Author Archives: teachingyourbraintoknit

Ep. 101 Commenting on documentary Murder Mountain;  Finishing and planning new knitting project; Reporting on mix of science and intuition in film Innsaei; Offering three giveaways

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Welcome to Episode 101: We give our comments on documentary Murder Mountain about the marijuana industry in Southern Humboldt;  We finish knitting projects:  blocks for charity blanket, mitts, bird and plan new ones;  we report on the mix of science an intuition in the film Innsaei;  We update news on the podcast and offer three giveaways.

Brainy: 20:17              Redwood Curtain:   26:10

What We’re Learning from our Knitting:

Catherine discovers new stitches from Barbara Walker’s Second Treasury for blocks for her Charity Blanket (https://www.amazon.com/Second-Treasury-Knitting-Patterns/dp/0942018176/ref=pd_cp_14_2?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=0942018176&pd_rd_r=2a3d2895-acb1-11e8-8e51-357518f34f72&pd_rd_w=XOqrD&pd_rd_wg=BKXpo&pf_rd_i=desktop-dp-sims&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_p=fcaa6d12-8b2b-4ad7-b277-864b2da79f6e&pf_rd_r=VQJFH22H6YV78WKN6KQT&pf_rd_s=desktop-dp-sims&pf_rd_t=40701&psc=1&refRID=VQJFH22H6YV78WKN6KQT&dpID=515Z57E66YL&preST=_SX218_BO1,204,203,200_QL40_&dpSrc=detail)   This time she tried the Grapevine Twist,  Briar Rose and the Heart Pattern.  She hopes to knit the Rosecrusian Scarf by Joselyn Tunney in the future.    Meanwhile Margaret reports on mitts and birds for Christmas and not one, but two advent yarn clubs.   The mitts pattern is from Ann Budd’s The Knitter’s Handy Book of Patterns   https://www.amazon.com/Knitters-Handy-Book-Patterns/dp/1931499047 .  The bird pattern Margaret’s favorite so far, Arne’s and Carlos’   https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/vogel-grundanleitung/people?page=8&view=cards.  

Brainy Thing: film Innsaei

The documentary Innsaei  illustrates  the human gifts of intuition and empathy and ways we can learn them.  https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4924624/

Behind the Redwood Curtain:  Murder Mountain

Margaret and Catherine offer commentary on the new Netflix documentary series Murder Mountain about a young man who seeks money and adventure then goes missing in the Southern Humboldt marijuana industry.   https://www.imdb.com/title/tt9078908/

A Little Podcast Business

We outline some upcoming changes in our podcast in the future — including catching up on long tardy documentation.

Give Aways

And we give away two books and a skein of self striping sock yarn.  https://www.ravelry.com/groups/teaching-your-brain-to-knit

Podcast Links.

website https://teachingyourbraintoknit.com/ for show notes, photos of our knitting and crochet projects, Behind the Redwood Curtain places and things and anything else we decide to post.
Instagram:   Margaret Kelso for Margaret and MagicWombat1 for Catherine
Today in Teaching your Brain to Knit we report on a film that explores science, intuition, creativity, and empathy called Innsaei;  Catherine finishes up  a dog and plans for a scarf;  Margaret makes some mitts and a knitted bird for Christmas;  We both give commentary on the new Netflix documentary series Murder Mountain about the Southern Humboldt marijuana industry;  and we offer not one, not two but three giveaways.
And just to offer you a little anticipatory excitement, in our next podcast, probably within a month, we will be interviewing Franklin Habit and getting his wisdom about teaching and learning.   Thank you for listening to our podcast and supporting us all these years.  We recommend that you subscribe to Teaching Your Brain to Knit so you don’t miss any of our upcoming episodes.   You can find us on Overcast, Stitcher, Apple podcasts, Spotify,  and many other fine podcast aggregators.   Shownotes are on Ravelry, the Teaching Your Brain to Knit website, and right below this image on most podcast apps if you are listening on your phone.

Ep. 100 Do Brain Games Really Work; We finish a dog sweater, blocks for charity, fingerless mitts and a knitted bird, Humboldt Grass Fed Beef a new county brand

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Welcome to Episode 100 where we explore whether Brain Games really improve your brain;  Catherine finishes (almost) a dog sweater and some blocks for a charity blanket;  Margaret finishes Christmas gifts — fingerless gloves and a knitted bird;  and Catherine reports that one of the advantages of year round grass is ideal conditions for Humboldt Grass Fed Beef.

