#Enzyme Kinetics Socks

[onegirlatelier]

Enzyme Kinetics Socks, October 2019

A lot of things have happened since I last posted, most of them related to my start at university. After a productive but rather self-directed gap year, the sudden increase in workload was a bit of a shock to the system. With the academic pressure came the confusion about how to manage the ‘making’ side of my life. I have always considered sewing and knitting as the greatest passion of my life but never a career choice, so for a good while I had managed to keep academic work and dressmaking apart. However, one week after I started uni, the depth of knowledge I was required to ‘master’ (as worded in my course handbook) disrupted the uneasy balance. The doubts came back and I wondered again whether I had just made the huge mistake of choosing medicine over dressmaking.

The trigger? Enzymes. Our lecturer prepared a 54-slide handout and squeezed the entire topic into a one-hour lecture, and I lost track after the first five minutes. The panic level spiked like the oxygen affinity curve on haemoglobin cooperativity diagram.

We only get set essays on very specific topics and have plenty of time to look at them, so plenty of time to procrastinate. I was so scared I didn’t touch the subject for a whole week.

Then at some point I decided that no. I need to stop being scared. It wasn’t the actual difficulty of enzyme kinetics, but the worry inside me, that was stopping me from learning what I was here to learn.

So I had a good night’s sleep, got up, kept myself in my room an entire afternoon and then an entire evening, and the next day I found myself using the Michaelis-Menten equation just as how I expected to.

Next Saturday, I was sitting in a college seminar room and knitting the second of what happened to be my first pair of hand-knitted socks. There were mistakes but nothing too serious, and they ended up perfectly wearable.

I don’t want to use the word ‘equilibrium’ because that means the completion of the reaction…So here’s to instability!

Yarn

West Yorkshire Spinners ColourLab DK, 100% British wool, 4ply, 225m/100g.

Colour way: Summer Pinks. The colours are displayed fairly well in pictures here.

I don’t have a scale with me, so I have no idea how much yarn I have used—but I feel that a third sock or a hairband should be no problem.

(Update: my socks weigh 34~35g each, so 70g in total. Leftover yarn weighs 29g.)

Pro: A very standard self-striping yarn in good quality. 100% wool but still machine-washable, which is good for socks. The thickness is consistent with a tight ply. It doesn’t smell particularly woolly, but there’s no eek smell of chemicals either. WYS is involved in The Campaign For Wool.

Con: The yarn is more on the rustic side, so it’s a bit prickly, though I personally find it just fine. (I’m talking about it in the Wear & Tear section below.) There’s no information on their website specifying the wool-processing method. I have to assume some sort of not-so-environmentally friendly method is used.

  Pattern

So Simple Sport Socks by Glenna C. The pattern is very simple but it is written for three-needle knitting method only. I had to convert it into a pattern for magic loop method. It’s a free pattern, but there is an awful lot of mistakes. I am the oddball who knits her first pair of socks after quite a few large and complex projects, so it wasn’t too difficult to decipher the pattern, but I wouldn’t recommend it to beginners.

  Needle

I used a 2.75cm circular needle. My gauge: 25sts per 10cm.

  Modification

As with almost all my projects, I changed the stitch count instead of trying to get the same gauge as instructed in the pattern.

I casted on 53 stitches and improvised from there. For the slip stitch heel, I had 27sts for top of the foot and 26sts for the heel flap. Then I increased to 28sts on the first row of heel flap for more space because sometimes I put a tiny pad on my Achilles tendon as a cushion, or a plaster if I already had a blister.

After I turned the heel, 17sts remained on the heel flap. I picked up 14sts on each side of the heel flap and made one extra stitch between heel flap and top of the foot. So when I joined top of the foot and the heel, the stitch count for the round was 74.

When decreasing after making the heel, I was supposed to decrease two sts every other round. But my brain was dead when I knitted this section of my first sock and I decreased every round instead. It was a much steeper decrease and I managed to decrease to 52 sts in 11 rounds instead of 22. An entire 11 rounds missing! I know it made the foot arch tighter than it should be, but after trying it on my foot, it didn’t seem to mind so I went on and replicated the mistake in the other sock!

