Open Fit: Custom Tailored Pants Patterns with Open Source by Kyle McDonald and Lisa Kori Chung

Open Fit Lab
www.flickr.com/photos/lisakori/9246715441/in/pool-2202673@N25 by Lisa Kori Chung

Open Fit is a project by Kyle McDonald and Lisa Kori Chung. Open Fit is open source software that investigates several approaches to generating custom tailored pants patterns. Open Fit Lab is an attempt to use this software for on-the-spot generation and creation of custom clothes. Our first Open Fit Lab will be, Fri. June 28, 8-10 @ 1265 Atlantic Ave. in Brooklyn. We will be exploring rapid prototyping and sewing of custom fit jeans as performance. By the Book is a traditional pattern drafting technique from a tailoring manual. It generates a trouser that is intended to be altered during the fitting stage. Draft From Center is an attempt to make this process more precise, and generate a fit closer to what is currently sold commercially. We are also exploring ways of modeling and flattening patterns in 3D.

Open Fit Lab Pants Project
www.flickr.com/photos/lisakori/9116993750/in/pool-2202673@N25 Lisa Kori Chung

How to use Open Fit for non-coders:

1. Download Processing: www.processing.org/download/

2. Download two additional libraries:
a) You can find toxilibs at hg.postspectacular.com/toxiclibs/downloads/ and put it in the libraries folder of your Processing sketches.
b) Download controlP5 www.sojamo.de/libraries/controlP5/ and do the same.

3. To view our work modeling pants in 3D, you will need the peasycam and modelbuilder libraries. Get Peasycam at mrfeinberg.com/peasycam/, unzip and put the extracted peasycam folder into the libraries folder of your Processing sketches.

4. Go to workshop.evolutionzone.com/2011/04/06/code-modelbuilder-library-public-release/ and look for a link to modelbuiler (0020). Also put it in your libraries folder.

5. The simplest way to grab our code is go to the github repository for Open Fit: github.com/kylemcdonald/OpenFit Extract and put the zip file you like into your Processing folder.

6. When you open up a sketch in processing you will see two buttons on the top left, Run and Stop. This is how you run and stop the code. Currently, you can change the measurements two ways. You can run the sketch and click on the numberboxes to scroll through possible measurements. The variables at the beginning of the code in Draft from Center and By the Book are the measurements that the code will initially draw the pants from. You can type in new numbers here and re-run the sketch.

Open Fit Lab Measurement Guide
www.flickr.com/photos/lisakori/9265136998/in/set-72157634283502022 Open Fit Lab Measurement Guide

Links:

* Open Fit openfitlab.com
* Lisa Kori Chung www.lisakori.net
* An assortment of travels through electronic art by Lisa Kori Chung themediumandthemayhem.net
* Kyle McDonald www.kylemcdonald.net/

Cross Stitching Software by Nathan J. Hurst

I came across an interesting project from Nathan J. Hurst about cross stitching. I have no idea when he published the program, but it looks pretty nice for people who are interested in cross stitching.

The latest version is here: cs-0.9.6.tgz (Works with new PILs; nicer and more icons – Robert Smies)

Cross Stitching Software

Check out this page for a tutorial how to use it as well: njhurst.com/programming/cross-stitch/

Installation instructions:

Install PIL. On Debian this means “apt-get install python-imaging“. The program has no interface or options. Just run it like this:

cd cs-0.9.4/
python xs.py file.png

xFig is recommended for laying out the printer ready form.

About Nathan: “I am a modern day Renaissance man with interests ranging from mathematics, through computer science and the physical sciences through to music and art, how we live in cities, and teaching problem solving. I’m currently living in Seattle, USA” [njhurst.com]

Mosaic Knitting Pattern Generator with Processing.js

Processing.js is pretty cool.I found a Mosaic Knitting Pattern Generator from Laura Kogler.

This is a script to generate patterns intended to be knit using the two-color knitting technique known as “mosaic”, or “slip-stitch”, knitting. If you make something using this pattern generator, I’d love to know about it! You can email me (me[at]laurakogler.net), or hit me up on ravelry!

Mosaic Knitting Pattern Generator

Links:

processingjs.org

laurakogler.net/processing/MosaicKnitting/

How to make a Pattern Editor – GeoGebra as an Example

Check out the new GeoGebra Google app. It has the exact functionality which the pattern editor should have:

GeoGebra is dynamic mathematics software for education in secondary schools that joins geometry, algebra, and calculus. On the one hand, GeoGebra is a dynamic geometry system. You can do constructions with points, vectors, segments, lines, conic sections as well as functions and change them dynamically afterwards. On the other hand, equations and coordinates can be entered directly. Thus, GeoGebra has the ability to deal with variables for numbers, vectors and points, finds derivatives and integrals of functions, and offers commands like Root or Extremum. It is a free and open source software.

Links:

[via Susan Spencer]

 

Machine Knitting with Fabienne Serriere

Another video about machine knitting with brother machines with Fabienne Serriere from by Sam Muir in “Spring time” in Berlin 2012/13, which rather looks like winter though still 😉

Machine Knitting with FBZ: Part II – In Deep Knit from Sam Muirhead.

