Jekyll2022-08-06T20:14:09-07:00http://localhost:4000/feed/category/sennit.xmlKnotty Notions : SennitA decorative knotting blog.Carol WangBeaded sinnet foam tool2012-11-05T00:00:00-08:002012-11-05T00:00:00-08:00http://localhost:4000/prototyping/sennit/beaded-sinnet-foam-tool<p>Before I made a <a href="/projects/sinnetting-stand-design-class" title="modified camera tripod stand">stand</a> to do beaded crown sinnets with, I first did it <a href="/sinnet/crown/beaded-sampler" title="first experiment">by hand</a> and then made a foam tool. This is the story of the foam tool.
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Now, I have <a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/B002MXY7AC/ref=as_li_ss_til?tag=skateorg&camp=0&creative=0&linkCode=as4&creativeASIN=B002MXY7AC&adid=1JBSFBM2PETW99VKGVYS" title="affiliate link to Amazon, but you can just look at the picture 8)">foam flooring tiles</a> which I purchased from the local hardware store, so I have the raw material to make custom foam tools at will.</p>
<p>This is what I used: <a href="http://www.chineseknotting.org/projects/sinnet-foam-tool/materials.jpg" title="picture of stuff"><img src="http://www.chineseknotting.org/projects/sinnet-foam-tool/materials-small.jpg" alt="picture of stuff" /></a> which includes:</p>
<ul>
<li> chunk of foam
<li> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/B003DYZR6M/ref=as_li_ss_til?tag=skateorg&camp=0&creative=0&linkCode=as4&creativeASIN=B003DYZR6M&adid=1GEPPYGRC59ANZD9B0Y9" title="affiliate link">round head fasteners</a> (any office supply store should have these)
<li> and some pliers, although the fasteners are soft enough you could probably do it by hand
</ul>
I had tried using a <a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/B005DMXUQG/ref=as_li_ss_til?tag=skateorg&camp=0&creative=0&linkCode=as4&creativeASIN=B005DMXUQG&adid=1Z5ZYHEKRFSDABD0C5X9" title="affiliate link, mini Bead Smith disc">kumihimo disc</a> already, and I knew I didn't want slots, but help keeping the strands separate meant a shape with concave sides like so:
<a href="http://www.chineseknotting.org/projects/sinnet-foam-tool/shaped-foam.jpg" title="foam throwing star"><img src="http://www.chineseknotting.org/projects/sinnet-foam-tool/shaped-foam-small.jpg" alt="foam throwing star" /></a>
The hole was for the finished braid to pass through. Lastly I wanted somewhere to park the pass through loop, somewhere <strong>above</strong> the plane of the tool. So, I got some fasteners and made this shape:
<a href="http://www.chineseknotting.org/projects/sinnet-foam-tool/shaped-fastener.jpg" title="prong with small ledge"><img src="http://www.chineseknotting.org/projects/sinnet-foam-tool/shaped-fastener-small.jpg" alt="prong with small ledge" /></a>
and pushed it through the foam.
The finished thing looks like this:
<a href="http://www.chineseknotting.org/projects/sinnet-foam-tool/finished-tool.jpg" title="spiked foam throwing star"><img src="http://www.chineseknotting.org/projects/sinnet-foam-tool/finished-tool-small.jpg" alt="spiked foam throwing star" /></a>
<em>Ergonomically</em>, holding the tool was definitely easier than holding just the braid.
<em>Did the star shape help with fumbling around for the strands?</em> I think it did.
<em>Did the pass through loop parking prong do the trick?</em> If you were using cord, I think it would have been a waste of time since there was still some fumbling involved with the prong. Using thread as I was for stringing the beads, it was definitely better than nothing.
Were I to work on refining the foam tool, I would extend two of the star arms, and maybe carve a channel into them to hold the parked loop to make a bigger target, using bigger gestures. Using the loop parking prong as above was still more fiddly than I would like.
