Emily Barletta, Center, crocheted yarn and beads, 2007.

Now showing at PS122 Gallery in the East Village is an exhibition titled "Yarn Theory: Knitting, Crochet, Math and Science." As the title suggests, it explores the relation between these "feminine" crafts and the traditionally "masculine" fields of math and the "hard" sciences, partially in the attempt to show how inherently related those seemingly disparate fields actually are. “This exhibit contradicts the popular notion,” curator Martha Lewis writes, “that women are not as good at math and science as men are. Knitting and crocheting, traditionally seen as an appropriate occupation for women and girls, intrinsically requires much calculation to create the expansions and contractions necessary to model a garment from a piece of yarn."

The works chosen for the exhibition are deliberately non-utilitarian. Among the artists included is Emily Barletta, whose crocheted pieces make references to imaginary body structures. Other practioners included are knitter and mathematician Sarah-Marie Belcastro, and Daina Taimina, who invented the method of “hyperbolic crochet.”

Make sure to visit the exhibition's site to find out about related participatory events and workshops, which will take place while "Yarn Theory" is on view (until May 17th).