Author Archives: teachingyourbraintoknit

Ep. 092 Handwriting Beats Keyboard for Memory; New Pattern for Charity Blocks; Battling pills and fades; Discovering Native American Caps

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Welcome to Episode 92 where we discover that note-taking by hand is better for memory than using the keyboard;  Catherine finds a new Barbara Walker Pattern for her Charity Blanket;  Margaret Battles Pills and Fades in her socks and We explore the art of Local Tribal Caps.
Brainy thing:   15:37                        Behind the Redwood Curtain:  28:36
What we’re learning from our knitting:
Brainy Thing:
Research suggests that taking notes by hand may be a better way to learn and retain information.   Catherine explains why.  http://www.indiana.edu/~canlab/assets/2017-kjames-imp.-of-hw-on-dev.-brain2.pdf
Behind the Redwood Curtain :  Native American Basket Caps

Hupa/ Karok/ Yurok Women’s Hat, | Cowan’s Auction House: The … Cowan’s Auctions

Giveaway
Don’t miss our yarn giveaway.
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 discover that handwriting may beat the keyboard for learning;  Catherine tries a new pattern for her charity blanket;  Margaret battles pills and fades;  we explore the art and craft of Wiyot basket caps and we offer another giveaway.

Ep. 091 Starting a Meditation Practice;  Working on Process over Product;  Testing out new stitches; Bashing Lupines

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Welcome to Episode 91 (very late):  Using Knitting to Meditate;  Processing over Finishing;  Testing Out New Patterns and Ridding the Dunes of Lupines

Brainy Thing:  15:35                     Behind the Redwood Curtain:  26:30

What we’ve been learning from our knitting:

Margaret has been focusing on Process over Product on the Tree Afghan.   To find podcasts on the Tree Afghan Patterns check out Webs Yarn Store Shows 100, 101, 102, 103, 104.  I had trouble linking to the patterns

My broken-broken rib. This color is not true to life. The real color is a flat blue.

Catherine is trying new blocks for her charity knitting blanket and reports on her Bias Square with a diagonal design.

Brainy thing:15:35

For most of us, starting a meditation practice is challenging.   Margaret shares a number of ways to get started including classes and support groups.   And she reveals a meditation program designed for knitters: Knitting Om’s 30 day Challenge created by Becky Stewart.

Redwood Curtain:  26:30

The beach dunes are a delicate ecosystem and can get destroyed by having non-native plants brought in from other places.   Catherine talks about the annual Lupine Bash, a family friendly outdoor project to help eradicate non-native plants on the dunes.

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 explore ways to find support for starting a new meditation program including Becky Stewart’s Knitting Om 30 Day Challenge;  Margaret focuses on Process over Product on the Tree Afghan;     We knit a bias square for a blanket;  and we spotlight a family friendly activity to help the dunes — the Lupine Bash.

Ep. 090 The Matilda Effect: Overlooking Women’s Accomplishments; Knitting in Pieces; Finding Gauge with Dishcloths; Cruising Humboldt Bay

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Welcome to Episode 90:    The Matilda Effect;  knitting in pieces, learning gauge with dishcloths;  ; Cruising the Bay

Brainy thing:  20:25                   Behind the Redwood Curtain:  32:27
What We’re Learning from Our Knitting:
Margaret is exploring new approaches to knitted birds with Nicky Fijalkowska’s aptly named book Knitted Birds .  These birds  are knitted in pieces and then assembled and stuffed.
Catherine is realizing the importance of gauge with a seemingly simple dishcloth pattern —  the Quadrant dishcloth/washcloth by Jenny Konopinski
Brainy Thing:   The Matilda Effect
Women not only were prohibited from getting advanced education and entering fields like science and medicine; but also when they did, their work was often overlooked.   Catherine introduces the phenomenon named after Matilda Joslyn Gage this week
Behind the Redwood Curtain:  The Madaket
We talk about touring Eureka from the Bay:  Harbor Tours on the Madaket:  https://www.humboldtbaymaritimemuseum.com/madaketmainpage.html
Give Away:
Don’t miss out on the Book Give Away.
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 on Teaching Your Brain to Knit we introduce the Matilda Effect —Overlooking Accomplishments of Women Scientists;  Catherine searches for gauge on a simple but elegant dishcloth;  Margaret learns techniques and discovers biases that are for the birds;  She also    shares information and experiences on two Madaket Harbor Cruises and we have another book giveaway.

 

Ep. 089 How do We Change Our Minds;  the Entering the next Dishcloth Swap;  Catching the Virus Fever;  Getting to Humboldt County

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Welcome to Episode 89  How do We Change Our Minds;  the Entering the next Dishcloth Swap;  Catching the Virus Fever;  Getting to Humboldt County

Brainy:    21:10               Behind the Redwood Curtain: 32:54

What We’re Learning from Our Knitting

Nice bright large virus shawl

Virus shawl outside to match my garden

edging with beads

I actually swatched to see if I liked the colors together (top swatch)

I didn’t like the one with the neutral first row.