This winter has been the longest and darkest in Berlin since 1951, so last month I paid another visit to Fabienne Serrière (FBZ) who you might recall from my earlier video as a hardware hacker and machine knitter extraordinaire. This time I had something of my own I wanted to knit. Inspired by Fabienne and Becky Stern and everybody else involved in hacking these machines, who built upon the work of others and then put their own improvements into the commons, I decided to draw on the commons to create an open source hat. … One of many images from Snowflakes: a Chapter from the Book of Nature (1863) on the Public Domain Review. These images are certainly beautiful, but that was 1863, we’ve moved on a bit since then. Now, thanks to the aid of modern technology, we can finally present these snowflakes as the artist would have envisioned them, in glorious 1-bit duocolor [yearofopensource.net/snowflake-hat/]

Knitting Hat from Brother Knitting Machines
Knitted Snowflakes from:  Snowflakes: a Chapter from the Book of Nature (1863)

Two files to help reproduce the work are attached to this entry or check out the original guides below.

Links

License: You also have permission to make, alter, improve or sell this hat, under the Creative Commons Attribution ShareAlike license.

Amazing Knitting Machine Hack Glitch Knit by Japanese

I found an amazing Knitting Machine Hack and production system by some Japanese artists and developers online called Glitch Knit. The team brings together Nukeme, a hardware engineer Tomofumi YOSHIDA, the software engineer So KANNO and a supporting member Emi YAMAMOTO.

The team uses a brother KH970 knitting machine, which was produced until 2005 and was discontinued afterwards. The parts list for hacking the machine:
* Arduino Due
* Connector : MicroBlade™ 53014-0810
* Photo interrupter : Sharp GP1S58VJ000F or compatibles
* Transistor Array : TD6208APG or compatibles

PCB
The team made circuit boards with a paperboard for prototyping with Adobe Illustrator and a Laser Cutter.

Source Code
The source code is available at Github here: github.com/sokanno/KnitHack

GlitchKnit Knitting Machines Hack
GlitchKnit Set up

Software GlitchKnit Knitting Machines Hack
GlitchKnit Software

GlitchKnit Knitting Products
Glitch Knit Outcome

From the website description: This project divided into two main content. Firstly, by hacking a knitting machine, exposing the environment that can be output an image as knit by anyone. Secondly, by using the knitting machine that we hack, to make a “Glitch Knit”. The glitch is “damaged of data or machinery” and “damaged data but possible to play”. The “Glitch Knit” has two different way. One is output of the digital image data which was glitched. The other is to damage the structure of lace knit. It is output as knit full of holes. Knitting machine that is hacked, is introduced as a new equipment in FabLabShibuya, and how to hack is also published on Github and Instructables. In this project, knit work is also the work, and the environment itself for making the knit is also work. This is a kind of digital fabrication, extension of the handicraft, and device hacking. And more this is the one of methodology for fashion design and a thing descended the glitch movement. (www.glitchknit.jp/#about)

このプロジェクトは、内容としては大きく2つに分かれています。1つ目は、ニッティングマシーンをハックし、誰でも画像をニットとして出力できる環境を公開すること、2つ目は、ハックしたニッティングマシーンを使ってグリッチニットを作ることです。 グリッチとは、”機械やデータの破損そのもの”や、”破損しているけれど再生が可能な状態”のことを指します。 グリッチニットの制作方法は2つあります。1つはグリッチした画像データを、ニットとして出力したもの。もう1つはレース編みの構造を破綻させ、穴だらけのニットとして出力したものです。 ハックしたニッティングマシーンは、FabLabShibuyaに新たな機材として導入され、そのハックの方法も含めて公開されています。 このプロジェクトでは、ニット作品も作品であり、ニット作品を作るための環境自体もまた、作品です。 これはデジタル・ファブリケーションの一種であり、手芸の延長であり、デバイス・ハッキングでもあり、かつ、グリッチ・ムーブメントの流れを汲んだもので、そしてファッション・デザインのための一つの方法論です。

Team:
Designer: Nukeme nukeme.nu
Hardware engineer: Tomofumi YOSHIDA techno-shugei.com
Software engineer: So KANNO kanno.so / kanno.so/glitch-knit/
Support: Emi YAMAMOTO www.fablabshibuya.org
Links

Electronic Textile Institute: Designer Maker Community in Berlin

I read about the people from the Electronic Textile Institute in Berlin already a while ago. I was excited to have the chance to meet Victoria Pawlik in the space in Berlin Wedding on Saturday together with Andre Rebentisch from the Berlin Startup community.

Victoria Pawlik, Berlin Electronic Textile Institute
Victoria Pawlik at Electronic Textile Institute (etib.org)

The group working at the space is still small, but the projects they are doing are already very exciting. Victoria studied fashion design and uses the places as a creative space to develop ideas and produce cloth designs, which she sells at community markets and online shops like VLP-Designs at Dawanda and RedPinkGreen at Etsy.

