Author Archives: teachingyourbraintoknit

Ep. 054: Neurosociety: Interactive Theatre Teaches Us About Our Brain

Posted in Brain anatomy & physiology, Knitting by

Welcome to Episode 54: David Byrne’s  NeuroScience:  Interactive Theatre That Teaches Us About Our Brains

Brainy Thing:   15:59             Behind the Redwood Curtain:  23:56

What We Learned from Our Knitting:

Margaret finished Laura’s Lamers’ Silken Straw Kerchief (unpublished) which was a long term but pleasant pattern. The yarn is challenging but so worth the extra attention it needs.   The pattern includes beads and silk — what more could you want?laura-kerchief-close laura-kerchief
Catherine finished her  Age of Brass and Steam shawlette by Orange Flower http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/the-age-of-brass-and-steam-kerchiefwith a self striping skein from Canon dye works.brass-and-steam-full

Brainy Thing:

Margaret reports on “Neurosociety,” the immersion/interactive theatre experience currently in Menlo Park, California that explores how our brains influence our perceptions and how our perceptions impact what we believe.  It was created by David Byrne and Mala Gaonkar.  http://www.pacegallery.com/exhibitions/12834/the-institute-presents-neurosociety and runs through March.1

Behind the Redwood Curtain:

Catherine talks about how Arcata’s Big Scoop ice cream shop is an excellent example of a locavore business and one that reflects the owners’ values.flavors-posted-arcata

Knitting Tip:

Margaret got feedback from listeners about more information on Color Dominance.  Here is some  particularly helpful information she found:

2017 Learn-along:

The 2017 Learn-along runs from January 1 to May 1.   There are two threads on the Teaching Your Brain to Knit page of Ravelry:  one for the finished projects and one for chatter — to admire, offer advice and muse.bamboo-yarn

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 on Teaching Your Brain to Knit, an interactive theatrical event that teaches you about your brain; a new strategy for dealing with challenging yarn, having fun with self-striping yarn, how an Arcata ice cream shop supports the locavore movement, More on color dominance and a reminder about the 2017 Learn-along.

Ep. 053 Gut Instinct and the Brain

Posted in Knitting by

Welcome to Episode 53:  Gut Instinct and the Brain

Brainy Thing:   13:02    Behind the Redwood Curtain:

What We’re Learning From Our Knitting:

brass-and-steam-close-up

Catherine returns to an old favorite, The Age of Brass and Steam by Orange Flower http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/the-age-of-brass-and-steam-kerchief
Margaret tries a new tool, Embellish-Knit https://www.amazon.com/Caron-20293-Embellish-Knit-Machine-Kit/dp/B003W0AUQ4/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1483493507&sr=8-1&keywords=embellish-knit+machine+kit which makes a wicked-fast i-chord to create some Wreath Ornaments by Lorna Miser.  lw4857_004_project_small2
 http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/wreath-ornaments-3  and the Fino necklace finoby Laura Nelkin.

Brainy Thing:  Gut Instinct and the Brain

Scientists are showing a direct link between the human gut and the brain which accounts for those “gut feelings we get.
Switzerland science researchers at ETH in Zurik,  Urs Meyer  German and his team at the  Swiss Federal insititude of technology,  research gut brain afferance   https://www.ethz.ch/en/news-and-events/eth-news/news/2014/05/how-the-gul-feeling-shapes-fear.html

Behind the Redwood Curtain:  Sequoia Park Zoo

A small but sweet zoo in Sequoia Park in Eureka concentrates on education and species preservation.zoo-1 zoo-3 zoo-4

Knitting Tip:  Prevent Repetitive Stress Syndrome

Keeping your hands in a C shape with your palms facing upward helps to prevent repetitive stress syndrome

Learn-along

bamboo-yarnOur all-new Learn Something New Incentive with randomly selected prizes.   See thread on the Teaching Your Brain to Knit Ravelry page.   One prize will be a skein of 650 yards of Kristin Omdahl’s  B so Fine yarn  (in bamboo)   by Kristin Omdahl Yarns.   Other prizes to be announced.

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.
Is there anything to  “gut feelings” that people are always talking about, We return to an old favorite   Age of Brass and Steam Kerchief, using a new tool dramatically speeds up making i-chord, Spot lighting Eureka’s small but educational zoo, a way to prevent repetitive stress syndrome, and the beginning of a new Learn-along

 

Ep. 052 How Gratitude Impacts Your Brain

Posted in Knitting by

Welcome to Episode 52:  How practice of gratitude not only affects your mood but also changes your brain

Brainy Thing:   11:37  Behind the Redwood Curtain:  24:21

What We’re Learning from our Knitting:

Catherine has declared “Hat Day” by knitting Marsha McCormack’s “Easy Watch Cap With A Twist” http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/easy-watch-cap-with-a-twist.  Marsha designs under the name of Lena’s Legacy Hand Knits, honoring her grandmother who taught her to knit.   The pattern is free.  watch-cap-with-twistCatherine also knit the “Countless Baby Hat”  http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/countless-baby-hata free top down pattern by Cindy Davies that features a little i-chord twist at the top.

