Ep. 031 Knitting and Life-long Learning and your Brain: The Nun Project

Welcome to Episode 31:  Knitting, Life-long Learning, Your Brain:  Data from the Nun Project

Brainy Thing starts at:                              Behind the Redwood Curtain:

What we’re learning from our Knitting

Catherine gives an update on the Vanessa Ives Mystery Shawl  By Bunny Muff  and how even Michael’s  Big Box store failed in providing Japanese beads that would work for it.
shiny vanessa_
While she’s waiting for her delivery of beads, she’s working on Baby Socks by Bianca Boonstra for the Afghan for Afghans project.  The socks are made from Treadsoft Yarns that Catherine dyed with Dharma dyed goods._

She’s also been working up some scrubbies for the Dishcloth group she belongs to.  The pattern is baby socks orange_Little Scrubbie by Arctic Trails Abstract   and made out of leftover Knit Picks Lindy Chain and AllHemp 6 lux.

Margaret tells the “amazing” story of finding a hand dyed indigo boucle cotton at Amazing Yarns in Emerald Hills, CA.  She knit the Miami Vice pattern  by 3 bags fulled or Hillary Designs and learned of ways to fix the dye from John Marshall of John Marshall Works in Fabric who was at the Natural Fibre Festival in Arcata in September.
miami vice full miami vice line_

Brainy Thing

Another reason we crafters should continue to learn?  Catherine talks about the Nun Study, a longitudinal study of Sisters of Notre Dame which indicates that lifelong learners have a lower rate of symptoms of dementia even if there are pathological signs of it in the brain after death.  Also, those with stronger language skills fared better in terms of preventing dementia.

Behind the Redwood Curtain

Margaret shares information about the mission of the Friends of the Dunes’ Humboldt Coastal Nature Center.
dunes display

Hands-on display at Humboldt Coastal Nature Center

display dunes

More hands-on opportunities at the Humboldt Coastal Nature Center

dunes trail

Path leading to the trails at the Humboldt Coastal Nature Center

dunes house

Stamps House at the Humboldt Coastal Nature Center.

exterior dunes

Walk outside of Stamps House at the Humboldt Coastal Nature Center.

_

Knitting Tips   (technical problems prevented the recording of this.)

Learn more about indigo from the “word of the Week” on Indigo expert John Marshall.  http://johnmarshall.to/blog/category/japanese_word_of_the_week/

Podcast Business

The incentive to sign up for the Teaching Your Brain to Knit Ravelry Group_ continues.
opulent_

Ep. 030 What is the Distributive Spacing Effect and How does it help us to learn fiber arts?

Brainy Thing:   15:47           Behind the Redwood Curtain:  25:35

Welcome to Episode:  How the Distributive Practice Effect or Spacing Effect can help you learn skills in the fiber Arts.

What we’re learning from our Knitting
Catherine got a lot of satisfaction by completing Laura Nelkin’s Butin Collar.

Catherine's butin collar

Margaret created felted bangles from Mags Kandis’ Bevy of Bangles pattern, from the book Gifted, Lovely little things to knit and crochet by Mags Kandis or get them for free from the Interweave website.

Brainy Thing:  The Distributive Practice Effect
Catherine talks about the Distributive Practice Effect, first described by Hermann Ebbinghaus.   In psychology,it is talked about as the Spacing Effect.   Essentially, practicing something a little bit every day is more effective in learning than practicing for a long time for one day a week.

Behind the Redwood Curtain:   Ferndale, CA, the Victorian Village

Catherine introduces us to Ferndale, CA which has a large number of well preserved Victorian buildings.   It is very well decorated around Christmas time.

07-ferndale-main-street

Knitting Tip:
Margaret shares a tip from No Sheep for You by Amy Singer:   When knitting socks in Cotton or a yarn with little memory, use ribbing to help the sock

Podcast Business

The incentive prize for signing up for the Teaching Your Brain to Knit Ravelry Group:

opulent