</li></li></li></ul>Carol WangBefore I made a stand to do beaded crown sinnets with, I first did it by hand and then made a foam tool. This is the story of the foam tool.Designing a beaded sinnet stand2012-11-04T00:00:00-07:002012-11-04T00:00:00-07:00http://localhost:4000/prototyping/sennit/designing-a-beaded-sinnet-stand<p>I'm taking one of those massive open online courses from <a href="http://www.coursera.org/" title="Free online university classes">Coursera</a>, in particular, the <a href="http://www.coursera.org/course/design" title="class description">Design class</a> and foolishly decided, as my class project, to work on my current obsession, making a <a href="/sinnet/crown/beaded-sampler" title="braids formed by knotting, with beads">beaded sinnet</a> stand. As part of my class, I'm supposed to gather 5 peers who are experiencing the same problem and interview them (among other things, that will be revealed to me as the class progresses). So, I need <strong><em>your</em></strong> help for my class! More on that at the end of the post.
<a href="/crown/beaded-crown-sinnet-sampler.html" title="read more about"><img src="http://www.chineseknotting.org/sinnet/crown/gallery/beaded/dark-blue-silver-lined-sinnet.jpg"></a></p>
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<p>Now, I've made a prototype from a broken camera stand (the ball head mount broke and I asked my husband to remove the centre post because I <em>knew</em> I'd be modding it into a stand of some sort... 8), some heavy duty wire from the hardware store and an elastic band so I can change things. I made wire... frames for both 4 strands and 6 strands as you'll see below.</p>
<p>Backing up a little:
<ol>
<li> A <strong>sinnet</strong> is like a braid made from knots.
<li> The <strong>crown sinnet</strong> is known to kumists as the <strong>strawberry end knot</strong>.
<li> The crown sinnet is known to boondogglers by a variety of stitch names, including: <strong>circle</strong> or <strong>barrel</strong>, also <strong>square</strong> and <strong>box</strong> if done in a columnar fashion rather than spiraling.
<li> Adding beads to a sinnet, requires the knot to form above the braiding point where the beads sit so that the beads are trapped, sit properly, and do not pop above the knot.
<li> Sinnetting (I'm making up a new word!) on a stand is different than braiding because in braiding it's (usually) a simple and symmetric exchange of strands. With <em>sinnetting</em> the extra and usually off-centre manipulation to tie the knots with weighted strands means that the mirror needs to be as small as possible for more stability.
</ol>
</p>
<p>To guide the strands of my sinnet to form each knot well above the point of braiding, I added frame pieces made from wire (in my prototype, I can see them made from plastic, wood or metal pieces in a finished product) that had the added benefit of resolutely separating the unknotted strands. You can see the shape from the pictures:
<a href="http://www.chineseknotting.org/projects/knotting-stand/top-view.jpg" title="top view of prototype knotting stand"><img src="http://www.chineseknotting.org/projects/knotting-stand/top-view-small.jpg" alt="top view of prototype knotting stand" align="left"></a><a href="http://www.chineseknotting.org/projects/knotting-stand/prototype-sketch.jpg" title="sketch of desired effect"><img src="http://www.chineseknotting.org/projects/knotting-stand/prototype-sketch-small.jpg" alt="sketch of desired effect" align="center"></a><a href="http://www.chineseknotting.org/projects/knotting-stand/side-angle.jpg" title="3/4 view of prototype knotting stand"><img src="http://www.chineseknotting.org/projects/knotting-stand/side-angle-small.jpg" alt="3/4 view of prototype knotting stand" align="right"></a></p>
<p>So, I am supposed to interview 5 people with similar problems. Let us say, for the sake of argument (and to cast a wider net that might actually catch 5-ish people by tomorrow 9PM EST (Sorry!! I'm a procrastinator... 8( )) the problem is tying sinnets on a stand <strong>or</strong> braiding with beads on a stand <strong>or</strong> tying beaded sinnets (by whatever means).</p>
<p>The questions are:
<ol>
<li> What are you trying to make?
<li> What similar things do you make?
<li> What tools do you currently use?
<li> What annoys you the most about the task with your current setup?
<li> What works well with your current setup?
<li> What are you looking for in a tool to assist in your task?