Margaret caught the Virus fever when she needed a bright, sunny shawl before the sun came from its winter’s sleep in Humboldt.

It’s a four row repeat crochet triangle shawl — Virus Shawl  No one know who the original designer is but you can find it at:
Catherine talks about starting new projects and finishing old ones.  And it’s time for the annual dishcloth swap again.  Annual Dishcloth swap:   https://www.ravelry.com/groups/annual-dishcloth-swap.  This year’s theme is beauty.
Dishcloth swaps
https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/quadrant-dishcloth    Quadrant Dishcloth   Jenny Konopinski

Brainy Thing:

Why don’t we want to change our minds but how we overcome it — that’s what Margaret shares on the Brainy Segment.

Behind the Redwood Curtain:

We talk about how remote Humboldt is but how do you actually get there?  Catherine shares information and pitfalls about getting to Humboldt.

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
Today in Teaching Your Brain to Knit we explore how we change our minds and why we don’t want to, Margaret beats the winter blues with a yellow shawl;  Catherine shares her finishing old projects and beginning new ones;  and she also shares how to get to the isolated Humboldt county.

Ep. 088 Are there positive addictions; Switching to Eggs; The picot edge on Heaven Scent; and OLLI — Destination Humboldt

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Welcome to Episode 88:

Brainy Thing:   19:24             Behind the Redwood Curtain: 36:24
What We’re Learning from Our Knitting:
Catherine is almost finished the heavenly Heaven Scent by  Boo Knits and Margaret is switching to blocks for her charity blanket.  Margaret switches from birds to eggs with a decorative knitted egg, again from Arne and Carlos.   She offers a giveaway on the book.
Brainy Thing:
Catherine finishes off her three part series on the controversy— Can there be positive addictions.  She focuses this time on William Glasser who literally wrote the book on Positive Addictions.  https://wglasser.com/;   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zPDRyjS53_A
Behind the Redwood Curtain:
OLLI, the Osher Life Long Learning Institute offers summertime classes on Destination Humboldt, highlighting a diverse range of Humboldt features — from Nature to Industry.  https://extended.humboldt.edu/olli/destination-humboldt
Podcast
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:   MargaretKelso for Margaret and MagicWombat1 for Catherine
Today on Teaching your Brain to Knit, Catherine finishes her three part series on the controversy of positive addictions;  Margaret tries out knitted eggs;  Catherine approaches the finish line for Heaven Scent;  and we talk about OLLI — classes with a theme of Destination Humboldt.

Ep. 087 Benefits of Knitting; Embellishing Birds; More Heavenly lace Knitting; Egret Rookery

Posted in Brain health, Brainy Stuff, Knitting by

Welcome to Episode 87

Brainy thing:   14:25            Behind the Redwood Curtain  25:16

What We’re Learning from our Knitting

Margaret is playing around with Embellishing Birds from Arne’s and Carlos’ book Field Guide to Knitted Birds.
Catherine is continuing her adventure with knitted beads and lace with Knitting Boo’s Heaven Scene shawl.  https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/heaven-scent

Brainy Thing:

Contrary to some beliefs, we have lot of evidence — hard evidence— that knitting and other handcrafts, particularly for charity — helps people’s health in many ways:  reduces stress, reduces blood pressures, reduces depression and many other issues.

Behind the Redwood Curtain

Catherine appreciates the Egret rookery on Indian Island (Duluwat for the Wiyots)

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 on Teaching Your Brain to Knit we outline the bounty of hard scientific evidence of the benefits of knitting listed in The Knit for Peace Report plus the added benefits of knitting for Charity;  Catherine continues her adventures in Lace and bead knitting;  Margaret plays with embellishing knitted birds;  and Catherine shares the story of the egret rookery on Indian Island or Duluwat Island in Eureka.

Ep. 086 One Creative Process; Continuing the Lace Knitting Journey; Examining Design for Easy Sock Repair; Exploring Community Theatres Behind the Redwood Curtain

Posted in Knitting by
Brainy Thing:  23:05                 Behind the Redwood Curtain:  43:15

What we’re learning from our knitting:

Using Zauberball cotton Catherine continues her adventure with lace shawl Heaven Scene by Knitting Boo.  https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/heaven-scent.  

Margaret makes Lara Neels Reclaiming Our Time https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/reclaiming-our-time and talks about some other sock patterns that allow you to easily reknit the sole and heel where holes and wear are most likely to appear.

Best looking side

Worst looking side

Note: one sole is solid black and makes a neater join with the self-striping yarn.

They both look fine from the top.

Brainy Thing:

Second in our series on creativity, Catherine examines her own creative process for theatre costumes and advises allowing ideas to “bake.”

Behind the Redwood Curtain:

Catherine outlines some of the active community theatres behind the Redwood Curtain.  https://www.visitredwoods.com/listing/music-and-theater-venues/164/

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 on Teaching Your Brain to Knit we continue examining the creative process, this time focusing on Catherine’s as a theatre costume designer;   Catherine continues her lace shawl adventure;  Margaret tries new sock architecture to make repair easier;  and we check out the local live community theatre scene.