picky, picky, picky

Last November, my brother Boop gave me a gift certificate to Barnes and Noble, and with it I got this:

I've been enjoying it overall, though I am still settling into the rhythm of the analysis. I did identify something that I found irksome. On page 189, there's a pattern for something liberally called a "Butterfly Moebius."

One classic Moebius pattern, which can be seen on page 52 of Elizabeth Zimmerman's Knitting Around, instructs the knitter to make a rectangle, give the thing half a twist, and graft the short ends together. The Butterfly Moebius, in contrast, is knit from one long edge to the other. (Two edges? That's a problem right there.)

There is no inherent problem in building a Moebius along the long axis. Here's how it's done, and as The Girl From Auntie explains, "The loop begins with a provisional or provisional-style cast-on on a circular needle; the first half of the first round of knitting is worked on that provisional row as usual, but then the second half of the first round is worked in the bottom of the provisional row."

The method that Parkes uses if different, though, giving the cast on stitches precisely one twist before joining the ends of the circle, then proceeding as if for any tube. Therein lies the problem. A Moebius strip requires half a twist, but he Butterfly Moebius involves a whole twist. It may be beautiful, but it ain't a Moebius.

Now that you mention it ...

AntiToast, coffee does *not* ooze; I couldn't agree more. It *might* creep, as creeping does not require a certain viscosity. While I'm not bad in the wrapping department, I've decided looking festive is all that's required.

Rebecca, you're quite right. One night at Circles, Allison investigated the full-twist method out of curiosity. We learned why it doesn't work, so when I read Parkes' description I understood the limits immediately. I did some modest investigation for a mathematical term for the Butterfly Moebius but came up empty.

Comments

[IHateToast]

was just in a conversation about being annoyed by things i read. mine wasn't mathematical. "the coffee spilled oozing across the table." coffee doesn't ooze. no, it wasn't turkish.

i make the moebius strip every time i try to wrap a present. bloody hell i have no taping skills.

[Rebecca H.]

I believe you've had this topic up for discussion before at Circles. So what is the Butterfly Moebius? Is there a term for it?