Can Knitting Help Teach Science?

A Cell Biologist Reflects on the Connections Between Stitches and STEM

When I was about 8 years old, my grandmother took me to a local fabric store to pick out a pattern for a dress we could sew together. Piecing together the brown pattern paper, cutting out fabric, and learning to pin and hem, I felt like I was solving the ultimate wearable puzzle.

What I didn’t know at the time was that I was also preparing for my PhD in cell biophysics—the study of how cells, and the structures within them, move and grow. Cells form, and interact with, the squishy, …

Joyfully Felt Florals | Zocalo Public Square • Arizona State University • Smithsonian

Joyfully Felt Florals

Karla Field is an independent artist based in Pasadena, California. A graduate of Art Center College of Design, she has worked as a toy designer at Mattel, Hasbro, and Applause Gifts. Under …