Author Archives: teachingyourbraintoknit

Ep. 039 Barbara Arrowsmith Changes Her Brain

Posted in Crochet, Knitting by

Welcome to Episode 39:  Barbara Arrowsmith changed her brain in an extraordinary example of neuroplasticity

Brainy Thing:      14:20  Behind the Redwood Curtain:  27:50

What We’re Learning from Our Knitting:

Margaret crocheted Easter Egg motifs   She never got the Easter Egg Garland http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/easter-egg-garland pattern perfectly by Michaela Krause http://www.ravelry.com/designers/michaela-krause correct but was able to fudge it and she still  liked this one best.  The other pattern was the Easiest Crochet Egg Pattern Ever http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/the-easiest-crochet-egg-pattern-ever by Michelle @ the Painted Hinge.   Also a great pattern.   Each of these patterns was slightly different.   She also tried crocheting, with a lot of improvisation, Wedding Stones  http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/wedding-stones by Monica Johnson  from the Interweave Crochet summer 15 issue.  She hasn’t mastered these yet but she’s looking forward to further exploration.
crocheted eggswedding stones
Catherine continued making baby socks for Afghans for Afghans, this time switching to worsted weight yarn for the Ribbed Far Away Baby Socks http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/ribbed-far-away-baby-socks by Amber Ward   or Mitt Knitter on Ravelry.

cascade handpaints

Brainy Thing:

Barbara Arrowsmith talks about the limitations she had with the brain she was born with and how she changed them for the better with exercises, a great example of neuroplasticity.   Her Tedx Talk Toronto is here:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o0td5aw1KXA.  She now heads a school with folks who have a variety of brain-related problems.  Specific exercises she’s developed are noted here (with a nifty picture of a knitted brain hat):  http://www.barbaraarrowsmithyoung.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/topsante.pdf

Behind the Redwood Curtain:  Recycled Folk Art

Catherine discovered a private house when the residents obviously delight in recycling plastic milk cartons and soda cans to make a magical landscape.folk art house 3 folk art house 2 folk art house 1

Knitting Tip:

Margaret shares Lucy Neatby’s tip for closing up those holes at the side of a sock heel.

A Little Podcast Business

The ongoing incentive for joining the Ravelry Group (http://www.ravelry.com/groups/teaching-your-brain-to-knit) is a sumptuous skein of yarn.   The Knitting Tip prize is a set of five back issues of Pom Pom Magazine.pom pom smallest

Ep. 038 Waldorf Schools Jumpstart Learning with Knitting

Posted in Knitting by

Welcome to Episode 38:  Waldorf Schools Integrate Knitting with the Curriculum.

Brainy Thing:  14:50   Behind the Redwood Curtain   25:05

What We’re Learning from Our Knitting

Margaret conquers (almost) the Fish Lips Kiss Heel http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/fish-lips-kiss-heelwith a sock for her grandson out of Fridays Studio Monday Base (Superwash 75% and Polyamide 25%) in the Halloween color way.  Beck's Halloween
Catherine is continuing knitting baby socks for Afghans for Afghans using the Kate Atherly Baby Socks http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/baby-socks-23 with the modification of continuing the ribbing on the top of the foot.  This time she’s using scraps.  She is near completion of the Vanessa Ives Mystery Shawl by Bunny Muff  http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/vanessa-ives out of Woole’s Yarn Creations.  vanessa progress

Brainy Thing:   Waldorf Schools Integrate Knitting into their Curriculum

Margaret offers some information about the role that knitting plays in the Waldorf School Curriculum and some of the philosophy behind it.  http://millennialchild.com/film.html

Behind the Redwood Curtain:   McKinleyville Totem Pole

California-McKinleyville-Totem-Pole-01

Knitting Tip:

A practical swatch from listener Tink.   Knit a sleeve as a swatch.

Podcast business:

The Knitting Tip contest and the  incentive to join our Ravelry Group continue.  http://www.ravelry.com/groups/teaching-your-brain-to-knit
pom pom smallest

Ep. 037 Knitting Wednesdays for Wounded Warriors Support Families, Vets and Current Soldiers

Posted in Knitting by

Welcome to Episode 37:  Knitting Wednesdays at Walter Reed Hospital help family and friends of soldiers and veterans recovering from wounds

Brainy Thing:     19.28                           Behind the Redwood Curtain:  29:14

What We’re Learning from Our Knitting

Catherine finished her Among the wildflowers bandana  cowl  which was another opportunity to use beads.  She used Rizoni  yarn from  The Loom   (The loombangkok.com).   Sasha Ball Rives   was the designer of the free design.   In addition to designing, she owns the Stitch Space yarn shop in Missouri. wildfowerswildflowers 2
On her travels back home to help her mom pack up her house of 65 years, Margaret discovered several knitting pieces she has done over the year.   One was an amorphic scarf out of unidentified specialty acrylic yarn that was her first knitting project.   Another was Adele Cutten’s   design Fine Shawl on Diagonal out of Be Sweet Baby Mohair.  Her mother didn’t want it anymore, so Margaret got a new scarf.goat stripes Mom in goat stripes scarf

Brainy Thing:   Knitting Wednesdays for Wounded Warriors at Walter Reed Hospital

Catherine tells us about the Wounded Warrior Knitting Wednesdays    at Walter Reed Hospital which is not to be confused with the better known Wounded Warrior Group.