I did 3*1 ribbing on the entire medial half of the sock instead of just the top of the foot, so that it sat snugly against my arch.

When decreasing for toe part, I did asymmetric toes shaping. Instead of decreasing four sts every other round, I decreased six sts on the lateral part for every two sts on the medial part. Another mistake: I continued the ribbing pattern for a few rows after starting to decrease for toes. It made the toe part stretchier, which was nice, but aesthetically I would prefer to stop the ribbing as I start the toe decreases.

I used three-needle bind off to finish the last 20 sts.

Wear & Tear

So far, I’ve only wore these socks for one day. I visited a museum, did some shopping, and went to a restaurant for dinner. The socks were scratchy in the first few moments, as experienced by many knitters who worked with this yarn, but then my feet got used to them and were all comfy and warm. Thanks to dancing my feet are sensitive to touch but not to pain or other unpleasant feelings, which is great for me as a sock knitter.

I can see clear signs of wear on the heels and toes, but I suppose that’s to be expected and it couldn’t get much worse. I work my feet a lot even during everyday activities (even when I’m sitting, yes), so that might contribute to the wear after only one day. Somehow the way I walk or my feet are shaped put a lot of rubbing on the Achilles tendon part of my feet, so I’m hoping that the slip stitches hold well. I’m happy to mend my socks if needed.

  Further considerations

As mentioned, I missed an entire 11 rows when decreasing for the arch, but my feet don’t seem to sense any discomfort because of this. The ribbing pattern is stretched a bit more on the arch then on the other parts, though. Still, I am curious to see what would happen if I indeed follow the pattern.

I had never worn 100% wool socks before—it was always cotton ones or store-bought wool and polyamide combination. But now that I have, there is no doubt which fibre I prefer! Wool keeps my feet warm without the cold sweat. I have a number of other projects planned at the moment, but every day the English weather nudges me to knit more socks.

[edivupage]

26 of the Best 5th Grade Science Projects and Experiments

Are you looking for science activities to do with your 5th graders? No sweat. We have you covered. Check out our list of 26 science projects and experiments that you can try with your 5th graders this month.

Hand-Eye Coordination and Age | All-Science-Fair-Projects.com – Grades 2-5, Use a stopwatch and ping-pong ball to find out how hand-eye coordination changes as children get older.

What Do Yeast Eat…and How Can You Tell? | Education.com – Grades 2-5, The objective of this project is to examine which foods yeast cells eat.

How Do Antacids Work? | Biochemistry Discovery Lab – Grades 3-6, Simulate out how antacids work to treat heartburn by using fake stomach enzymes.

Mice & Music | Hubpages.com – Grades 3-6, Find out if music affects the performance of mice in a maze.

A Magnetic Primer Designer | Sciencebuddies.org – Grades 3-6 Biology project that utilizes magnets to mimic the process that scientists use to replicate DNA, using the polymerase chain reaction.

Growing Bacteria in Petri Dishes | Stevespanglerscience.com – Grades 3-6 biology In this science fair project, you must find samples of bacteria from an assortment of surfaces to find the surfaces that are the dirtiest.

Effects of Ozone on Plants and Health | Julian’s Science Fair – Grades 4-6, Environmental conditions can dramatically impact plant growth and germination. Does increased ozone stunt germination and plant growth? Grow some plants and find out.

Making Batteries from Fruits and Vegetables | Sciencebuddies.org – Grades 4-7, Use veggie power to build a simple battery from a variety of vegetables. Which ones are the most powerful?

How Water Beats Rock | Education.com – Grades 1-5, Discover how water is more potent than rocks.  Experiment with ways that water can break the stone.

Soil Type and Liquefaction | All-Science-Fair-Projects.com – Grades 1-5, Experiment with sand, clay, and loam and find out which type of soil dissolves most easily.

Effects of Temperature and Humidity on Static Charges | Education.com – Grades 1-5, Use balloons, a rubber ball, and a scarf to investigate why those socks stick together when you take them out of the dryer and how conditions in the air affect static electricity.

Dig This: Biodegradation | Education.com – Grades 2-6, How do organic materials become soil? This science experiment measures which materials biodegrade.

Geology 101 | Education.com – Grades 2-6, Water carries lots of soil and minerals in a creek. In this project, you’ll examine the behavior of water and gravel in creek beds and the formation of sedimentary rocks.

Geothermal Power Plant Model | Energyquest.ca.gov – Grades 3-6, Use a pinwheel and a can of boiling water to simulate geothermal power production. Determine how to generate the most energy from your “power plant.”

Egg Substitutes | Sciencebuddies.org – Grades 3-6, Many people avoid eggs because of allergies or diet preferences. But eggs play a vital chemical function in baking and cooking. Evaluate the ability of egg substitutes to mimic their binding, leavening, or thickening properties.

How Much Water is Required to Cook Pasta? | Sciencebuddies.org – Grades 3-6, We’re used to cooking our pasta in a big pot of boiling water. Do you actually need that much water, time, and energy to cook pasta? Perform some experiments to find out.

Building the Best Bridge | Education.com – Grades 3-6, This project helps students develop an understanding of architecture and engineering through experimentation of which shapes are the most structurally strong.

Rubber Bands for Energy | Sciencebuddies.org – Grades 3-6, Put the energy of rubber bands to work and learn about the relationship between potential and kinetic energy.

Properties of Pendulums | Illinois Institute of Technology – Grades 3-6, Pendulums have been used for timekeeping for hundreds of years. Find out how changes in mass and length affect the oscillation of a pendulum.

Bust That Rust! | Education.com – Grades 3-10, Investigate the chemistry of rust and the oxidation process. Younger students will use steel wool, water, salt, and vinegar. Older students will explore the chemistry of rust.

Wind Around the Home | Education.com – Grades 4-6, Learn about wind speed and duration and different locations around your home. Determine the best site(s) for a windmill.

Arch Magic: The Unbreakable Egg | Education.com – Grades 4-7, Tell you, folks, tonight is a good night for an egg dinner. Use the eggshells to explore how arches distribute weight. Demonstrates the power of arches by asking students to pile telephone books on top of eggs without damaging them.

How a Comet’s Size Affects How Fast It Melts | Sciencebuddies.org – Grades 4-7, Comets are often compared to giant, dirty snowballs, and the comet tail you see in the sky is evidence of melting. In this project, you’ll use figure out how the size of a comet affects its melting rate.

Make an Electromagnet | Energyquest.ca.gov -Grades 4-7, Learn how to create an electromagnet from batteries, wire, and a knife switch. How does changing to kind of batteries used affect the power of your

Bombs Away! A Ping Pong Catapult | Science Buddies.org – Grades 4-7, They fly through the air with the greatest of ease. Find ways to put a ping pong ball accurately on target time after time.

The Mechanics of Carnival Games | Sciencebuddies.org – Grades 5-8, Find out why those carnival games are so hard. Learn the fundamental laws of science that help the concessionaires engineer the games in their favor.

The post 26 of the Best 5th Grade Science Projects and Experiments appeared first on The Edvocate.

26 of the Best 5th Grade Science Projects and Experiments published first on https://sapsnkra.tumblr.com

[edivupage]

26 of the Best 4th Grade Science Projects and Experiments

Are you looking for science activities to do with your 4th graders? No sweat. We have you covered. Check out our list of 26 science projects and experiments that you can try with your 4th graders this month.

Hand-Eye Coordination and Age | All-Science-Fair-Projects.com – Grades 2-5, Use a stopwatch and ping-pong ball to find out how hand-eye coordination changes as children get older.

What Do Yeast Eat…and How Can You Tell? | Education.com – Grades 2-5, The objective of this project is to examine which foods yeast cells eat.

How Do Antacids Work? | Biochemistry Discovery Lab – Grades 3-6, Simulate out how antacids work to treat heartburn by using fake stomach enzymes.

Mice & Music | Hubpages.com – Grades 3-6, Find out if music affects the performance of mice in a maze.

A Magnetic Primer Designer | Sciencebuddies.org – Grades 3-6 Biology project that utilizes magnets to mimic the process that scientists use to replicate DNA, using the polymerase chain reaction.

Growing Bacteria in Petri Dishes | Stevespanglerscience.com – Grades 3-6 biology In this science fair project, you must find samples of bacteria from an assortment of surfaces to find the surfaces that are the dirtiest.

How Does Color Affect Eyesight? | Education.com – Grades 1-5, Find out which colors are easier and more challenging to read at a distance. This super simple project requires volunteers and color charts you can print from the web.

Effects of Ozone on Plants and Health | Julian’s Science Fair – Grades 4-6, Environmental conditions can dramatically impact plant growth and germination. Does increased ozone stunt germination and plant growth? Grow some plants and find out.

Making Batteries from Fruits and Vegetables | Sciencebuddies.org – Grades 4-7, Use veggie power to build a simple battery from a variety of vegetables. Which ones are the most powerful?

How Many Letters? | ScienceBuddies.org – Grades 1-4, How much memory does a computer use to “remember” a series of letters? Find out how much memory a computer uses to remember 1000 letters.

Jumping For Geodes: Can You Tell the Inside from the Outside? | ScienceBuddies.org Grades 1-4, Can you tell what’s inside a geode from looking at the outside? Learn more out these unique rocks and crack some open to discover the surprises inside.

How Water Beats Rock | Education.com – Grades 1-5, Discover how water is more potent than rocks.  Experiment with ways that water can break the stone.

Soil Type and Liquefaction | All-Science-Fair-Projects.com – Grades 1-5, Experiment with sand, clay, and loam and find out which type of soil dissolves most easily.

Effects of Temperature and Humidity on Static Charges | Education.com – Grades 1-5, Use balloons, a rubber ball, and a scarf to investigate why those socks stick together when you take them out of the dryer and how conditions in the air affect static electricity.

Dig This: Biodegradation | Education.com – Grades 2-6, How do organic materials become soil? This science experiment measures which materials biodegrade.

Geology 101 | Education.com – Grades 2-6, Water carries lots of soil and minerals in a creek. In this project, you’ll examine the behavior of water and gravel in creek beds and the formation of sedimentary rocks.

Geothermal Power Plant Model | Energyquest.ca.gov – Grades 3-6, Use a pinwheel and a can of boiling water to simulate geothermal power production. Determine how to generate the most energy from your “power plant.”

Egg Substitutes | Sciencebuddies.org – Grades 3-6, Many people avoid eggs because of allergies or diet preferences. But eggs play a vital chemical function in baking and cooking. Evaluate the ability of egg substitutes to mimic their binding, leavening, or thickening properties.

How Much Water is Required to Cook Pasta? | Sciencebuddies.org – Grades 3-6, We’re used to cooking our pasta in a big pot of boiling water. Do you actually need that much water, time, and energy to cook pasta? Perform some experiments to find out.

Building the Best Bridge | Education.com – Grades 3-6, This project helps students develop an understanding of architecture and engineering through experimentation of which shapes are the most structurally strong.

Rubber Bands for Energy | Sciencebuddies.org – Grades 3-6, Put the energy of rubber bands to work and learn about the relationship between potential and kinetic energy.

Properties of Pendulums | Illinois Institute of Technology – Grades 3-6, Pendulums have been used for timekeeping for hundreds of years. Find out how changes in mass and length affect the oscillation of a pendulum.

Arch Magic: The Unbreakable Egg | Education.com – Grades 4-7, Tell you, folks, tonight is a good night for an egg dinner. Use the eggshells to explore how arches distribute weight. Demonstrates the power of arches by asking students to pile telephone books on top of eggs without damaging them.

How a Comet’s Size Affects How Fast It Melts | Sciencebuddies.org – Grades 4-7, Comets are often compared to giant, dirty snowballs, and the comet tail you see in the sky is evidence of melting. In this project, you’ll use figure out how the size of a comet affects its melting rate.

Make an Electromagnet | Energyquest.ca.gov -Grades 4-7, Learn how to create an electromagnet from batteries, wire, and a knife switch. How does changing to kind of batteries used affect the power of your

Bombs Away! A Ping Pong Catapult | Science Buddies.org – Grades 4-7, They fly through the air with the greatest of ease. Find ways to put a ping pong ball accurately on target time after time.

The post 26 of the Best 4th Grade Science Projects and Experiments appeared first on The Edvocate.

26 of the Best 4th Grade Science Projects and Experiments published first on https://sapsnkra.tumblr.com