Electronic Textile Institute Berlin with Mario Behling and Victoria Pawlik
Electronic Textile Institute Berlin

Other people at the space are coming from the IT and hackers community. Fabienne is known for her involvement into Open Source and Open Hardware. She likes to hack into knitting machines and creates incredible patterns, that are unique in every aspect. One of the designs at the shop is particularly interesting as none of the pattern parts repeat itself.

By Open-Sourcing older Brother knitting machines and connecting a PC to a machine Fabienne was able to enhance the functioning and extend the functionalities beyond the original one.

Brother CK-35, Knitting Machine with Open Source
Brother CK-35, Open Sourced Knitting Machine

Fabienne Serriere, Knitting Pattern, Electronic Textile Institute Berlin
Knitting Pattern of Fabienne Serriere, Electronic Textile Institute Berlin

Electronic Textile Institute Berlin wit Victoria Pawlik and Andre Rebentisch
Electronic Textile Institute Berlin with Victoria Pawlik and Andre Rebentisch

Links:

Internet Startup Companies Will Find Haven in Berlin

Germany’s mobile internet advertising is on the rise. Bundesverband Digitale Wirtschaft (BVDW) said in its MAC Mobile-Report 2013/01 that Germany’s mobile ad spending reached €62 million in 2012. This figure is expected to rise by 70% or €105 million before 2014. This is one big reason why many local companies are switching to go online. Mobile internet in Germany is now on its all-time high, and a lot of businesses already jumped ship by pushing some of their advertisements to the mobile market. If you’re an owner of a startup company, you might have heard lots of advice about online business. However, you may not have yet heard this advice from others: if you want to start a business in Germany, the best place for you to start is Berlin.

Berlin

Aside from thousands of local German firms starting their online businesses in Berlin, companies from London, Venice, Paris, and other European cities think that Berlin is the next biggest hub for online ventures, thus starting a movement called the “Berlin Startup Scene”. Among the ventures that found paradise in Berlin are Mountain, Rocket Internet GmbH, photo sharing app EyeEM, and mobile messenger app Zoobe. These companies started with a very small number of employees but have since expanded after trying their luck in Berlin. The Berlin Startup Scene goes like this: starting companies open their business with a capital ranging from €75,000 to €377,000 and with a very good business concept, the particular business will be given the chance to grow through financial aids from bigger German companies who can see the potential of their ventures.

News of Berlin as a great techno hub has spread all over the globe. Even some companies in the United States—which is perceived by many economies as one of the centres for mobile growth—are predicted to try their luck in Germany. Bally Technologies and iSoftbet, two of the biggest gaming technology providers in the US, teamed up to conquer Germany and other European nations. Under the agreement, the two software companies will form a united front to bring online slot machines and other betting games in the Eurozone. Their gaming applications won’t have a hard time penetrating the European market as people there are also fond of mobile games like poker, bingo, casino, and lottery. This is mainly because of the German government’s efforts to help local or foreign websites in fulfilling their goals.

If you are looking for a place to start your online project, you should take a chance in Berlin. Who knows, you might just find your luck there?

Personal Manufacturing – Knitting Printer

Varvara Guljajeva and Mar Canet Sola gave a presentation about personal manufacturing and knitting, which they published on Slideshare.

Varvara Guljajeva is an artist working in the field of art and technology. Varvara has exhibited her art pieces in a number of international shows and festivals. The artist was selected for the residency at FFKD, IAMAS, EMARE (FACT, Liverpool), Crida, MU Gallery, Verbeke Foundation, Marginalia+Lab, Seoul Art Space Geumcheon, and more.

Mar Canet Sola is an artist, researcher who likes to write software exploring new ways of playfulness and expression, inspired in digital age. I am working in computer games, data visualization and new media art installations. He is a co-founder of the art collective Derivart, working in the intersection between finance, art and technology. He is also co-founder of Lummo, a small studio of new media architecture and working as an artist-duo with Varvara Guljajeva.

Knitting Machine Creations by Fabienne Serriere

Sam Muirhead published a great video picturing Fabienne Serriere’s work with knitting machines.

Fabienne’s Hacked Knitting Machine Creations! from Sam Muirhead on Vimeo.

Once upon a time, there was a warm, fuzzy hack. It was 2010 – Becky Stern and Lada Ada (Limor Fried) built on Steve Conklin’s disk emulator and knitting machine resources to allow their modern computers to work with the ancient microcontroller of a 1980s knitting machine. This meant that they could now knit designs made with modern tools, too complex or tedious to easily knit by hand. They shared their work with the world and since then, following an open hardware model, they and many others have contributed hardware and software improvements, smoothed the workflow, and allowed other models of knitting machine to be hacked. I went for a beautiful autumnal bike ride over to Wedding and caught up with Fabienne Serrière (FBZ), who has contributed a number of improvements to the original hack and has the wonderful woolens to show for it. We talked about the history of knitting machines, this hack, open hardware and Fabienne’s various projects, and started plotting to make an open source sweater to keep me warm in the winter months. We covered so many different things that I can only show you a brief introduction to her projects now, but there will be more to come! [Sam Muirhead yearofopensource.net/the-wonderful-wooly-world-of-hacked-knitting-machines/%5D

Links: