Tuesday, December 24, 2019

Christmas Day.

Christmas Day and I am all alone.  Dinner was spaghetti and lentils and veg, with some lemon tarts; later some Nalifka-  my dad used to make it - cherries in brandy with sugar, put out in the sun;  just a small jar for today, 2 jars for later.  A kind friend gave me cherries and I made jars of jam  and some preserved by water bathing not pressure cooking.

I keep Christmas cards from many years past and string them up, see photo.  In my humble caravan.
click on image to see better.
Thankfully, the weather here where I am in country nsw, it is not too hot 35 degrees C.

But in the blue Mountains there are 3 fires out of control;  not much news, just some pictures....

I used to work in Blackheath, doing bush regeneration..... I have friends, family....







www.climateviewer.org/alerts and weather/fire and volcanoes/maps/fire detection australia new zealand past 24 hours.    Truly amazing wesite.    Jim Lee.  
Terrifying times, and people still cope and care for each other.
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How to snip images or stills from videos,  
 press windows icon, shift and s all together,   highlight,  save.
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26/12/2019,  1 PM   This is today's snip.  One can see detail. 
 Previous snips are yesterday, christmas day.
Thank goodness people are safe for now.

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Friday, December 20, 2019

Christmas is coming

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Christmas is coming and the geese are getting fat,
Please put a penny in the old man's hat.
If you ain't got a penny a ha'penny will do.
If you ain't got a ha'penny then God bless you.
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There!  My good brain has delivered a christmas carol/poem to you.

Not much on this blog this year
but a lot on my   awhatifworld blog especially now.
And lots more pics to come for acolourfulpost.

There is stuff I could put on this here blog-  new Equations, even, but I am too too busy...

Here is pic = of an Apple (a torus)
there are instructions given years ago, with geometry diagrams years ago
You would have to scroll back.  There is a back index if you really wish to find something.
-  one day I will post proper  crochet and knitting Pattern for it....soon, I hope.
Meanwhile, please have a happy Christmas,  and pray for the whole World. BE Safe.   Love.


Wednesday, July 10, 2019

July 2019.


I have been busy the past year or two, with YouTube, now that we have internet here in country NSW.
All my scrap books with notes.  So much ephemeral information, one has to write it down or it is never found again.

Letters in my other blog, awhatifworld, have results of such research.  acolourful post has some new pics.  One hopes to do further posts on biomathcraft for fibonacci equations and more seashell models.  It takes a lot of effort to make all presentable from original scribbles.

I am a bit discouraged because some self sabotage happened-  a box full of my hard copies of many of my tables and diagrams got inadvertently thrown away...........at least the scans are still on my laptop.

As age increases, (I am 73 now)  I wonder what will happen to all my original work.  Is there anyone out there who knows where material can be archived?  I would be most grateful if someone could use my stash.   This blog seems to have big pageviews,  but I am sorry to think they may be bogus in large part.   Some people click away to get $ from PayPal.....it is discouraging.

 Never mind.  It is as it is.   All Good, as my brother would say.
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Monday, December 24, 2018

Happy Christmas!

2018 and it is Christmas Day.  There is a lot of work that has been done last year for this blog but it needs to be written up properly. eg a pattern to crochet an apple.  and a new seashell.

Meanwhile here is an angel.  Forty years ago I made quite a few and gave them away to friends.  My friend Colleen in Canada still has hers in pristine condition and she recently sent me a pic.


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This one was made by my mother in 1943....
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Monday, June 4, 2018

Figuring out the Maths of an Operculum

Following on from the previous video of Russian lady crocheting a spiral in tunisian stitch.  insert---



I am thinking about how to crochet this operculum (diagram of real thing.) 
 It was maybe found on the beach at Little  Bay, Sydney, 2015.
See early post, of Dec 28, 2014, for story of my visit to Little Bay Beach.
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Actual size is 36mm long and 30mm wide.  
It must have come from quite a big Turban-type shell, maybe 10 cm or 4 inch long?


I have made a tentative model for the seashell in a recent framed display posted previously, (please scroll down.)
Shell model was 15cm (6inches) x 10cm across;
operculum made was 60mm long and 45mm wide.

 Must give an instruction Pattern for how to make them, asap.
 Am busy and slowing down-  age 72.  Still alive and well.

