Sophie Ashdown

My brain seems wired to notice patterns. They catch my eye in obvious places like a tartan blanket or the weave of a basket. They can also be in unusual places like security fencing or, as I recently discovered, a yoghurt pot lid.

Last week I opened a new yoghurt pot for my youngest son. I’m constantly attempting to get him to try new foods but without much success. So this was a new yoghurt-pot-peeling experience for me too. Upon removing the foil covering all in one piece (surely the peak achievement of foil-pulling?!?) I took a moment to look at the unusual pattern. It has surprising complexity and most interestingly, there is no obvious repetition of pattern. How can this be? How/why would they be made this way?

Look at it close up. Can you see the repetition?

I am somewhat embarrassed to admit how long I have looked at the above photo. I like to solve puzzles and this was one that flummoxed, and yet intrigued me.

Is there a fellow pattern enthusiast working at the yoghurt factory who is exercising his/her/their creativity through the pot lid? Is there a pattern savant who can make these incredible marks in a non-repeatable pattern? Is it human or machine that makes this intriguing design? Perhaps there are worms that embed themselves into the foil?

Of course the best way to explore this phenomenon is to try to create my own version which was surprisingly satisfying. I’m not sure that I achieved the peak intricacy of the yoghurt factory savant but I quite like it:

My big question now: Is it a pattern if it doesn’t repeat?!?! Has everything I’ve ever thought about patterns been blown out of the water by a yoghurt pot lid? This is something that I need to ponder further.

Meanwhile what I do know is that my son didn’t like the yoghurt.