Brainy Thing:   10:43       Behind the Redwood Curtain:   22:25

What We’re Learning From Our Knitting:

Ann Budd’s Knitter’s Handy Book of Patterns

Margaret, yet again, referred to Ann Budd’s The Knitter’s Handy Book of Patterns

https://www.amazon.com/Knitters-Handy-Book-Patterns/dp/1931499047  to make mitts for her granddaughter in leftover Viking Nordlys yarn in 75 wool/25 nylon yarn.  This long repeat yarn was originally suggested by Theresa Schabes for the Maya hat and mittens:  https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/maya-hat-and-mittens-set.
Catherine finishes (well, almost —except for weaving in the ends)  a dog sweater and is working on another block for her charity blanket.    Knit Dog Coat (by Bernat):  https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/dog-coat-11.
Brainy Thing:  Brain Games
Do Brain Games really work?   There’s not much evidence to support that they do but there are some glimmers of research that some activities do help increase brain function and resilience.

Behind the Redwood Curtain:

Catherine presents the pleasures and health of Humboldt Grass Fed Beef.

A Little Podcast Business

We’ll be slowing down the frequency of our podcast episodes but we’re not stopping.   In addition, we’ll be adding some nifty interviews with world class knitting and crochet teachers that will talk about learning and their approach to learning.
Links
website https://teachingyourbraintoknit.com/ for show notes, photos of our knitting and crochet projects, Behind the Redwood Curtain places and things and anything else we decide to post.
Instagram:   Margaret Kelso for Margaret and MagicWombat1 for Catherine

Ep. 099 How Housing impacts Happiness; Modifying a dog sweater; Adding bead to sweater for sheep; How Salmon is Everything

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Welcome to Episode 99:  How Housing can impact Happiness;  Catherine modifies and finishes (almost);  Margaret adds beads to the sweater for crocheted sheep;  We explore the role of Salmon for thousands of years for the North Coast

Brainy Thing:   11:58               Behind the Redwood Curtain  22:08

What We’re Learning from Our Knitting (and Crochet):

Catherine tackles a new dog sweater for her son’s dog.  Knit Dog Coat (by Bernat):  https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/dog-coat-11.
Margaret adds beads to the sweater for her crocheted sheep by Lucy of Attic24:  https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/woolly-sheep-2 .   She used scraps of fingering weight yarn although the pattern called for DK.

Brainy Thing:  Housing and Happiness

Catherine finds research that shows the location of housing can change reports of happiness level even if nothing else changes.   http://science.sciencemag.org/content/337/6101/1505

Behind the Redwood Curtain:   Salmon is Everything

For local tribes, especially those along the Klamath river, Salmon is essential spiritual and physical food.  Margaret reports on this:  http://discovertheredwoods.com/salmon-fishing-humboldt-county

Podcast Links:

website https://teachingyourbraintoknit.com/ for show notes, photos of our knitting and crochet projects, Behind the Redwood Curtain places and things and anything else we decide to post.
Instagram:   Margaret Kelso for Margaret and MagicWombat1 for Catherine
In this episode of Teaching Your Brain to Knit we present research about Housing and Happiness;  Catherine tackles a dog sweater;  Margaret’s Sheep Gets a Beaded Sweater;  and why for the Klamath Tribe, Salmon is Everything

Ep. 098 The little brain cerebellum does big work; can yarn absorb bad energy; facing reality in your knitting project; Discovering albino redwoods

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Welcome to Episode:  How the “little” brain does “big” work;  can “bad” energy infuse yarn;  Facing reality in a knitting project;  Discovering albino redwoods
Brainy thing:  13:40      Behind the Redwood Curtain:   19:10
What We’re Learning from Our Knitting:
Margaret wonders if her yarn can hold negative energy on her Dragon’s Egg Socks by Anne Podlesak https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/dragons-egg-socks  from The Unofficial Harry Potter Knits.   Catherine faces harsh realities with the man’s pullover pattern, Andoa, https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/andoa-pullover ( free on Ravelry, from Nora Gaughan and done for Berroco).
Brainy Thing:
For decades the cerebellum has been overlooked but now it’s getting more attention into its role with higher order thinking:
Behind the Redwood Curtain:
Catherine shares with us the secrets of Albino Redwoods and Chimera trees.