.............................
More.  31/8/2018.
Finally I have printer/scanner working,  and hope to make more posts.




Please click on image, to see it larger.  Right click for options to copy on to Word, or save on to downloads, etc then print.
A left handed person would crochet the spiral in the correct orientation face side up.
A right handed person would have to use the other side up as orientation.
 It looks like one has to work twice in each loop and a few times three times in the same loop (ones marked blue), to achieve numbers.  I need to redo this design, for often the operculum is longer than this.  But it is  a start because one begins by wild guessing, then one fine tunes the work.
Outer can be 72 (which is half of 144)  the next spiral in is 34, then 21, 13, 8  or so.  Theoretically.  One can guess the maths might be eg another  one- ....8, 13, 21, 44.......  the outer being half of 89 in this one.  fibonacci helps us guess.

 A simplified way is to Begin with 8, then twice in each to get 16, then twice in each to get 32,  then twice in each to get 64 plus a few three times to get say, 72.
Use a different coloured thread to mark the end of each spiral row.
The stitch is the Tunisian spiral, as shown in previous video made by Russian lady.
You can lengthen the piece by making the widest, 11 loops into say 13 or 14 or more loops.  graduated.  Experiment.
 I have two pieces which I made for a start but they only had about 55 in outer ring.   A thicker yarn (crochet cotton 3 ply) made a larger model than the finer mercerised crochet cotton they used to make doilies once upon a time.



However.  It is one thing to make something linearly.  It is another matter to do it swirlwise, as we see the actual operculum has such a structure.



As for Sunflowers.  They grow swirlwise.  I wrote posts, December 2012, on theoretical sunflower designs.  Here is a computerised pattern I found on google images, but I coloured them in as if each row came out from the centre,  only the seeds are flat and fit themselves in tight at an angle.  Another version shows 34 in subsequent rounds.


 I have found  good maths fibonacci especially on Sunflowers. YouTube videos by Mathologer.
 He introduces the Tribonacci Series.! amongst many other original ideas.
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***Please look for Biomathcraft Index from the Beginning,  post of 10/9/2016.
It helps to navigate this blog.
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Sunday, December 24, 2017

New Show of Seashells.

Longtime no posts.   However have been busy.  This December was the first time I entered some of my work in the Cherry Festival Art Exhibition.  2017.







The next year might see more posts of work being done.  Happy New Year to Everyone.

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Wednesday, September 20, 2017

A Green Kelp Shell. Knitted.


Green seashell, 

For these you must use steel  knitting needles, size 12 or 14, to allow 366 stitches.
Plastic knit needles will snap.  use thinner yarn ie not more than 4 ply;  best is 2 or 3 ply cotton or wool.

Cast on 235 + 10 for lip.  You can omit these 10 stitches for lip if you wish to make it simpler.
Row 1.                  Cast off 5 stitches.  Knit 75, leave other stitches on needle, turn.
Row 2.                  Slip 1, purl 75, purl 2 together.
Row 3.                  Cast off 2, knit 95…..
Row 4.                  Slip 1, purl 92, knit 2 together.
Row 5.                  Cast off 1, knit all along needle, increase on every 4th stitch.  Snip yarn leaving end to secure later.       235 stitches become 293.
The beginning of the work makes a lip at the mouth of shell shape.
Row 6.                  Slip 120 stitches onto needle,   introduce yarn again, purl 172, knit 1.
At the end of every purl row now I make an indent of 3 stitches to make a flare at the mouth of shell.  Ie the next knit row, knit 3, turn.   Slip 1, purl 1, knit 1. Then begin the knit row…..some people might just like to purl 3 on one row and knit 3 on other row to make indent.
Row 7.                  Knit 173 + 30 ie 203, turn,  leave the 90  on needle.
Row 8.                  Slip 1, purl 201, knit 1.
Row 9.                  Knit 203 + 40 ie 243, turn.  (Leave 50 on needle.)
Row 10.                Slip 1, purl 241, knit 1.    
Row 11.                Use new colour eg dk green,  Knit 3 increase in every 4th stitch.
Makes 293 to 366 stitches.
This all makes upper part of seashell.
Do 3 more rows of 366 stitches.
Every knit row make 4 stitches into 5.   Knit 3, knit 2 together. Until 1 stitch remains.
Pearl the alternate rows.

