Origami!!!

Walden · Post by **Walden** » Mon Sep 12, 2005 9:44 am

Paper airplanes probably should be considered a distinct branch of origami. They will be found in the same section of the library as origami books, in the Dewey Decimal System.

My mother occupies her hands crocheting, knitting, tatting, or cross-stitching, while I prefer to do origami, because the finished result is quicker and I don't feel as overwhelmed by it.

You may say that the needlework is more durable or useful, but you'd be surprised how often I'm enlisted to fold just the right box or package decoration for some needlecraft. Presently I've been commissioned to make a compartment box for my sister's desk.

TomB · Post by **TomB** » Mon Sep 12, 2005 10:07 am

missy wrote: Tom does counted cross stitch and needlepoint.

My wife does counted cross-stitch, also. Well, sometimes. When she's doing it, she goes full bore, and then does not do it for a year or two.

Tom

I.D.10-t · Post by **I.D.10-t** » Mon Sep 12, 2005 1:18 pm

I must ask, has any one else made a napkin rose?

Edited. Walden has a better web page description.

Walden · Post by **Walden** » Mon Sep 12, 2005 10:23 pm

http://s89015200.onlinehome.us/thepaper ... uerose.htm

Joseph E. Smith · Post by **Joseph E. Smith** » Tue Sep 13, 2005 5:36 am

For those with steady mind, and a penchant for self abuse, this is a great book!

<img src="http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y36/bu ... an0001.jpg" alt="Image hosted by Photobucket.com">

Tyler · Post by **Tyler** » Tue Sep 13, 2005 12:34 pm

Joseph E. Smith wrote:For those with steady mind, and a penchant for self abuse, this is a great book!

<img src="http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y36/bu ... an0001.jpg" alt="Image hosted by Photobucket.com">

Thats not origami....that's orgasmi

Band Nerd · Post by **Band Nerd** » Wed Sep 14, 2005 6:11 pm

I've watched my grandmother knit and crochet, but it looks really complex and intricate.

Caru · Post by **Caru** » Wed Sep 14, 2005 9:00 pm

I picked up about fifteen origami books during the few months I lived in Japan. They were about the only books I could "read" given my extremely limited Japanese skills. Generally, they were easy to follow and very well illustrated, much better than most I have seen in English. I ended up with dozens and dozens of pieces, which propped up nicely on the wood slats dividing my paper window screens.

It's kind of like learning tunes from books though -- you end up with a lot of duplication of figures in various books. Besides that, every once in a while you come across something that you just can't make sense of until you see it done in front of you.

Innocent Bystander · Post by **Innocent Bystander** » Thu Sep 15, 2005 6:38 am

Yes, I do Origami, from time to time. I have half-a-dozen books and my daughter makes more origami than I do.

What do you do with the finished articles?
The original origami was I believe developed out of folding an "ingot" (a tael, apparently of gold) from the label which went around a bunch of incense sticks. From this the whole thing took off, and the oldest traditional foldings are for sacrificial items which would have been offered on the family shrine. An example of this is the crane - there survives a superstition that folding 1000 paper cranes will save you from an illness - any illness. These sacrifices would be burned on the family shrine.
So old origami goes on the garden bonfire (we don't use a family shrine here in Buckinghamshire, we just cast a circle when we hold a ritual).

Tom B, if you have the fidgets, you might consider learning Cat's Cradle!
You only need one piece of string (two if you are REALLY picky) and you have the comfort that it may save your life by distracting native cannibals if your plane crashes in New Guinea. That's what the book said, anyway.

Innocent Bystander · Post by **Innocent Bystander** » Thu Sep 15, 2005 6:39 am

Oh yes, I meant to say: the most complicated origami figure I have ever done from memory was a Jack-in-the-Box which really works. I have the instructions in one of my books. If you are interested, let me know.

djm · Post by **djm** » Thu Sep 15, 2005 7:09 am

Caru has the coolest avatar.

djm

Caru · Post by **Caru** » Thu Sep 15, 2005 11:20 am

djm wrote:Caru has the coolest avatar.

djm

Thanks. It's the Cygnus Nebula, if I recall correctly.

Jack · Post by **Jack** » Thu Sep 15, 2005 11:23 am

Caru wrote:
djm wrote:Caru has the coolest avatar.

djm
Thanks. It's the Cygnus Nebula, if I recall correctly.

I thought it was the inside of a fish tank.

djm · Post by **djm** » Thu Sep 15, 2005 12:01 pm

This is your brain on origami ... or is that O'Rigami?

djm

TomB · Post by **TomB** » Thu Sep 15, 2005 12:15 pm

Innocent Bystander wrote:Tom B, if you have the fidgets, you might consider learning Cat's Cradle!
You only need one piece of string (two if you are REALLY picky) and you have the comfort that it may save your life by distracting native cannibals if your plane crashes in New Guinea. That's what the book said, anyway.

Umm, isn't that a "two-person" activity? Tom