Author Archives: teachingyourbraintoknit

Ep. 069 Boost Your Happy Brain Chemical GABA with Meditation; Crochet Kitchen Dishcloth; Argyle Socks; Humboldt Botanical Garden; Give-Away

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Welcome to Episode 69:  Boost Your Happy Brain Chemical GABA with Meditation

Brainy Thing:      15:53          Behind the Redwood Curtain:  27:32

What We’re Learning From Our Knitting

Catherine is trying crochet this time with Stacey LW Lee’s $ 0.99 pattern Partly Sunny.  She needs five for her dishcloth exchange.
Margaret relates her journey with Argyle Sock Knitting.  She took a class and there are not a lot of online classes on Argyle.  Photo tutorial:

Brainy Thing:

Behind the Redwood Curtain:  Humboldt Botanical Garden

Margaret shares the delights of Humboldt Botanical Garden.

Giveaway

And we have another 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:  MargaretKelso and MagicWombat1
On this episode of Teaching Your Brain to Knit:  Learn to boost the brain’s feel good chemical, GABA through meditation; Also Catherine switches to crochet for potholder’s;  Margaret takes you through her journey with argyle;  Discover the wonders of Humboldt Botanical Gardens;  And checkout our latest   give away.

Ep. 068 Learn Kwik with Jim Kwik; Planning Knit the Sky Scarf; Embracing the “slow”; Drive Through Redwoods

Posted in Learning by

Welcome to Episode 68:  Jim Kiwk Teaches Learning and Reading Methods to Help You Improve

Brainy Thing:   16:06    Behind the Redwood Curtain:  24:40

What We’re Learning from our Knitting:

Margaret explores the planning/creative phase of a project with Lea Redman’s  Knit the Sky Scarf   http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/sky-scarf.  Redman also has a book called Knit the Sky that promotes creativity and playfulness in knitting.  http://www.knitthesky.com/  book  Margaret heard of Lea Redman through Becky Steward’s  Knit Om newsletter.  http://knitom.com/author/becky-stewart/
Catherine declares that she is fine being a slow knitter (and later in the episode that she is also fine being a slow reader.)  She is continuing her progress on charity socks  https://northcoastknittery.com/blogs/shop-tidbits/socks-for-the-homeless  sponsored by Northcoast Knittery and on Bunnymuff’s Fatima Shawl.
continuing Fatima shawl

Brainy thing: Kwik Learning

Turning on  you superpower brain with Jim Kwik episode of Srini Rao on the Unmistakeable Creative Podcast.  https://unmistakablecreative.com/podcast
Jim Kwik’s podcast:  Kwik Brain:  Memory Improvement Accelerated Learning
Kwik Brain:  Memory Improvement Accelearated Learning https://kwikbrain.com/podcast
Kwik Learning website:  https://kwiklearning.com/

Behind the Redwood Curtain:

Knitting Tip:

Dealing with ladders that are created in the round knitting.

Links for 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.
In this episode of Teaching Your Brain to Knit, Read and learn Kwikly using Jim Kwik’s methods and tips;  Follow Margaret’s process and stumbles planning a new project — Knit the Sky;  Listen to Catherine “Embrace the Slow” with Charity Socks;  Drive through giant redwood trees;  and get a tip on dealing with ladders knitting in the round.

Ep. 067 Six Dimensions of Wellness; Lace Knitting Secrets; Buggy Mitts; and Sequoia Park.

Posted in Knitting by

Welcome to Episode 67:  Bill Hetler’s Six Dimensions of Wellness

BrainyThing:   15:40          Behind the Redwood Curtain:  31:50

What We’re Learning from our Knitting:

With her first shetland lace shawl, Catherine learns that the secret to lace knitting for her is to count stitches after completing each row in the Fatima shawl http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/fatima-3  with Sincere Sheep’s  Hester colored (peachy) silk/linen blend.  It also includes  beads and nupps.
Margaret starts Christmas gifts with the Buggy Mitts.http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/buggy-mitts with Morehouse Farms wool.  (It was a Morehouse Farms Kit when she bought it years ago.

BrainyThing:

Dr. Bill Hettler  proposes Six Dimensions of Wellness      http://www.nationalwellness.org/?page=Six_Dimensions  which offers a concept beyond physical health.

