Holiday fun – a test of observation skills

The day after Thanksgiving, my thoughts turn to an ongoing Christmas project.
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It all began several years ago, when I saw small Christmas stockings in a store. I liked how they were decorated in detail, but not the color (pale blue) or the price (several dollars each). Besides, most of the time, seeing something I like makes me itch to craft it myself.
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So I couldn't wait to get home to design and make my own, smaller stockings:
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They are 1-1/4 inch wide. The bright blue and black ones, in my husband's favorite color pair, are for us. The gray and dusty blue ones are for my big brother's family, in colors I've seen them wear.
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The following year, I made six mittens. The year after that, hats. Then scarves, and now shoulder bags:
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Here's the puzzle to test your observations skills: the black and bright blue ornaments follow a pattern, but there are four departures (deviations, details that don't follow the pattern). Can you spot them?

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Click here for clues and the answer.

Math majors who love their jobs

Click on the name to read the person's profile.

Ellen Lentz helps researchers design experiments
to test medicines for animals and people.
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Bjorn Roche launched his own music software company. His software, which he started writing as a hobby, can be used for music recording, editing, mixing, and CD mastering.
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Mike Hughes oversees a greeting card company's people in six states. He also studies the mix of world cultures in each area to adapt the selection of cards to countryside or city stores, party stores or dollar stores.
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Elizabeth Hunt Bradford's job is to dream up clever ways for an airline to run better.

Be a science detective - test of problem-solving skills #1

Adapted with permission from Professor Daryl Cooper, Department of Mathematics, University of California at Santa Barbara.
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Picture 12 balls that look identical. One of the balls is either heavier or lighter than the others. If I give you a balance and allow you to make three weighings, how would you go about discovering which ball is the odd one out, and whether it is heavier or lighter than the others?

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Click here for a clue.

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If you like this puzzle and would like to try more of Daryl's favorites, click here to go to his web page.