<li> Anything else you'd like to say? 8)
</ol>
</p>
<p>Please try <strong>not to be</strong> brief!</p>Carol WangI'm taking one of those massive open online courses from Coursera, in particular, the Design class and foolishly decided, as my class project, to work on my current obsession, making a beaded sinnet stand. As part of my class, I'm supposed to gather 5 peers who are experiencing the same problem and interview them (among other things, that will be revealed to me as the class progresses). So, I need your help for my class! More on that at the end of the post.Designing a beaded sinnet stand2012-11-04T00:00:00-07:002012-11-04T00:00:00-07:00http://localhost:4000/prototyping/sennit/designing-a-beaded-sinnet-standI'm taking one of those massive open online courses from <a href="http://www.coursera.org/" title="Free online university classes">Coursera</a>, in particular, the <a href="http://www.coursera.org/course/design" title="class description">Design class</a> and foolishly decided, as my class project, to work on my current obsession, making a <a href="/sinnet/crown/beaded-sampler" title="braids formed by knotting, with beads">beaded sinnet</a> stand. As part of my class, I'm supposed to gather 5 peers who are experiencing the same problem and interview them (among other things, that will be revealed to me as the class progresses). So, I need <strong><em>your</em></strong> help for my class! More on that at the end of the post.
<a href="/sinnet/crown/beaded-sampler" title="read more about"><img src="http://www.chineseknotting.org/sinnet/crown/gallery/beaded/dark-blue-silver-lined-sinnet.jpg"></a>
<!--more-->
Now, I've made a prototype from a broken camera stand (the ball head mount broke and I asked my husband to remove the centre post because I <em>knew</em> I'd be modding it into a stand of some sort... 8), some heavy duty wire from the hardware store and an elastic band so I can change things. I made wire... frames for both 4 strands and 6 strands as you'll see below.
Backing up a little:
<ol>
<li> A <strong>sinnet</strong> is like a braid made from knots.
<li> The <strong>crown sinnet</strong> is known to kumists as the <strong>strawberry end knot</strong>.
<li> The crown sinnet is known to boondogglers by a variety of stitch names, including: <strong>circle</strong> or <strong>barrel</strong>, also <strong>square</strong> and <strong>box</strong> if done in a columnar fashion rather than spiraling.
<li> Adding beads to a sinnet, requires the knot to form above the braiding point where the beads sit so that the beads are trapped, sit properly, and do not pop above the knot.
<li> Sinnetting (I'm making up a new word!) on a stand is different than braiding because in braiding it's (usually) a simple and symmetric exchange of strands. With <em>sinnetting</em> the extra and usually off-centre manipulation to tie the knots with weighted strands means that the mirror needs to be as small as possible for more stability.
</ol>
To guide the strands of my sinnet to form each knot well above the point of braiding, I added frame pieces made from wire (in my prototype, I can see them made from plastic, wood or metal pieces in a finished product) that had the added benefit of resolutely separating the unknotted strands. You can see the shape from the pictures:
<a href="http://www.chineseknotting.org/projects/knotting-stand/top-view.jpg" title="top view of prototype knotting stand"><img src="http://www.chineseknotting.org/projects/knotting-stand/top-view-small.jpg" alt="top view of prototype knotting stand" align="left"></a><a href="http://www.chineseknotting.org/projects/knotting-stand/prototype-sketch.jpg" title="sketch of desired effect"><img src="http://www.chineseknotting.org/projects/knotting-stand/prototype-sketch-small.jpg" alt="sketch of desired effect" align="center"></a><a href="http://www.chineseknotting.org/projects/knotting-stand/side-angle.jpg" title="3/4 view of prototype knotting stand"><img src="http://www.chineseknotting.org/projects/knotting-stand/side-angle-small.jpg" alt="3/4 view of prototype knotting stand" align="right"></a>
So, I am supposed to interview 5 people with similar problems. Let us say, for the sake of argument (and to cast a wider net that might actually catch 5-ish people by tomorrow 9PM EST (Sorry!! I'm a procrastinator... 8( )) the problem is tying sinnets on a stand <strong>or</strong> braiding with beads on a stand <strong>or</strong> tying beaded sinnets (by whatever means).
The questions are:
<ol>
<li> What are you trying to make?
<li> What similar things do you make?
<li> What tools do you currently use?
<li> What annoys you the most about the task with your current setup?
<li> What works well with your current setup?
<li> What are you looking for in a tool to assist in your task?
<li> Anything else you'd like to say? 8)
</ol>
Please try <strong>not to be</strong> brief!Carol WangI'm taking one of those massive open online courses from Coursera, in particular, the Design class and foolishly decided, as my class project, to work on my current obsession, making a beaded sinnet stand. As part of my class, I'm supposed to gather 5 peers who are experiencing the same problem and interview them (among other things, that will be revealed to me as the class progresses). So, I need your help for my class! More on that at the end of the post.Carol Wang