Please see diagram of maths numbers.   Click on images of diagrams or tables to see more clearly.
***  to keep a copy of pattern,  highlight text, press control and c together to copy.  Bring up new Word page, press control and v for paste.  Or,   for diagrams, click image,  right click and download image to computer, save and print out later.

(To crochet this model, work backwards.  I begin with 1 stitch and make the hyperbolic fan and then the shoulder.  I use size 2 crochet hook.  Thick wool might be too hard to configure.
There will be more shell models with crocheted pattern in these posts.)


Please click on diagram to see it better.

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Another variation for shoulder of seashell model.

Omitting lip 10 stitches.
Cast on 235
Row 1.                  Knit 75, slip 20 stitches onto right hand knitting needle,  leave others on first needle.
Row 2.                  Pull yarn across back of work, and purl the 95 stitches.
Row 3.                  Knit 95 + 20 ie 115, slip 20 stitches on to needle, turn.
Row 4.                  Pull yarn across work and purl the 135 stitches.  There are 100 stitches from before.
Row5.                   On these 235 stitches, increase once every 4th stitch, making 293 in all at row’s end.  Snip yarn leaving end to secure later.
Row 6.                  Slip 70 stitches onto right hand needle.  Introduce yarn again and purl 223 stitches.
Row 7.                  Knit 203 stitches, turn.   20 stitches remain on first needle,plus the 70.
Row 8.                  Slip 30 on to right hand needle  (makes 120), take yarn across work,  purl 173.
Row 9.                  Knit 133,   40 + 120 stitches remain on first needle.  Turn.
Row 10.                Slip 30 stitches onto right hand needle  (to 190),  take yarn across work, purl 103.
Row 11.        Knit  the entire row, increasing once every 4th stitch.
Total stitches are 366.                        
Row 12.                Use new colour eg dk green,  or you could make row 11 in dark green.
Pearl 366.    This all makes upper part of seashell.
Do 2 more rows of 366 stitches.   Or you could do a few more….be flexible and try different ways.

Then make hyperbolic fan shape.  Every knit row make 4 stitches into 5.  Until 1 stitch remains.
Pearl the alternate rows.

Please see diagram of maths numbers.   Click on images of diagrams or tables to see more clearly.
***  to keep a copy of pattern,  highlight text, press control and c together to copy.  Bring up new Word page, press control and v for paste.  Or,   for diagrams, click image,  right click and download image to computer, save and print out later.





To crochet this model, work backwards.  Ie.  begin with 1 stitch and make the hyperbolic fan and then the shoulder.  I use size 2 crochet hook.  Thick wool might be too hard to configure.
I hope to make  more shell models with crocheted pattern in these posts.  Please note, some corrections to text patterns have been made 23/9/2017.  Please advise me of any problems making these models.  Thank you. 


I have made some  mention and images for this in a previous post, before all the videos were put on.  The green model began as quite an unpromising shape!  I even had to undo all the knitting up to 366 stitches to make the work longer by doing decrease rows  every second row.  I could do later try to do decreases every third row to make the column taller.  I am just guessing how to do all this;  many mistakes along the way.  I hope these Patterns are ok for you folk.  Glad to get any help ideas or criticisms!

Sewing up:
It takes quite a bit of wangling to get the central column in line.
Stitch along suture line.  Sew 235 stitches row  onto first part of 366 row  (row 11).  Begin at tip. 
Seashell spiral is clockwise when looking from the top.
 I use a kind of back stitch, turning the edge in a half turn to try to make a "shoulder". The edge is given a half turn under (a bit like a kind of moebius strip?) - see photos
 I padded with an old cotton sock, cut into strips to fit narrow tip, and one full sock padded the opening.

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More 21/9/2017





Notice that padding is a worn out old green sock.  Cut it as strips for narrower part of spiral.  Final padding is one entire sock in wide opening area.  Use whatever is handy to you.  Back stitch,  make a shoulder.
Please note, some corrections have been made 23/9/2017.

**I am sorry--- the text pattern has simpler pattern -75, 75,  95, 95.
 I incorrectly put directions for a lip.

The actual model made has the lip of 10 stitches, but I didn't put it into text of pattern.
  Model pattern is  75, 95, 115, 135....at start.
The diagrams are correct.
Very sorry.  a bit stressful trying to write this up and get it right!
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