Author Archives: teachingyourbraintoknit

Ep. 029 Multi-sensory Learning and Your Knitting and Crochet

Posted in Knitting by

Welcome to Episode 29:  Multi-sensory Learning, concept maps and stitch maps

Brainy part:  17:57                   Behind the Redwood Curtain: 27:54

What we’re learning from our Knitting and Crochet

Catherine was looking for a quick project and settled on the Skinni Mini Scarf by Darla Fanton.  She crocheted it in Purl Feza in a gold colorway.

skinny mini close

skinny mini

Margaret whipped up two quick bracelet kits by Javori Designs.  One was Arya, a crocheted wrap bracelet in the sapphire colorway and the other is the knitted Paloma in Starry Night colorway.

paloma

Arya

Brainy Thing:  Multi-sensory Learning

Catherine talks about Multi-sensory Learning and how it connects with Concept Maps and J.C. Briar’s Stitchmaps.

The New Science of Learning:  How to Learn in Harmony with your brain by Terry Doyle

The Art of Changing the Brain:  Enriching the Practice of Teaching by Exploring the Biology of Learning  James Zull

Concept Maps ala Wikipedia

Concept Map Templates

 

Behind the Redwood Curtain

Margaret explores just some of the colorful and varied murals in downtown Eureka.  Just some of the images are below.  Duane Flatmo is a leading muralist in the area.

Knitting Tip

Catherine talks about choosing a blocking method that works for you, the project and the yarn.

A Little Podcast Business

The new incentive prize for members of the group between 401 and 500 is Feza’s Opulent a mix of 50% silk, 10% Kid Mohair, 30% merino wool and 10% Cashmere in a lavender/berry color   There are 207 yards in a heavy lace or light fingering weight — enough for a small scarf.

opulent

 

 

Ep. 28 Process and Product in Knitting and Crochet, Myers Briggs version

Posted in Crochet, Knitting, Psychology by

Welcome to Episode 28:  Process and Product in Knitting and Crochet using the Myers Briggs lens

Brainy Things: 10:40   Redwood Curtain: 18:35

What we’re learning from our knitting and crochet

webMargaret just finished the super quick Crochet Cobweb Pattern by Jennifer Hansen or the Stitch Diva.   It’s free and a great Halloween or otherwise fun decoration.  She used a generic version of Kid Silk Haze (lost ball band) and got more practice use sticky mohair.

Catherine is now grooving with Vanessa Ives Mystery KAL by Bunny Muff with Woole’s Yarn Creations color changing cotton..   She is using toho beads.vanessa ives progress

Brainy Thing:   Product and Process in Knitting and Crochet:  Myers Briggs

Margaret discusses the Myers Briggs Personality Inventory and how is might help to explain Knitter’s and Crocheter’s issues with process and product in their project.  Check here for an introduction on the Judging and Perceiving pair in Myers Briggs.

Behind the Redwood Curtain

Catherine took the Haunted House Tour of Eureka (CA) and learned why mezzanines were so popular in the Victorian bars in the 1800’s.  Here are some photos of Eureka Books.   The interior shows the intact mezzanine from the old days.

3855PPEureka-books-outside 3855Peureka-books-inside-1

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Knitting Tip

Margaret offers Cat Bordhi’s tip of using mohair or a mohair/silk blend as a reinforcing thread on the toes, heels and even the soles of socks.

 

 

 

 

 

Ep. 027 Reading/Writing Learning Style and Your Knitting

Posted in Knitting by

Welcome to Episode 27: Reading/Writing Learning Preference and Your Knitting

Brainy thing:    25:10                   Redwood Curtain:  33:50

What We’re Learning from Our Knitting

Margaret concludes (at least for now) her cotton sock yarn comparison with Feel Good Yarns sock yarn knitted in a generic sock pattern and using the new-to-her Fish Lips Kiss Heel by Sox Therapist in Feel Good Yarn Company sock yarn.

Below, she compares Feel Good Yarn with Cascade Fixation and Cobasi by HiKoo, which is currently her favorite.

Hi Koo CoBaSi Cascade Fixation Feel Good Yarn Silver Spun
US 1 US 3 US 3
$7.50 / 50 gm $5.50 /5o gm   $48   42 /86 gms, 400 yards
Very stretchy Very stretchy Very stretchy
Pleasant feel Bumpy feel, thick Pleasant feel
Hard to weave in Okay to weave in Fine to weave in
After washing,  not so hard to weave in Stays plumb and soft Strand of silver (don’t see it) conductive, inhibits odors, inhibit bacteria, thermal, suggested for those with diabetes, arthritis, sensitive skin

American made

Catherine talks about her painful learning from the Mona8pi or Bunny Muff’s Vanessa Ives Mystery shawl out of Woole’s Yarns Creations Color Changing Cotton.

Ives mess up

Brainy Thing:  Who put the “R” in VAK?

