Handmade knitting tools

I have been experimenting with different materials for an art project and decided that I needed some knitting tools to help make some of the art.

Crochet tools

Using a drill as a lathe and then filing and sanding, I fashioned a crochet hook from some soft scrap wood but it broke. So I then remade it using a dried twig with a natural hook shape but it also broke. At the Ashburton MenzShed, I tried again using a harder wood, but again had the same problem with the wooden hook breaking, so shaped a nail into a hook and glued it into a hole I drilled in the handle I had left over. 

The MenzShed has a drill with electronic speed control, depth setting and laser alignment. To get the hole in the right place, I first drilled a hole in scrap the same diameter as the base of the handle so I had something to hold it with while drilling into the small point at the top of the handle.

To knit a tube, I inserted push pins into a thick cardboard tube and wrapped the yarn around each pin. I use the crochet hooks to make stitches as I pull the yarn off the pins. 

A tube knitted using the pins around the cardboard tube.

A long crocheted chain using just the crochet hook

From the same harder wood I also created a pair of knitting needles on the lathe. It took a while to get them both to the same size and shape and then smooth with sandpaper. For the knitting needles to work well, they needed to be sanded to 1000 grit. I finished them with Danish Oil.

Knitting needles and practice knitting

Golden Ratio Calipers

The Golden Ratio [phi (ɸ) ~1.61803399] is often found in the relationship between lines and shapes in nature. Some examples include the nautilus shell, sunflowers, and proportions of the human body. A tool with three caliper legs that divide the space by the golden ratio is useful for art and design and so I created a golden ratio caliper.

Handcrafted from laminated ice cream sticks and rivets, the construction used limited tools (pocket knife, sandpaper, rasp, and hammer).

Handcrafted upcycled golden ratio calipers 

The middle leg points to 13cm, dividing the outer legs (measuring 21cm) into 13cm and 8cm sections 

Another golden ratio related item I have created is the Approximately Φ coffee table

Can you solve these simple equations and find the pattern?

For an art project I have been playing around with some ways of representing numbers. Can you solve these simple equations and find the pattern?

Venetian Glass blowing

Last weekend we had a quick holiday in Venice and went on a glass-blowing tour.

We saw the above demonstration and then learnt how the different colors are produced with chemicals added to the molten glass. Also how enamel glazes and gold plating were added. They had a lot of their work on display ranging from drinking glasses, ornaments, mirrors and sculptures. I was most fascinated by the marine themed pieces with bubbles embedded in the glass. 

Izmir International Fair 2016 - theme Innovation

We recently attended the annual Izmir International Fair. The theme this year was innovation and the exhibits included a mini maker faire.

Suburban train simulator

Virtual reality parachute

Virtual reality cycling

Virtual reality submarine

Mini Maker Faire 

Lots of 3D printers on display

Solar powered boat

Solar powered car

A drone motorcycle?

Robot arms

Intricate laser cutting laminated to produce interesting geometric effects

Robots

Octocopter

CNC producing a label

Laminated cardboard and LEDs 

Laminated cardboard sculpture

Wooden construction blocks. Not available on the App Store

Animatronics

Model of Artemis Temple constructed from sugar cubes

IDO3D art pens

In New Zealand we picked up an IDo3D art kit which has two resin pens and a UV torch for creating 3D art.

My daughter and I created a seahorse model following an example on the box.

Blue and green resin pens, plastic drawing surface and shape formers, UV torch.

Tracing parts of a seahorse with the resin pen

Curing and hardening the resin with UV

Joining parts together

The finished seahorse model

The cubic structural evolution project: Olafur Eliasson

On our travels in New Zealand we visited the Hastings City Art Gallery and we interacted with an exhibit:

The cubic structural evolution project, 2004, is a hands-on installation by Danish-Icelandic artist, Olafur Eliasson. Comprising thousands of pieces of white Lego bricks scattered on a large table, the work invites Gallery visitors to become ‘architects’ by using the Lego to create endlessly re-forming structures limited only by imagination.Towering cityscapes emerge out of the rubble of Lego bricks and constantly evolve as new visitors contribute to the work through construction, modification, destruction and re-construction – processes inherent to the lifecycle of any metropolis.

My children and nephews changing the sculpture 

It was fun to construct and add our versions of buildings, ladders, Donkey Kong, King Kong and other creations to the large white Lego structures.

The exhibit continues until 28 August 2016

Globe making

Earlier in the year I glued together a papercraft lunar globe from Canon Creative Park.

Recently I've been thinking about making my own earth globe, but after watching this video it doesn't look easy. The time and skill required is amazing.

[Spotted on http://www.thisiscolossal.com/2015/08/handcrafted-globes/]

If you are looking for a very simple sun or moon papercraft project, try this Pixelpapercraft Sun and Moon.

Happy pi day (3.14.15)

To celebrate pi day, I've created a couple of art works:

Peaces of pie 

and

3 dominates π

Later today I will also make a lemon meringue pie.

UNI-CUB - personal mobility device featured in OK Go's "I won't let you down"

OK Go recently released another amazing video for their song "I won't let you down" featuring the Honda UNI-CUB personal mobility device.

The UNI-CUB is ideal for the music video featuring the band and synchronized dancers because it has unique omni-directional maneuverability and auto-balancing. The balance control technology and Honda’s proprietary driving wheel system in the UNI-CUB originated from their research into humanoid robots such as ASIMO.

Watch an interview with Damian and Tim on some of their inspiration for the video and behind-the-scenes challenges.

Explore more including interactive video of the song at I won't let you down. The pre-visualization is really cool - you can create your own version of the video with UNI-CUB riders and umbrellas.

Slick 3D printing pen

Imagine drawing in the air and creating three dimensional structures. The Lix 3D Pen can make your imagination come true.

LIX THE SMALLEST 3D PRINTING PEN from LIX 3D PEN on Vimeo.

Learn more at http://lixpen.com/

3D Printed Food

The guys from Tested visited CES 2014 and tasted 3D printed candies and chocolates made with the ChefJet line of food 3D printers which create the food using alternate layers of powdered food and water.

Three years ago, 3D food printing technology from Cornell University used a different approach - printing the designs with food pastes.


Currently the technology is slow and expensive. It will be interesting to see what develops over the next few years. 

Using destructive lasers to make beautiful art

Artist, Bathsheba Grossman is making some amazing works with 3D printing and laser etching.

Using custom software and high frequency lasers, she creates beautiful crystal paperweights and keyrings displaying data with models of galaxies, molecules and biology, physics and mathematical structures inside.

Globular Cluster

Illuminated DNA Keychain

Her 3D printed metal sculptures and jewelry are fascinating too.

Quintrino

Hypercube Pendant (Gold plate finish)

Discover more in Bathsheba's shop and gallery on her website. She explains the process of making the laser etched crystals and how the 3D printed sculptures are made and even has some downloadable objects you can 3D print yourself.

Pinokio - lamp, robot, friend?

Pinokio is a humble anglepoise lamp created by Shanshan Zhou, Adam Ben-Dror, Joss Doggett with the ability to be aware of its surroundings and behave in an attention seeking manner.

Pinokio from Adam Ben-Dror on Vimeo.

Read more at http://www.behance.net/gallery/Pinokio/5914541

Custom one man band

An amazing one man custom built orchestra. In this video, Diego Stocco not only builds his own instruments, but composes and plays the full orchestral piece.

Diego Stocco - Custom Built Orchestra from Diego Stocco on Vimeo.

As seen on ada fruit industries blog.

Recursive drawing

I have been having fun with a Recursive Drawing tool from Toby Schachman