Ways of Being Strands: Cross-Disciplinary Collaboration Using Craft and Mathematics
Authors: Nithikul Nimkulrat, Janette Matthews
peer-reviewed journal article, 2017
This article presents a collaborative project between a textile practitioner-researcher (Nimkulrat) and a textile practitioner-mathematician (Matthews). Mathematical investigation of Nimkulrat's craft knots through mathematical knot diagrams by Matthews revealed knot properties which were indiscernible from the work alone. This approach led to a way of visualizing knot designs using more than one color prior to making. The result of this current research phase illuminates the role of mathematics in making the knotting process explicit. It demonstrates the influence of mathematical analysis on craft practice and the significance of cross-disciplinary collaboration on the development of knotted pattern design.
Suggested Citation: Nimkulrat, N. & Matthews, J. (2017). Ways of Being Strands: Cross-Disciplinary Collaboration Using Craft and Mathematics. Design Issues, 33(4), 59-72. doi: 10.1162/DESI_a_00461
