Motion of rocking chair used to power a hat knitting machine

I think most of us would agree that the act of rocking in a rocking chair is an end in itself. It's soothing, but not necessarily productive. Or, is it? This clever mechanical mash-up combines a rocking chair with a knitting machine. The motion of the chair swaying back and forth is harnessed to power a the machine mounted to a frame above the chair, which slowly produces a knitted tube/hat.

The piece is entitled Rocking Knit and was crated by Damien Ludi and Colin Peillex who are associated with ECAL.

Feeling inspired? Onward, then! Here is where you can get your own hand-cranked knitting machine to use in a project of your own.

[ Found Via Laughing Squid ]

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New paper model kit titled 'Chocolate mousse' available at cool4cats.biz

Have you ever checked out the paper automaton kits sold at cool4cats.biz? If not, they have some really amazing stuff. Shown here is their latest kit title Chocolate mousse.

As will all of their kits, to compete it you will need a hobby knife and some white glue. Step-by-step instructions are included

You can get this an other paper automaton kits at cool4cats.com.

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Too Much Coffee - download and make this paper automaton

Need something to do on a cold February weekend? Why not head over to the web site of paper enginneer Rob Ives and download the entertaining paper automaton shown in the video?

Too Much Coffee is an paper animation kit that you can download and print out from your computer. To do this project you will need to have some thin card stock paper, scissors, and some Elmer's glue. A cutting board and an X-acto knife will also make things much easier. The Too Much Coffee kit comes with two files: a full set of illustrated, step-by-step instructions and a file containing all the parts that you will need to print, front and back on six sheets of card stock.

Here is where you can purchase and download the Too Much Coffee paper animation kit. If you think you may make more than a couple of these models, you might want to consider getting a membership to RobIves.com.

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Knitting clocks redefine the way we measure time: 1 scarf = 1 year

What you are looking at in the photo above are pieces by designer Siren Elise Wilhelmsen. As you might guess by the title of this post, these unconventional timepieces knit with actual yarn. Over the course of days and months, time is measured in row upon row of knitting. In 365 days, the clock will produce a scarf approximately 2 meters long.

According to her web site, "Her aim is to make functional and sustainable design with personality and humour; products that challenge the meeting between man and his surroundings and that offer a new kind of interaction with them." I would have say that she was entirely successful with this design, redefining how we measure time, what a meaningful length of time might be, and creating something useful in the process -- an tangible reminder of a year gone by to wrap around one's neck on a cold day.

See more designs by Siren Elise Wilhelmsen on her web site.

[ Thanks Glenn! ]

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Carving Faces Workbook: Learn to Carve Facial Expressions and Characteristics with the Legendary Harold Enlow

Here's a recently published book that provides detailed instruction on carving faces in wood. Written by the renowned caricature carver, Harold Enlow, the book is directed at the caricature carver, but is a solid foundation for realistic carving as well. The author provides photos and step-by-step instruction on how to carve some of those tricky areas of the face such as the eyes, mouth, and ears. In addition to covering these specific parts, a few complete example faces are also included. This book is a valuable reference that comes highly rated!

Here is where you can get Carving Faces Workbook: Learn to Carve Facial Expressions and Characteristics.

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Laikingland featured in Crafts Magazine!

Our clever friends over at Laikingland (creators of The Applause Machine, those motorized drumming fingers, and The Party Popper Machine) are featured in the latest issue of Crafts Magazine. Kudos!

Here is the article on Laikingland in Crafts Magazine.

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Action Toys: Plans for Toys with Mechanical Movements

A reprint of a book first published in 1936, this work contains plans for constructing a variety of toys with mechanical movements. Only 36 pages long, one wonders how much detail is in this volume. Still, the description is undeniably intriguing!

From the book description:

This unusual early work presents a collection of toys with a variety of typical mechanical movements and worth-while construction problems. Instructions are extensively illustrated with diagrams. Contents Include: Tools and Supplies; Transferring Drawings; Sawing; Fastening Parts Together; Joints, Coloring and Finishing; Standing, Rocking, and Wheeling Animals; Jacks and Acrobats - Performers on Strings; Combat and Competition Toys; Walkers and Dancers on an Inclined Plane; and Carts and Chariots. Many of the earliest books, particularly those dating back to the 1900s and before, are now extremely scarce and increasingly expensive. We are republishing these classic works in affordable, high quality, modern editions, using the original text and artwork.

Here is where you can order a new copy of Action Toys

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Amazing Paper Pets: 6 Animated Animals to Make!

Paper automata are a great way to start making them, regardless of your tools, age, or skill-level. These are especially easy, since you don't even need to cut the paper pieces; they simply pop out. Rob Ives is a master of paper engineering. Trust me on this! He has put this book together so that you can make 6 different moving models:

• A gorilla beating his chest
• A pecking chicken
• A hopping kangaroo
• A dog that moves as if barking
• A goat that shakes his head
• A walking cat

Oh, and...you'll learn some things about basic mechanisms and physics making these fun automata too!

Here's where to order Amazing Paper Pets: 6 Animated Animals to Make

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