Some mathematics within? What actually goes on in some traditional textiles crafts?

Mary Harris has been an influential researcher on mathematical thinking
and domestic textile crafts over many decades. In the 1980s, she
developed the hugely successful exhibition COMMON THREADS which toured
the UK for two years, and was re-developed as a touring exhibition for
the British Council, which visited 23 countries between 1991 and 1994.
(A summary of this experience was published in the 1997 book, "Common
Threads: Women, mathematics and work".)

This seminar returns to the original questions which inspired Common
Threads. Most of us wear clothes most of the time and they and the
fabrics they are made of are mostly made by women, either at home or in
factories. Whilst researching women's work with textiles during the
1980s I found myself discovering undeniable mathematical thought going
on in the very medium often taken as the mark of "brainless femininity".
So I have spent a lot of time since then studying the kinds of
mathematical thought which are involved in domestic work with textiles.
In the Common Threads exhibition, low-status domestic textiles were
labelled in the high-status language of mathematics. By co-incidence
this happened just at a time when the relative failure in school
mathematics of girls and some ethnic minority children had been
recognised as a serious problem.

I will begin the seminar with an incident which provoked me into taking
a closer look at what actually goes on when weaving a kilim rug. I will
then look at some knitted garments and how they were made. Current
commercial instructions for hand-knitting, confusingly called
"patterns", tend to be line by line physical descriptions of what a
knitter does. This does not always reflect what a knitter actually
thinks and such "patterns" often end up looking like uninviting sheets
of algebra. I argue that there must be a better way, and invite you to
find a general way of writing instructions for making a tam o' shanter.

To enjoy this session there is absolutely no need whatsoever to be able
to knit!

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LKL Maths-Art seminars are free to attend, and All are welcome. No
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FUTURE SEMINARS: April 14, Nick Sayers; May 12, Daniel White;† June 9, special origami/maths-art meeting co-organised wi