Behind the Redwood Curtain:

Margaret talks about Sequoia Park in Eureka. http://www.sequoiaparkzoo.net/visit/sequoia-park/
Book Give-Away continues

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.

Ep. 066 How the Brain Hampers Clear Political discussions; Finale of Bunnymuff’s Absolutely Essential Shawl; Inversibles with Afterthought Heel; Roosevelt Elk; Book Giveaway

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Welcome to Episode 66:  Clearing Channels for Political Talk (No Political Talk Included.)

Brainy Thing:   14:45       Behind the Redwood Curtain:  31:50

What We’ve Learning From Our Knitting:

Catherine’s grand finale of Bunnymuff’s  Absolutely essential shawl.  She bound off with  Jenny’s stretchy bindoff.  
Margaret finished her Inversible Socks, yarn by Fibernymph.   She used an afterthought heel with a gusset in the corners.

Brainy Thing:  Amygdala

Why is it the political discussion is so toxic these days?  Catherine discovers answers hidden in the Amygdala.
The Oatmeal:;  You Are Not Going to Believe What I’m About to Tell you    http://theoatmeal.com/comics/believe
USC Brain and Creativity Institutem article:  Lead researcher Jonas Kaplan;  Sarah Kimball and Sam Harris  Scientific Report 6 Article 39589

Behind the Redwood Curtain

Catherine Tells us all about the  Roosevelt Elk which love hanging around Prairie Creek Park.

Book Giveaway

Margaret is offering Stephanie Pearl-McPhee’s book Knitting Rules to the first person who asks for it on the Episode 66 Thread on Ravelry.

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.
This episode of Teaching Your Brain to Knit reveals a surprising discovery of why we can’t talk across the political divide (but don’t worry we’re not going to talk about politics itself.  It’s about the brain, of course and how to counter its sometimes bad habits                                                                   )  Catherine recounts the finale to Bunnymuff’s Absolutely Essential Shawl;  Margaret presents Fibernymph’s Inversible Yarn in an afterthought heel sock;  Catherine introduces the stately Roosevelt Elk;  and Margaret gives away a copy of Knitting Rules by Stephanie Pearl-McPhee

Ep. 065 Betsan Corkhill; Kristy Glass Podcasts; Garter Kitchener; Fatima; Betty Chinn Center

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Welcome to Episode 65:

Brainy thing:   19:29             Behind the Redwood Curtain 30:45

What We’re Learning from Our Knitting

Nothing could be easier than Kirsten Hipsky’s   #576  Knit Lace Jar Cover http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/knit-lace-jar-covers so of course Margaret had to complicate it by learning a new technique:  this time a garter stitch kitchener which turned out less complicated than the standard stockinette kitchener.

Okay, it’s not very impressive but I learned something: the Garter kitchener stitch

Catherine  is starting a new Bunny Muff project that includes beads and nupps.   http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/fatima-3 and she continues to work on the Charity Socks project sponsored by the Northcoast Knittery:  https://northcoastknittery.com/blogs/shop-tidbits/socks-for-the-homeless

Brainy Thing:  Kristy Glass Podcast Interviews Betsan Corkhill:

Kristy Glass is a prolific video podcast and recently designated May Mental Health Month.   She interviewed Betsan Corkhill https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ujY79nFUDVY who recently published   Knitting for Health and Wellness  https://www.amazon.com/Knit-Health-Wellness-knit-flexible-ebook/dp/B00KVL5OQ8.  (She also interviewed us in May  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9vPppbZTkF0)

Behind the Redwood Curtain

Catherine shares what one woman can do to help the homeless:  Betty Chinn and the homeless http://bettychinn.org/

Giveaway:

Help Margaret De-stash:  this time it’s Japanese Inspired Knits by Marianne Isager.
Today on Teaching Your Brain to Knit we review an episode of the Kristy Glass Knits Podcast where she interviews Betsan Corkhill and discusses the topics of Betsan’s new book, Knitting for Health and Wellness.  Margaret tries out a garter stitch variation kitchener stitch;  Catherine starts a new Bunny Muff patter with beads and Nupps;  We celebrate Betty Chin in our community who has made great progress helping the homeless in ourarea;  and we give away another book.