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Reimagining Knitting with 3D Printing

October 5, 2015 4 Comments

Reimagine knitting with 3d printing

As a public librarian, I have been able to experiment with 3D printing as part of my job working with teens. I’m lucky because my library has a maker lab outfitted with all kinds of equipment designed to enable people to develop their own designs, ranging from avant garde shoes to robots. 3D printing has been around for awhile, but has become more accessible recently. If you’re brand new to 3D printing, it is what it sounds like: printing in 3 dimensions as opposed to flat. The 3D printer I have uses a recyclable filament that, when heated, forms objects layer by layer. If you’re curious to see how 3D printing looks in action, check out the video in this post.

Now that we’ve gone over what 3D printing is, I should probably tell you what the heck this has to do with knitting! :) Earlier this year, I shared 2 dimensional scanning and design that can be done with the HP Sprout by letting you inside the knit design process and showing you how to digitally organize your yarn labels. More recently, HP sent me a 3D Capture Stage and the Dremel Idea Builder, a 3D printer, to use along with the Sprout so I could take this technology to the next level and reimagine knitting with 3d printing.

Use 3D printing to reimagine your handmade crafts as statement jewelry! Click through to learn how.

Using a swatch of knitting made with rope, I 3D scanned, modified and printed a statement necklace using HP’s technology, all in the comfort of my own home. After successfully printing my swatch, I attached the 3D printed pendant to jewelry chain and a lobster clasp with craft pliers and jump rings.

Use 3D printing to reimagine your handmade crafts as statement jewelry! Click through to learn how.

Supplies

HP Sprout
white rope
knitting needles
HP 3D Capture Stage
Dremel Idea Builder (3D Printer)
jump rings: two 7mm, one 4mm & one 6mm
lobster clasp
jewelry chain
jewelry pliers

Directions

I made a video to show you how I was able to create this project, end-to-end, using the Sprout’s all in one desktop technology:

As I mention in the video, I added a backing piece to my 3D scan to give it some added structure. The natural shape of the knitting was too delicate to print on its own, so incorporating a thin wedge on the back made 3D printing it possible. Check out the front and back of the pendant in this GIF to see how I made this scan and print work.

Knitting swatch necklace made by replicating your own knitting or crochet with 3D printing - click through to learn how to do this at home.

The final step of attaching the jewelry chain to the 3d printed pendant was easy! Since the 3D scan detected the open loops at the top of the swatch, all I need to do was attach jump rings to the loops on each side of the pendant. I used two 7mm jump rings to attach the chain to the pendant, and I used a 4mm ring to attach the clasp to the chain and an additional 6mm jump ring to the raw end of the chain.

Knitting swatch necklace made by replicating your own knitting or crochet with 3D printing - click through to learn how to do this at home.

Like I say in the video, I really am loving wearing this lightweight statement necklace. As knitters, we’re used to the great feeling of getting to wear something we’ve made by hand. What’s extra special for me about this piece is knowing that every bit of it, from beginning to end, was designed and made by me. Even though this project has an industrial feel, there’s some soul in it too, having come from my own hands.

Use 3D printing to reimagine your handmade crafts as statement jewelry! Click through to learn how.

This is a sponsored post. HP provided compensation and the equipment used to create this project. 

  • Visit the Sprout website
  • See other project ideas in the Sprout Creator Gallery
  • Find out more about the Sprout

Filed Under: Giveaways, Reviews & Sponsored, How-to, Knitting, Knitting & Crochet, Video Tutorials Tagged With: 3d printed necklace, 3d printing, dremel idea builder, gomakethings, hp, hp sprout, knitted necklace, reimagine knitting, sproutbyhp, swatch necklace

About Heidi

Heidi Gustad is a craft book author, designer & creator specializing in yarn crafts like knitting, crochet, latch hook & macramé. Her first book, Latch Hook: 12 Projects for the Modern Maker, is out now.

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Comments

  1. Jessica [Havok]

    October 5, 2015 at 10:02 am

    3D Printing is an awesome thing – for PAXPrime, a YouTube me and my Mister follow 3D printed a Stormtrooper suit to wear, and it turned out rather fantastic! I haven’t yet heard of scanning something in to print it up, though – that would be fun to explore! :D

    Reply
  2. Julie

    October 6, 2015 at 10:09 am

    wow, what a cool idea, and how fun that you get to experiment with this technology! I haven’t tried 3d printing yet, but I’d love to give it a go. I’m hoping in the future we’ll have other materials we can ‘print’ with, other than plastic. Imagine how pretty it would be to do the same design in metal!

    Reply
    • Heidi

      October 7, 2015 at 2:38 pm

      Thanks, Julie! It was fascinating! :)

      Reply

Trackbacks

  1. Bringing the Worlds of 3D Scanning, 3D Printing and Knitting Together with the … says:
    October 9, 2015 at 6:20 pm

    […] can review about Gustad’s plan over on her Hands Occupied blog, and learn some-more about a HP Sprout here. And here is a video of a Sprout in movement branch […]

    Reply

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Heidi Gustad from Hands Occupied / Craft Book Author and Knitting, Crochet, Latch Hook and Macrame Designer

Hi! I’m Heidi (she/her/hers), a craft book author & pattern designer specializing in knitting, crochet, latch hook & macrame. Really anything with yarn! ❤️  My work combines vintage and modern design elements, featuring bold colors and graphic motifs.

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handsoccupied

Helping yarn crafters untangle various techniques on the internet since 2010
🧶 Really into intarsia
Stay up-to-date 💌 & shop the latest patterns ⤵️

Heidi Gustad 🧶 knitting & yarn crafts
Wow! I am floored by the awesome response to the S Wow! I am floored by the awesome response to the Spiral Hill Sweater Vest. Thank you. 🙏🏻❤️ If you love this pattern & didn’t know already, we are going to be doing a knit along (KAL) from October 1-29 featuring this spooky sweater vest & lots of tutorials, especially for the intarsia part. 
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Later today my newsletter will be coming out with additional Knit Along details, so if you’re not already signed up, now is a great time - the 🔗 is in my b1o. 
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Pictured: My Spiral Hill Sweater Vest pattern from the new Nightmare Before Christmas knitting book by @tanisknits. Model is wearing size 1 with 2” of positive ease, knit in @brooklyntweed Imbue Worsted. Vest images via @insighteditions 
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#spiralhillsweatervest #handsoccupied #nightmarebeforechristmasknittingbook
At long last! I can share the Spiral Hill Sweater At long last! I can share the Spiral Hill Sweater Vest, my contribution to the new book Disney Tim Burton’s Nightmare Before Christmas: The Official Knitting Guide to Halloween Town and Christmas Town, out now! 🎃💀 
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I’m hosting a knit along (KAL) October 1-29 for anyone who’d like to knit this vest along with a group & learn a little about intarsia while we’re at it. I’ve got weekly tutorials planned to help you knit this worsted weight sweater vest, and there’s a prize package giveaway at the end for KAL participants too. Details are on my site - you know where to find the 🔗 I think. 😉
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Book by @tanisknits 
Publisher @insighteditions 
Yarn @brooklyntweed Imbue 
Find it wherever fine books are sold. 
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#handsoccupied #nightmarebeforechristmas #intarsia #sweatervest #knittingpattern #knittingbook #spiralhill #knitting_inspiration #knitting
Since there was some interest in stills of my WIPs Since there was some interest in stills of my WIPs closet after this weekend’s quick tutorial, here are few. ✂️ The tutorial is one post back in my feed as a video.
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As you can see, I didn’t worry about the wire hangers all being perfectly uniform, but it doesn’t matter to me. Also, this closet holds a lot! Despite that, it is already at capacity. Since the hanging bags don’t appear to be recyclable, I want to reuse them as long as possible. Who knows, maybe this will be a way to limit my WIPs? 😅
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P.s. In the third photo you can see how I use this system to store the original swatches, scraps, yarn ball bands, & notes from a design project all together. 
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#handsoccupied #wips #craftstorage #yarnstorage #yarncrafts #knitting_inspiration #craftstudio #craftroom #craftcloset
How to convert a closet into WIPs storage with jus How to convert a closet into WIPs storage with just a few supplies ✂️
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When I was a librarian, we would use these hanging bags to circulate books with audiobook CDs. They came to mind when I wanted to develop a filing cabinet-like system for my differently-sized WIPs. To fit in my studio closet, a standard bedroom closet, they just needed custom hangers. 🤙🏻 
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HOW TO MAKE THE HANGERS
1. Carefully cut approx. a 9” (23 cm) length of flexible 3 mm aluminum wire.
2. Near the end of a large knitting needle or dowel, wrap the wire around it as you would a twist tie. 
3. Bend the other end into a hook shape, perpendicular to the circle shape you just created. 
4. Hang like a hanger in a closet, as shown. 
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#handsoccupied #handmadelife #knitting_inspiration #craftcloset #craftroom #craftroomorganization #craftroomstorage #craftroomdecor #crocheter #latchhook #knittersofinstagram #wip #wips #hangingstorage
It’s time for the monthly review and giveaway! T It’s time for the monthly review and giveaway! This go around, get to know two new sister yarns from @manosyarnsusa, Marla and Sami, and enter to win a skein of each to try for yourself. 
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What makes these yarns sisters is that, while dyed differently, they’re the same weight and come in intentionally coordinating color palettes. For my review, I opted for a sky-inspired combo of Sami in Natural and Marla in Nube. 🌧️ 
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Check out the full review & enter the giveaway at the link in my bio. 
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#handsoccupied #yarnreview #manosdeluruguay #knitting_inspire #crochet #yarngiveaway #knitters #yarn #crochetersofinstagram
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