKPeters), Alison Cross, London Mathematical
Society Newsletter,
No. 367, February 2008.
PBS Teachers: Math: Recommended Books
Book Review: Math in a Material World, Michelle Sipics, SIAM
News, December
2007.
Ready, Set, Knit! WEBS podcast Show
55 (.mp3 from feedburner) with Kathy Elkins, November 2007.
Knit
Science podcast Episode 6, April 28, 2007 (dicussion of Lana Holden's work
starts around minute 24).