Because of the properties of the conductive yarn to be sensitive to pressure or stretch it can be knit or crochet into any shape and will react to to pressure with a decrease in resistance. By setting a threshold in software this sensor can also be used as a switch.

It is also possible that if you include a thick enough yarn in combination with a thinner resistive yarn, that you will achieve an “off” (no electrical contact) state. Bellow are a series of examples using both the Schoeller Nm 10/3 yarn, which on it’s own is too conductive to give a good pressure to resistance range. The Nm 50/2 is thin and can be nicely used together with other yarns and gives a very good range.
– Nm 10/3 80% Polyurethane, 20% Inox steel fibre @ Euros 36.00/kg (3,333 metres/kg)
– Nm 50/2 60% Polyurethane, 40% Inox steel fibre @ Euros 65.00/kg (25,000 metres/kg)
– Nm 50/2 80% Polyurethane, 20% Inox steel fibre @ Euros 40.25/kg( 25,000 metres/kg)

Knit in a square.

Crocheted in a granny square (circle).

Purely conductive yarn (Nm 10/3) does not give such a wide range of change in resistance when pressured, especially when crocheted as tightly as in the picture bellow.

Videos coming soon…