Hyperbolic Plane - Crocheted

Here’s a picture of a hyperbolic plane, with a twist - it’s actually made of cloth. This hyperbolic plane is crocheted by Daina Taimina, who found free time besides teaching to do some crotcheting and knitting.

For the non-mathematically inclined (which occasionally includes me), a hyperbolic plane is a surface in which space expands. It is a surface where space curves away from a point at every point. I know this explanation isn’t very good, but it’s as layman as possible.

According to Daina, the first few stitches “…[took] no time but the later rows can take literally hours, they have so many stitches. [One] get[s] a visceral sense of what ‘hyperbolic’ really means.”

Another website that caters to mathematical knitting patterns is Sarah Marie Belcastro’s site. Have fun!