Today on Teaching Your Brain to Knit we report on  how the mighty “little brain”, the cerebellum, has invaded our thinking processes, Margaret explores the question can bad energy permeate sock yarn, Catherine faces harsh reality with the Andoa pullover sweater and she shares the secrets of the rare Albino Redwoods.

Ep. 097 Group Singing Creates Happy Brain chemicals; Reaping the Rewards of the Dishcloth Swap; Sharing Jewish Hearts for Pittsburgh; Exploring the Redwood Canopy

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Welcome to episode 97  Singing in Groups creates happy Brain Chemicals;  Exploring the Redwood Canopy;  Reaping the Rewards of the Dishcloth Swap;  Sharing Jewish Hearts for Pittsburgh;

Brainy:  12:49       Behind the Redwood Curtain:  21:21

What We’re Learning from Our Knitting:

Catherine reaps the rewards of the Dishcloth Swap https://www.ravelry.com/groups/annual-dishcloth-swap.
Margaret finds comfort from yarn crafts after the Tree of Life mass shooting with the Jewish Hearts for Pittsburgh group.  In Ravelry:  https://www.ravelry.com/groups/jewish-hearts-for-pittsburgh    Also on Facebook.

Brainy Thing:  Good Brain Chemicals from Group Singing

Let’s raise our voices for the good brain chemicals we get from singing — especially in groups.

Behind the Redwood Curtain:

Margaret shares a little research on the redwood trees canopy, that ecosystem high in the air.  https://www.savetheredwoods.org/blog/wonders/redwood-canopy-a-research-frontier/

https://www.savetheredwoods.org/blog/wonders/200-feet-up-a-redwood/

https://www.savetheredwoods.org/grant/what-is-growing-in-the-canopies-of-the-tallest-trees-in-the-world/

https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2005/02/14/climbing-the-redwoods

 

Podcast Links:

website https://teachingyourbraintoknit.com/ for show notes, photos of our knitting and crochet projects, Behind the Redwood Curtain places and things and anything else we decide to post.
Instagram:   Margaret Kelso for Margaret and MagicWombat1 for Catherine
Today in Teaching Your Brain to Knit Catherine reaps the rewards of her Dishcloth Swap and shares them with us, Margaret Finds comfort in a crochet version of Jewish Hearts for Pittsburgh, Catherine reports on research that confirms    that singing helps us feel better, especially when we’re in a group, and Margaret reveals research on the surprising ecosystem hundreds of feet above the ground in the Redwood canopy.

Ep. 096 Fun Facts about the Brain, Squares for Charity Blanket, Dog sweater with messy ends, Another square for charity blanket, Megwil point — terror and beauty

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Welcome to Episode 96:  Little fun facts about the brain;  The journey to piece felted crochet blocks for a charity blanket;  Experimenting to find the perfect dog sweater; Finding terror and beauty at Megwil Point

Brainy Thing: 13:22                    Behind the Redwood Curtain: 21:37

What We’re Learning from our Knitting (and Crochet)

Obviously unblocked. They’ll get sewn together then felted.

Margaret finished the crocheted blocks (from The Big Book of Granny Squares by Tracey Lord) for a lap blanket.  She finished #33, #133, #66 and #178 and two others she didn’t write down.  Now she plans to piece together the blocks with a stitch of some sort but she’s not sure what yet.  Finally she wants to felt it.  She hopes the finished results will be a nice felted blanket that she’ll donate to charity.  The yarns are  Valley Yarns  100 % Wool  Northampton Bulky Light Grey and Araucania Yarns Nature Wool  Chunky  Deep red/black  or black/red.  Her hook size was K.

Not Catherine’s but the pattern image

Catherine is working on her template sweater or test sweater out of an inexpensive acrylic (Caron) for her son-in-law.   The name of the yarn is Yarnspirations by Caron Big Cakes in the Summer Berry Tart Colorway (gradient) out of 100% acrylic.   She’ll check against this sweater to be able to get accurate measurements and then make a new one out of a pricier yarn.  The one she’s doing now can also go to him as a house sweater or to charity.  The pattern, Andoa, https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/andoa-pullover is free on Ravelry, from Nora Gaughan for Berroco.

