ORIGAMI WEAVING

While fighting the latest influenza epidemic I have been experimenting with origami "weaving". The problem of how to do this has helped to pass the time when I have been unable to sleep because of the effects of this very nasty virus.

The idea was to develop a method where I could add units to the length and breadth of the model while keeping it firm and stable. I needed to be able to lock two strips together at their ends and then lock this joint at right angles under the middle of a third strip.

My early attempts all proved unsuitable for one reason of another, mostly because the result was not sufficiently firm or stable. I finally settled on a modified square twist which is three sheets thick.

The photograph shows how this is coming along. I am developing a grid with the twist square locks at the intersections. I've used several different colors of paper so that the transitions between one piece and another are more obvious. Take a look at the orange and mauve strips. There is a different color projecting from either side of the middle of these strips.

Because this is a prototype folding I have been using cheap 20lb bond/50lb text copy paper in legal and ledger sizes. The color offerings are rather limited and I do not like them. The 'flu is making me feel sick enough without having to stare at a photograph of the model in its original colors of blue, green, pale yellow and goldenrod. I admit to the cyber crime of color changing the results to that which you see here.

I have plans for filling in the gaps with thinner woven strips. I think the result will be quite interesting. I plan on connecting these intermediate strips together using the discarded methods that I developed during the early phases of this project. Because the frame work is relatively rigid these methods should be suitable this time.

Although folding the strips is relatively easy putting them together is a little tricky. I am improving as I practice. The initial folding methods have been improved and modified. I have stopped tearing paper or getting hopelessly muddled with ridges which aren't where I thought I wanted them. I can now get the pieces together without tears in under a minute - well, mostly. At this stage, however, I would rate this piece as "advanced".