doing the math

"Poetry is as precise a thing as geometry." -- Gustave Flaubert

Knitting a round shape is not a challenge until it surpasses you in diameter. 

Knowing the limitations of my hands and body, I wanted to remove the guess work in knitting a sweater for the "world",  so I turned to the field of mathematics - geometry to be precise.  As I thought of the problem, I considered the peeling of an orange into sections along the lines of longitude.  Each section would slowly increase in size to the midpoint, the equator, and then slowly decrease.   But what would those measurements be?

When your ninth grade geometry textbook fails you, you call the experts for help.  I contacted Professor Keith Burns at Northwestern University.  He graciously offered his assistance and those of his high school students -

Walter Blaurock
Sonya Burns
Matthew Byrd
Elliot Damashek
William Grodzicki
Liana Hershey-Nexon
Brian Lunn
Nicholas Rolfes
Nicholas Salter
Brian Schlesinger
Benjamin Simon

I can't thank these folks enough for their kind assistance.  They recently sent me a chart of measurements that will allow me to precisely figure my increases and decreases.  I will also use their figures to make a paper pattern.  A visual aid is always helpful.

My father sent me a link for making a paper globe.  It's interesting to note the reference to the peeling of an orange.  I guess I am on the right track.

Comments

[Walter Blaurock]

Interesting idea. We were quite confused in class as to why one would make the earth a sweater and exactly how it would stand up outside, but it all makes a lot more sense now after reading it. Can't wait to see how it turns out!