Brainy Thing
Today Margaret discusses a mix of fun facts about the brain from https://www.livescience.com/12916-10-facts-human-brain.html with an update about a challenge to the myth of multi-tasking :   (https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/creativity-without-borders/201405/the-myth-multitasking)
Behind the Redwood Curtain:  Megwil point
Catherine reports on an easy trail in Trinidad CA called Elk Head https://www.hikingproject.com/trail/7029875/elk-head-trail with an option for the adventurous:   a terrifying spur call Megwil Point with an incredible up-high view of the beach and ocean.
A Little Podcast Business
We have another give-away — a book of knitted baby hats and a commentary on Slow Podcasting which details our future plans for the podcast.
In this Episode of Teaching Your Brain to Knit we share some fun facts about the brain from its texture (like tofu) to the question of multitasking;  Margaret wonders how she’ll piece together her crocheted granny squares and Catherine reports her progress on her template sweater.  She also reveals a little known outcropping from the Elk Head Trail in Trinidad called Megwil Point.   We have another giveaway and we talk a little bit about Slow Podcasting and the future of our podcast.
Links:
website https://teachingyourbraintoknit.com/ for show notes, photos of our knitting and crochet projects, Behind the Redwood Curtain places and things and anything else we decide to post.
Instagram:   Margaret Kelso for Margaret and MagicWombat1 for Catherine

Ep. 095 Early touch is key to humans; Creating a sweater template; Falling into Leaves; Rolling on about skateparks

Posted in Brainy Stuff, Knitting by

Welcome to Episode 95  Somatosensory Scaffolding or the impact of early touch on humans;  Catherine creates a sweater template;  Margaret discovers leaf shapes from her exploration of bias squares;  and Margaret reports on a brief history of skateparks

Brainy Thing:   25:39    Behind the Redwood Curtain:   39:10

What We’re Learning from Our Knitting

Catherine is doing what she calls a “template sweater”.  A sweater out of acrylic yarn that she later modify according to fit for her final sweater.  She didn’t feel like a formula sweater so thought this would be more fun.  The yarn is Yarnspirations by Caron Big Cakes in the Summer Berry Tart Colorway (gradient) out of 100% acrylic.  
She also calls out for some extra yarn for her Heaven Scent pattern:  She needs just a little of the end of the ball of zauberball cotton in “Rosey Times” color gradient.
While looking at bias squares on Ravelry, Margaret fell into a leaf exploration;  trying out a few and looking forward to trying others.
The leafy washcloth by megan goodacre  trixy knitter  https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/leafy-washcloth
Nai nai’s Favorite washcloth by Ali Crockett https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/leafy-washcloth
Woodland Wreath, Leaves by Frankie Brown Frankie’s knitted stuff  https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/woodland-wreath-leaves
Derr
Wibbo or  Jan eaton  (similar to pattern mentioned)  https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/amber-leaf
200 Knitted Blocks
150 knit and crochet motifs   Heather Lodinsky   https://www.ravelry.com/designers/heather-lodinsky

Brainy Thing:  Somatosensory scaffolding

A new study shows that touch is especially important for infants, especially premature infants in nicu’s.  Touch helps infants set up there somatosensory scaffolding so they respond or don’t respond to touch the rest of their lives.

Behind the Redwood Curtain:

A brief history of Skateparks, one of which is two blocks from Margaret’s house.

A little podcast business.

We’re not going to fade but we’re going to slow down and modify our podcasts.   More information will be upcoming in the next few podcasts.

Podcast Links:

website https://teachingyourbraintoknit.com/ for show notes, photos of our knitting and crochet projects, Behind the Redwood Curtain places and things and anything else we decide to post.
Instagram:   Margaret Kelso for Margaret and MagicWombat1 for Catherine
In this episode of Teaching Your Brain to Knit, we report on a new study that reports very early touching can create healthy behaviors for the rest of one’s life;  Catherine creates a “template sweater” to modify for the final sweater;  Margaret falls for leaves in Ravelry,  and we offer a spin on skate parks.