Ep. 033 How Knitting Can Help Fight Addiction

Welcome to Ep. 033  Stitchlinks uses knitting to help fight addiction

Brainy Thing: 20:47      Behind the Redwood Curtain:  33:15

What We’re Learning from Our Knitting

Catherine updates us on her process knitting with Vanessa Ives Shawl by Bunny Muff.shiny vanessa
She is knitting baby socks by  Bianca Boonstra  for her favorite charity  Afghan for Afghans  .  They are out of her 2nd pair of Catnip Yarn that she died with Dharma dyes
2 at a time socks baby
bianca baby socks
Margaret has made more Bevy of Bangles by Mags Kandis     The pattern is free on the interweave  press site and is featured in the book Gifted by Mags Kandis.more bangles
She reacquainted her self with Judy’s magic cast on.  As a reminder, she used the illustrations of Judy Becker’s book:    Beyond Toes: Knitting Adventures with Judy’s Magic Cast-on.

Brainy Thing:

Catherine tells us more about Stitchlinks and their work on Knitting and Addiction.  Stitchlinks was started by Betson Corkhill.   Catherine also mentions a HBO series on addiction that she found very informative.

Behind the Redwood Curtain

Margaret talks about the Standish Hickey State Recreational Area and The Peg House  complex across the street from the entrance.
Standish Hickey

Entrance to Standish Hickey State Recreation Area (in the rain). Mostly second growth redwoods but some old growth.

peg house

Peg House picnic

A rainy winter day at the Peg House across from Standish Hickey State Recreation Are.

Knitting Tips:

Catherine tells Cat Bordhi’s tip on dealing with ladders in your knitting.

Podcast Business:

There’s a new contest — send in your knitting (or crochet) tips for an opportunity to win five back issues of PomPom magazine.  Also, there is the continuing incentive to join the Ravelry Teaching your Brain to Knit group.

Ep. 032 How Lily Chin is a Great Teacher

Welcome to Episode 32:   Lily Chin:  Teacher Extraordinaire

Brainy Thing:   13:45                             Behind the Redwood Curtain 23:10

What we’re learning from our Knitting

Margaret is knitting a cowl out of Katia Temis or Colibri —she’s lost the ball band   There’s no pattern:  She just casts on 25 or more stitches and knits in garter stitch on very large needles (size 13) until she runs out of yarn.   This is her exercise bike knitting.  She also reports on how much she likes the Designing Vashti Yarn:  Lotus Z-twisted sport weight fashion yarns:  52 cotton, 48 rayon.  She knit up Kira K’s Belle Epoque shawl (http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/belle-epoque-shawl) with it and has had a chance to try it out and she loves the mix of cotton and rayon.  katia cowl
After many years, Catherine finished her first pair of socks.  She’s knit many since this first pair that she never quite finished.  She used a generic cuff down sock recipe that she got from the sock knitting class she took and used a Brown Sheep Fleece cotton and wool yarn.first socks first socks close

Brainy Thing:  Lily Chin:  Teacher Extraordinaire

Margaret analyzes why she thinks Lily Chin is an excellent teacher. Margaret recently finished viewing the Crocheter’s Toolbox video and also took a class in person with Lily on knitted closures. crocheterstoolbox_180

Behind the Redwood Curtain:  ACV

The Arcata/Eureka or the Eureka/Arcata airport (which actually is in McKinleyville) according to some people is the foggiest airport in the U.S.   Whether that is true or not, it has a fascinating history.
KACV

Knitting Tip:  SSK

Catherine tells us about a neater, more “perfect” left leaning decrease.