Behind the Redwood Curtain:  Statue of President McKinley

220px-Arcata_McKinley_StatueThere’s a statue of President McKinley standing smack dab in the middle of Arcata, CA.   Margaret tells us the story behind it.   One of her references is Roadside America.com

86324795_14c0434a27_z

Knitting Tip

Catherine explains the value of making a sloper, or a model of more complicated knitted projects (sweaters and ponchos.)

A Little Podcast Business

The ongoing challenge to join the Teaching Your Brain to Knit Ravelry Group     and to send in Knitting Tips continue.
opulentpom pom smallest

Ep. 036 New Research on Muscle Memory May Help Knitters and Crocheters

Posted in Brain Function, Crochet, Knitting, Learning by

Welcome to Episode 36:  New Muscle Memory Research May Help Knitters and Crocheters

Brainy Thing:    22:00                                Behind the Redwood Curtain:  38:45

What we learned from our knitting:

hearts2

Crocheted Heart (called “guest Lapel Pins” in Ravelry) designed by Jennifer E. Ryan.

Margaret played with  crocheted hearts from  DIY Wedding by Jennifer E. Ryan either in Interweave Crochet Summer 2015 or as a special collection on the Interweave Website.  They were cute, quick and fun. They are called Guest Lapel Pins on Ravelry. http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/guest-lapel-pinshearts

Catherine shares Towashis  she received from her swap. One was made of a  worsted cotton, the second from sugar and cream and the third was sugar and cream with a portion from the specialized yarn, Sugar and Cream Scrubby  which is more specialized to be “scrubbier.”

received tawashi

Tawashis Catherine received from the scrubbie swap.

more scrubbies

Scrubbies Catherine made using hemp yarn.

Catherine continues to knit baby socks for Afghans for Afghans.   She modified the Kate Atherley Baby Sock http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/baby-socks-23   to have ribbing on the top of the foot.

baby socks 3

Another pair of baby socks using Kate Atherley’s pattern but with continued ribbing on the top of the foot.

Brainy Thing:  New Research Finds Way to Speed up Muscle Memory Learning

John Hopkins’ researchers find keys to speeding up learning for patients with neurological conditions, including post stroke.   Could these techniques work for knitters and crochets?

Behind the Redwood Curtain:  38:45

Margaret talks about the “scientific” and the oral  history of the native tribes still thriving in the Humboldt Bay area. Much of her research is based on  Two Peoples, One Place by Ray Raphael and Freeman House.  http://www.amazon.com/Peoples-Place-Freeman-House-Raphael/dp/1883254019.

Book Cover Two Peoples, One Place by Ray Raphael and Freeman House

Two Peoples, One Place by Ray Raphael and Freeman House

Podcast Business:

The incentive for joining the Ravelry group  Teaching Your Brain to Knit  http://www.ravelry.com/groups/teaching-your-brain-to-knit  and the contest for Knitting Tips continue  (five past pompom magazine issues).  opulent
pom pom smallest

 

 

 

 

Ep. 35 Celebrate Neurons with Knitworks

Posted in Knitting by

Welcome to Episode 35 about Australia’s Neural Knitworks Project to Celebrate National Science Week

Brainy thing:  23:33        Behind the Redwood Curtain:  33:33

What We’re Learning from our Knitting

Catherine’s been doing some knitting for a theatre production of Jungalbook:  She made a pair of fingerless mitts in bright pink for the monkey, relying on measurements and her memory of doing mitts.   She used Deceptive Cookie’s  http://www.ravelry.com/people/DeceptiveCookie Bias Stripe Shawl Recipe http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/bias-stripe-shawl-recipe  (free) for a black and orange scarf for the tiger character.

C monkey mitts

Catherine’s monkey mitts with a novelty yarn.

C tiger scarfC tiger scarf 2

Margaret talks about her marathon sock-darning event using different methods on socks of hers that have developed holes.
basket of darned socks

Brainy Thing:   Neural Knitworks:   http://www.scienceweek.net.au/neural-knitworks/

Catherine shares Australian Pat Pillai’s idea to knit and weave brain cells as a way to celebrate Australia’s National Science Week in August.  Knit, crochet, and knotting patterns of neurons are available for free on the website.   The program is called Neural Knitworks.
One of the Neuron patterns from Neural Knitworks

One of the Neuron patterns from Neural Knitworks

Behind the Redwood Curtain

North side of Trinidad Head

North side of Trinidad Head

 

TH
Margaret talks about the area hiking trail, Trinidad Head in Trinidad, California — a short but pretty steep uphill climb that rewards with a fantastic almost 350 degree view at the top of ocean and shoreline.

Podcast Business:

The incentive for joining the Ravelry group Teaching Your Brain to Knit and the contest for Knitting Tips continue.