Noisy Crochet Workshop

In September 2013, I gave a DIY Masterclass at SUPERMARKT, which was a co-working and event space in Berlin. The masterclass was a sonic exploration into electronic textiles and about ten people participated in making crocheted sensors, which could be used for altering sound.

The workshop started with a brief introduction to e-textiles, after which the participants learned few basic crochet stitches. Some worked also with knitting making a long tube or modifying a glove. The idea was to make a piece which contained both regular and conductive yarn, and to connect it to an oscillator circuit based on the 555 timer IC. Conductive yarn with high resistance was used and the pieces were made with loose stitches, so that there would be more resistance range to play with.

The 555 timer circuit, which had been prepared beforehand, produced a constant tone, and the crocheted piece provided an interface for changing the pitch by stretching or squeezing it. These movements lowered the electrical resistance in the crocheted fabric, resulting in higher pitch. It was thus possible to play different tones with the noisy crochet.

See also:

• Photo album of Noisy Crochet Workshop