In earlier episodes, we’ve talked about the VAK learning style – Visual, Auditory and Kinesthetic preferences for taking in information. An updated version of that is the VARK system. The “R” stands for the Reading/Writing preference.   While many people including educators find these systems useful, other criticize the research that has been done.

http://easychangeworks.com/articles-nlp/markova-quiz.htm

http://teachertools.londongt.org/?page=VAK

http://easychangeworks.com/articles-nlp/markova-1-intro.htm

http://learningstylesevidence.blogspot.com/2012/12/a-meta-analysis-of-vak-pre-vark.html

http://donaldclarkplanb.blogspot.com/2012/05/fleming-vakuous-learning-styles.html

Redwood Curtain

Highway 101 bisects Redwood Country.  The 1,550 mile Highway stretches from Los Angeles, CA to Turnwater, Washington.

mx9Z1IG4_KO051Gr5P5GM1AwD6yoQp5bVVbtprZbQplrix9ep4QwxnyNyDvNX--xwb_F6w=s103 2632185908_5aecac9136

 

A Knitting Tip

Margaret Ratcliff The Knowledgeable Knitter

 

 

Ep. 026. Is There a Connection Between Happiness-Producing Gamma Brain Waves and Knitting

Posted in Brain anatomy & physiology, Crochet, Knitting by

Welcome to Episode 26:  Gamma Brain Waves and Knitting and Crochet

Brainy Part: 18:02

Behind the Redwood Curtain: 28:53

What We’re Learning from Our Knitting and Crochet

Procion dyes

Catherine took a class from Patti Subik, dyer extraordinaire and owner of Great Adirondack Yarn.   On Ravelry here.  She experienced one of those great insights that opened up her world using procion dyes.

She also made a cute pair of Baby Uggs designed by Autumn Street (Baby Lee) whose websit is Thingsforboys.com Catherine used the leftovers from her Fantasy Red Cardi project. (see Episode 26)

Baby uggs

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Margaret sings the praises for Kira K Designs who is Kira Dulaney who designed the Belle Epoque crocheted shawl.   Good for a new-ish crocheters, the design is extremely well laid out on the page and therefore easy to follow. Margaret used Lotus Yarn designed by crocheters Designing Vashti, Vashti Braha and Doris Chan that is half cotton, half rayon and features a Z twist.

 

Brainy Thing:  Gamma Brain Waves

Catherine tells us about Gamma Waves which are associated with learning, memory, linguistic processes and other cognitive ability.   Maybe even consciousness itself.  But the research she find suggests that it also accounts for increased happiness.   She makes her own hypothesis (and I love it) that if meditation increases Gamma Waves (and it does) and knitting has meditative qualities (which is does) that knitting might increase Gamma Waves too   — therefore increasing happiness.   We’re just waiting for some brain scientists to wire up our brains while we knit.  Check out this site  for an infographic on gamma brain waves.

 

Behind the Redwood Curtain:  Samoa Dunes

Margaret talks about the Samoa dunes .  It’s a narrow strip of land that forms the north spit of Humboldt Bay.   Among the curiosities are the dolos, that look like giant jacks that help prevent erosion.   https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dolos

528PPdolos-650

Dolos, designed to prevent erosion

IMG_1933 IMG_1935

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

IMG_1936IMG_1934IMG_1937

Knitting Tip

Catherine talks more about Life Lines.

A Little Podcast Business

Winners were announced for the Berroco Origami yarn try out and for the membership incentive for members 301 to 400.

Fiesta Rayon boucle Catalina colorway

Fiesta Rayon boucle Catalina colorway

origami

 

Ep. 025 Emotions, Environment and the Colors We See in Our Knitting

Posted in Brain Function, Brainy Stuff, Knitting by

 Welcome to Episode 25

Brainy Thing: 18:37

Behind the Redwood Curtain:27:53

What We’re Learning from our knitting:

Catherine is finishing up her second Fantasy Red Cardi (that’s the name but this one is a green and blue variegated with trim in a robin egg’s blue) by Kathryn Foster. Catherine  has bought the yarn Wolle’s Yarn Creations Color changing cotton tape yarn by Elizabeth Drum to do the Vanessa Ives Mystery Knit along by Mona8pi (Bunnymuff). She bought two colors but hasn’t decided which one she’ll use yet.

IMG_blue cardi

 

 

IMG_blue cardi close

 

Margaret knit about 10 inches of  the maracajau cowl in Borroco Origami in a black/grey/brown color and decided she didn’t like the yarn for around her neck.   She has four skeins of it, 98 yards per skein.   It is 58% acrylic, 16% linen, 15& nylon and 11% cotton and has a lot of high ratings in Ravelry. Borroco has discontinued the yarn.   She’s offering it to a member of the Ravelry group for free:   Just post in the thread.   If more than one person wants it by October 13, we’ll select someone by random number generator.

origami2 origami

 

 

 

 

 

Both Margaret and Catherine learned to create fabric cords with the simple cordage method at the Natural Fiber Fair in Arcata.. The demonstration was taught by the Julie Mueller-Brown from Cinnabar and Indigo, a vendor at the fair that sells handmade glass beads and other beautiful items.

 

Brainy Thing: Do colors change when we’re depressed or are we depressed by dull colors in our environment?

Catherine will explore this topic and the controversy around it in this segment.  Here is some of the research. Christopher Thorstenson believes that a depressed mood colors our perception of the world, specifically, the colors we see.    Report on the study here.

 

Behind the Redwood Curtain:

Margaret talks about the mystery of the little town or Orick, CA and why it hasn’t prospered.   Check out Jensen Rufe’s and Steve Love’s Film, Orick, California, USA .

IMG_1662 orick sunset IMG_1642 IMG_1641

Fiesta Rayon boucle Catalina colorway

Fiesta Rayon boucle Catalina colorway

Knitting Tip:

Consider cutting your knitting to make repairs. She makes plans to cut her Hermione’s Everyday Socks by Erica Lueder in half to attempt to re-heel it.

A Little Podcast Business

Don’t forget the ongoing incentive for joining the Ravelry Group.  Currently it’s Fiesta Yarn.