I always thought needlepoint had a lot of math in it, with its formula for forming smooth bezier curves out of 13-count bargello stitching, it’s pattern tessellations, and of course 3-dimensional color space. But it turns out that at least one mathematician, Daina Taimina, has actually written a whole book about it, Crocheting Adventures with Hyperbolic Planes, recipient of the Diagram Prize for year’s oddest book title. Prize overseer Horace Bent said:

The public proclivity towards non-Euclidian needlework proved too strong for the competition.

The title of a recent press report on the matter led me to believe that the book amply covers needlepoint’s intersection with geometry. Sadly, however, it seems that the book deals chiefly with crocheting, and there’s scant mention of actual needlepoint. Of course, crocheting is a perfectly fine needleworking pursuit. Why, some of my best friends are crocheters.

Read more about math and fibers in a Wikipedia article on the subject. And here is Daina’s own website.

Microsoft Office 2010 will undoubtedly increase productivity in offices worldwide. Apparently, Microsoft is keen on getting consumers to recognize that Microsoft Office is useful for everyday at-home tasks, too. According to blogger Mary Jo Foley, quoting David Webster, the chief strategy officer in Microsoft’s central marketing group:

People are defining work pretty broadly these days, Webster said during a meeting I had with him this week, to include everything from volunteering at events, to creating needlepoint pattern designs, to preparing a PowerPoint toast for a friend’s wedding.

(Emphasis mine). I assume she’s referring to Visio, which is a tool I use myself to chart out needlepoint stitches.

I’m happy to see needlepoint design figuring prominently in conversations regarding productivity in the home. Who knows, maybe Microsoft will come out with a photo-to-needlepoint-chart conversion tool. Microsoft Stitch 2010?

Kevin Abraham-Banks, a Sioux Falls, S.D., trucker, likes to knit while passing the time on the road. Here he makes a sweater for his wife.

Truckers, too, need something with which to spend time while waiting for a job. And apparently, for many truckers, needlework fits the bill nicely. It’s relaxing, and productive, and convenient.

Great quote:

“The fact that you can take strands of thread and basically make something out of it, that’s awesome I think,” he said. “It’s pretty cool stuff, man.”

OK, so it’s not macho. No need to share your secret hobby with the gang:

“In the truck stops, it’s usually a bunch of guys watching football,” he said. “If I sat down with my knitting, I think there would be some funny remarks.”

Go on and read the whole article.

Dr. Andes took up needlepointing upon his retirement. Read about his work but mostly, enjoy the photos that accompany the article.

Somehow, articles such as these only are written about men that needlepoint. As if this should be a female-only occupation. Now why would that be?

Encouragingly, the news is carrying stories that contain leading indicators of an upwards trend in needlepoint. Here is a story about Ten Home Trends for 2010 that says needlework is getting preppy again:

We’ve heard “This ain’t your grandma’s…” A new buzz phrase just might be “That’s so granny.”

Patricia Shackelford of Kansas City, author of the design blog Mrs. Blandings, thinks we’ll see more patchwork quilts, hooked rugs, needlepoint and chintz.

“On ‘Top Design,’ a contestant (Ondine Karady) was criticized for being too ‘grandma’ for using a crocheted throw,” Shackelford said. “Actually, she was on to the next trend.”

See more of Karady’s stuff at her website.

For another example, see the extraordinary Needlepoint Trophies (pictured above this post) featured on Fashion Week Daily‘s blog.

Pakistani women in Punjab province have learned to embrioder and are selling their needlework in western Nevada County to support schools where they learn to read, write and figure.

Poor families in Pakistan are supporting education initiatives by creating needlepoint pieces and sending them over to the U.S.A. for sale.

“To make the schools self-supporting, the women also have been learning for the first time to create needlepoint and embroidered pieces that they could sell profitably in the United States, with its higher currency value.”

I should note that in addition to the fine goal of increasing education in that country, the initiative also advances the noble cause of spreading needlepoint joy throughout the world.

Check out Appraisal Day Offered at the Daily Tribune of Oakland County, where another needlepoint canvas was appraised by experts with an especially fine appreciation of needlework:

We’ve had things appraised as high as $50,000, said Colleen Barkham, a historical society member and organizer of the event. It was a needlepoint that came from England, 300 years old.

Sadly, no picture of the pricey point was included.

Elmer Jose Concentrates on his Work

This segment from KX News about Elmer Jose is both interesting and inspirational.

In all, Elmer has created over 200 of these needlepoint works of art, some containing nearly 170,000 stitches. He doesn’t usually take requests, but if you have something in mind, chances are, he’s already done it.

Oh and by the way, “he does his work from a wheelchair, using one good eye, and limited use of one hand. If that’s not incredible enough, he’s also a cancer survivor.”

Here is a transcript of the interview.

Michelle Obama in Moscow

Michelle Obama was in Moscow, and was determined to maintain a”vow of silence”. But when she visited the St. Dimitriy Orphanage, she couldn’t resist speaking, just a little:

Then came the needlepoint project. Needlepoint finally pierced the quiet. “How long did it take you to do this?” the first lady asked, loud enough for all to hear, when the girl gave her the handiwork. Two days, the child said, speaking Russian.

Needlepoint: the ultimate diplomatic ice-breaker.

Your old needlepoint you inherited from your grandmother’s grandmother might be worth more than you think. See this story covering the Antiques Roadshow, where Doris Black was pleasantly surprised to learn that her great-great-great aunt’s needlepoint masterpiece would fetch $2,000 to $2,500.

A great-great-great aunt would have lived about 100 years ago, when goods such as needlepoint canvas and thread costed far less than what they cost today. A canvas such as hers plus thread would cost in today’s dollars about $350 total. In 1900, this would have been about $15 (try it out yourself using this inflation calculator).

So, assuming inflation continues along a similar path for the next hundred years, your great-great-great niece may wind up selling your own stitched project for over $8,000. Now that’s what I call needlepoint appreciation.