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How are students reasoning about mathematics changed through a crafting activity? Mathematical topics, issues, and ideas rise out of particular design needs and constraints.
The actual act of knitting isn't mathematical--math becomes one of the driving pieces when students are focused on a challenge without specific instructions or engaging in creative problem solving around modification and pattern.
EXAMPLE OF CHANGE IN SHAPE AT NECKLINE TO PRODUCE TRIANGULAR BUST AND SLEEVE, AS WELL AS EYELET INCREASES OUTWARD.
GAUGE CHALLENGE
GAUGE CHALLENGE
PURPOSE: FIT + SIZING FOR KNITTED GARMENTS
MATHEMATICAL APPLICATION: FACTORS, MULTIPLES, SLOPE, RATIO, PROPORTION
When designing garments to fit properly to a body, knitters will quickly encounter issues around how to create change over a particular space.
EXAMPLE: A knitter, needing to increase at the bust line, would not increase six stitches really quickly in one spot, at the start of a row, because it would change the shape of the garment and make it really wonky in shape. Instead, a knitter would do some math to determine how to appropriately increase stitches across a space to create fit and shape that's appropriate to wear.
TO MEASURE GUAGE, WE MUST FIRST CONSIDER...
YARN WEIGHT + YOUR UNIQUE KNITTING TENSION + NEEDLE SIZE
DO: KNIT A SWATCH
THINK: YARN WEIGHT, YOUR OWN TENSION (AN EXPERIMENT IN SELF DISCOVERY!), AND NEEDLE SIZE. DO YOU NEED TO CHANGE NEEDLES? TRY A DIFFERENT WEIGHT OF YARN? BOTH? YOU DECIDE.
HOW MANY STITCHES DO YOU HAVE PER INCH? THIS WILL HELP DETERMINE SIZE OF END PRODUCT.
STRIPED MITERED SQUARE CHALLENGE
STRIPED MITERED SQUARE CHALLENGE
PURPOSE: To use an L-Shape knitting technique to create a square.
MATHEMATICAL APPLICATION:
DO: Make a mitered square, where the color changes to create stripes.
THINK: The mitered square is a building block. How might you use many mitered squares to construct and create something else?
AFGHAN CHALLENGE
AFGHAN CHALLENGE
PUmRPOSE: To create one large community afghan where each piece of the whole is the same size for ease and efficiency of end piecing.
MATHEMATICAL APPLICATION: Ratio, proportion
DO: Make a square that contributes to a larger afghan. All squares created must be the same size.
THINK: For efficiency, evaluate your gauge in comparison to others? What kind of knitter am I (tension) in relation to the others? What materials am I using? What materials are others using?
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