.

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/17/science/math-physics-knitting-matsumoto.html

The designs shown are not in your pattern books! Stunning, complex patterns by scientists!

Real knitters are never "just knitting"   

mtierney said:
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/17/science/math-physics-knitting-matsumoto.html
The designs shown are not in your pattern books! Stunning, complex patterns by scientists!

 I can’t thank you enough for posting this. This is a terrific article! The only thing not mentioned that came to mind was information encoding as cryptography, as with Madame Defarge from “A Tale of Two Cities.” Farther afield in that direction would be the encoded quilt patterns of the Civil War used by the Underground Railroad. 

The discussion of topography and metamaterials is wonderful. Not to mention, a programmable digital device from 1804. And the physicist’s shoulder tattoo of a hyperbolic helicoid. (There’s a link to see it.)

What a wonderful piece of writing!

It must depend on your pattern books! Creating a three dimensional object with knitting can be very satisfying. I've made a Klein bottle hat and an infinity scarf along with a blanket with cables depicting DNA. Excellent article.

My favorite designer recently published The Purl Code, a sweater pattern knitted in one piece from the top that allows the knitter to add a custom message using the Morse code alphabet. 

Also, knitting as data representation:

https://www.cnn.com/2019/05/19/americas/sue-montgomery-knitting-montreal-womens-rights-intl-scli/index.html

Mayor's knitting shows men still dominate debate

[excerpt]

Sue Montgomery, a city councilor and borough mayor in Montreal, has opted to sit back and knit during monthly executive committee meetings.

Concerned about the disparity of female and male voices during the meetings, her latest creation details how often men speak in red and women in green. And the results reveal a worrying finding: that men still dominate public discourse.

..."It's not that we women don't talk, it's that men talk too much and repeat everything several times, thus waste everyone's time" 

A friend is knitting a coded scarf with stripes that represent train delays. 

Knitting is indeed coding. I know at least one computer scientist who considers knitting notation to be a programming language.

I imagine crochet can be coded. I know when my husband was in hospice care at home, I decided to make him a soft and cozy lap rug. I used two colors, grey and white, to crochet stripes. 

It started out as a simple rectangle (no pattern) in double crochet. As time went by, I noted it was too narrow and began to add stripes to add width; and then, more stripes to make it longer. It is a lopsided, crazy quilt, but, I believe, expresses the time frame. He loved it, and I loved him, and the blanket comforts me.

Women have had needlework circles for companionship forever — 

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/06/07/nyregion/knitting-gay-men.html

Please, let us just knit in peace — a politics-free zone!

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/06/24/style/ravelry-knitting-ban-trump.html

mtierney said:
Please, let us just knit in peace — a politics-free zone!
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/06/24/style/ravelry-knitting-ban-trump.html

 I saw this lovely little knitted number.  I don't think it is peace that ultimately awaits those who would lock children away in concentration camps.  No, I think it is something else entirely.

From the article: 

The policy applies to content on the site, including knitting patterns and forum posts, but not to people, according to Ravelry, which said it still welcomed Republicans and those with conservative political views. “You can still participate if you do in fact support the administration, you just can’t talk about it here,” the statement said, adding that “hate groups and intolerance are different from other types of political positions.”

when it gets to be policy to silence opposing commentary, where does free speech come into play.

I, personally, think the site (I am not a member) should stick to arts and crafts and helpful hints and leave political bloviating — of all stripes— to the multitude of sites designed for such conversations.

As a private enterprise with something like 8 million members across the globe, Ravelry (I've been a member since it began in 2007) is within its rights to restrict certain kinds of activity. "Free speech" isn't really in play here at all. 

mtierney said:

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/17/science/math-physics-knitting-matsumoto.html

The designs shown are not in your pattern books! Stunning, complex patterns by scientists!

 Crocheters update:

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/31/arts/design/del-pitt-feldman-dead.html

j_r said:

As a private enterprise with something like 8 million members across the globe, Ravelry (I've been a member since it began in 2007) is within its rights to restrict certain kinds of activity. "Free speech" isn't really in play here at all. 

 True, but, posting knit patterns with very offensive language aimed at the president is offensive.  I would much prefer they didn't host any political works of either side.  Let us stick together in our mutual love of fiber crafts.

It is the Internet, people will fight over anything.  On one knitting site there were even arguments about eastern uncrossed vs western knitting when teaching left handed people to knit.