countless-baby-hat

Margaret practiced working with double pointed needles on a free eyeball pattern http://www.knitpicks.com/patterns/Eyeballs__D55679220.html  featured on the Knit Picks site and designed by Stana D. Sortor. eyeballs

Brainy Thing:  Gratitude Changes Your Brain

For some time people have recognized that actively practicing gratitude can improve our moods but Catherine has found research that shows that gratitude practice can change our brains for the better.     Research by Glenn R Fox et al reports their research:  http://journal.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fpsyg.2015.01491/full.  Also cited by Catherine is this research:  https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4588123/

Behind the Redwood Curtain:  Bull Kelp  aka Bull Whip Kelp etc.

bull-kelpMargaret tells the tale about how sharing her grandson’s “screen time” of the Octonauts, she learned more about the plant life behind the Redwood Curtain.  Giant Kelp Forest episode on the children’s TV show Octonauts:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=szJd0rGJUTA  and source on what it looks like when it washes up on shore:  http://www.seaweedsofalaska.com/species.asp?SeaweedID=47

Knitting Tip:

kelly-mosquitoYou can stuff tiny places in your knitting with a mosquito clamp.  http://www.surgical-instrument-pictures.com/instrument-index-kelly-mosquito.html 

A Little Podcast Business:

Learn-along 2016
bamboo-yarn

Links:

Website (you’re on it)   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 how gratitude not only changes your attitude but changes your brain, Catherine declares Hat Day, Margaret learns knitting techniques by knitting eyeballs, how a children’s television show can lead to understanding your own environment, and re-purposing surgical instruments into knitting tools.

Ep. 051 Exercise and the Brain

Posted in Knitting by

Welcome to Episode 51:  What exercise can do for the Brain

Brainy Thing:  27:30     Behind the Redwood Curtain: 32:45

What We Are Learning from Our Knitting:

Margaret was inspired by the  Maya hat and mittens  designed by Theresa Schabes
Viking Norway Nordlys which is a thick fingering weight 75% superwash wool 25% nylon single loosely plied yarn.  What is striking about the yarn is the intense colors.   They have long irregular stripes that are what I call a true gradient  — they seem to blend into each other unlike some gradients that just seem to strop abruptly and switch to a different color.maya-hat
Catherine finished her small projects and started another  Bunnymuff’s Mystery Knit-along for September  http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/sept-mkal-2016.   She’s using Wolle’s Yarn Creations gradient yarn in peach and sand color which she finds easier to knit than she did before.   Practice makes better!sept-mkal

 

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Brainy Thing:

In addition to increasing oxygen to the brain, exercise bolsters brain health in a number of ways.  Margaret reports on this.  http://qz.com/592569/a-neuroscientist-says-theres-a-power…

Behind the Redwood Curtain

The city of Arcata in 2012 taxed excessive utility use as a measure to reduce illegal marijuana grows in residential houses.

Knitting Tip:

Rolenstone on our Ravelry group says that you can use recycled bleach wipes container to hold yarn (be sure to rinse out thoroughly.)

Links:

Ravelry Teaching Your Brain to Knit Group  http://www.ravelry.com/groups/teaching-your-brain-to-knit
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 on Teaching Your Brain to Knit: Learn how Exercise can improve your brain in many ways, Do you always need a class or a tutorial  to learn new techniques, will repeated practice with a challenging yarn can increase your skill, How the city of Arcata found an innovative way to increase the availability of housing, and a tip on how you can upcycle a wipes contain to become a useful yarn tool
ETA

Ep. 050 What You Can Learn from Slicing Your Brain into Top and Bottom

Posted in Brain anatomy & physiology, Knitting by

Welcome to Episode 50:  What Do You Learn When You Slice Your Brain into Top Brain Bottom Brain?

Brainy thing:  12:46              Behind the Redwood Curtain: 26:38
3rd-beanie-close

What We’re Learning from Our Knitting:

Twice Margaret made the ribbed 3rd-beaniebrim of the Top Down lace beanie from lion brand http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/lace-beanie-70177 too tight.  She tells how Lori’s Twisty bind off https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rWS77BKk5NQ saved the day.  She used Plymouth Kudo yarn in cotton and silk.  And Catherine enjoys the pile of washcloths that she received from her Ravelry washcloth exchange — all in cotton yarn she’s never used before.
dishcloths-received

Brainy Thing:

We’ve probably all  heard of the left brain/right brain concept. What about the top brain/bottom brain paradigm?  Take the quiz here:  http://www.gwaynemiller.com/test.html#.WC4GXls5yPU.  Look into the theory at:  http://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052702304410204579139423079198270

Behind the Redwood Curtain:  Clams

Catherine shares how Humboldt Bay clams not only star in the 7th best Food Festival in the country but also help clean up the bay.  ln_photo

Knitting Tip:

Catherine finds an answer to an annoying (for her) Knit Three Together stitch from Barbara Walker and speculates that just about any problem you’re having with your knitting, someone else has too and has found a solution and shared it.

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.
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.