Ep. 010 Reviewing your Knitting

Posted in Knitting, Learning by teachingyourbraintoknit

Welcome to Episode 10: Why is it worthwhile to review and categorize your knitting learning?

Brainy Stuff starts at: 25:40

Redwood Curtain starts at: 37:40

What we’re learning from our knitting:

Catherine learned a lot (and had fun) knitting Josh Ryks’ Scarfy Shenanigans. She got more of a sense of the sculptural understanding of knitting. She used two colors of Sanguine Gryphon (one was Cotton Stainer colorway) and some Becoming Art in the Twilight colorway

She also knocked out a pair of Magic 28 socks by Norma that she made for charity. She used scraps.

And she completed a second knitalong — Laura Aylor’s mystery knitalong that is now name Outlier . She used Noro yarn.

Margaret made a black and white striped hat for her grandson to coordinate with the pair of zebra socks she made for him earlier. She attached fringe along the back with a crochet hook and then un-plyed the fringe to make it more fluffy. She used Lion Brand Wool Ease Thick and Quick.

She also made him a pair of Morehouse Farms owl mittens.

And she made an irregular ribbed scarf out of Lion Brand cashmere. She learned that at least in cashmere, the trick of picking up and weaving up a dropped stitch has its limits. The pattern was inspired by the Professor’s Scarf by Gina Waters but don’t blame her for the results. Margaret was riding an exercise bike while knitting and early on lost track of the pattern.

Brainy Stuff:

We talked about the Review and Categorization aspects of learning and how that applies to knitting. We re-categorized and reviewed the Brainy segments in our past episodes.

Behind the Redwood Curtain:Arcata Waste Management and Wildlife Sanctuary

Photo from Wikipedia

People from all over the world come to see and study the Arcata Waste Management Plant and Wildlife Sanctuary. It is a great place to walk, bike ride or bird. (P.S. it’s healthy and doesn’t smell bad.)

Photo from Friends of Arcata Marsh website

Also check out the Friends of the Arcata Marsh, a local group who are very involved in the marsh. The site has lots of beautiful photos.

Knitting Tip:

You can get your paperback books spiral bound at Kinko’s (now FedEx Office) — Particularly useful for technique heavy books like Lara Neel‘s wonderful Sock Architecture.

2Jan2015

Episode 7: Skill or Concentration?

Posted in Crochet, Knitting, Learning by teachingyourbraintoknit

WELCOME TO EPISODE 7: SKILL OR CONCENTRATION?

What We’re Learning from our Knitting:

Margaret is knitting and crocheting long strands of beads to wear as necklaces or as wrapped bracelets.

On top: Laura Nelkin‘s Ribband (knitted)

In the middle: a failed attempt at a crocheted strand: no fault of the pattern– the yarn was too fine for the size of beads. Check out Wrap Around Crochet bracelets for lots of successful projects and Yuli Nilssen for her other designs.

On the bottom: improvised icord with beads.

Catherine is learning from the PANEM Katniss cowl wrap by Dahlia in Bloom whose Rav name is DevilintheO.

Yarn is Lion Brand Wool Ease Thick and Quick.

Brainy Stuff: What determines your success or ease with a project — the level of difficulty or the level or concentration?

Many knitting and crochet patterns are labeled by skill level: beginner, intermediate or advanced or easy and challenging. But what do these terms mean? If you are an expert lace knitter, does that mean you’ll find cables easy? Catherine and Margaret discuss what the differences are and how they may or may not impact your experience creating a particular project.

Redwood Curtain: Table Bluff, CA.

From the South Spit looking up to Table Bluff

From Table Bluff looking down: Humboldt Bay to the Right (East), Pacific Ocean to the Left (West)

Viewing to the East, Humboldt Bay.

Beauty in the sand:

Knitting Tip:

Use a Kitchen scale to determine amount of yarn you have left.

Number of yards in total skein X (number of yards left) ————————— = ——————–

Number of grams in total skein Number of grams left in skein

X equals number of yards in total skein (times) Number of grams left in skein (divided by) number of grams in total skein.

3Dec2014

Episode 5: Layers of Visual Learning

Posted in Knitting, Learning by teachingyourbraintoknit

Welcome to Episode 5

What We’re Learning from Our Knitting:

Margaret:

Citron by Hilary Smith Callis the enormously popular (12,024 posted projects on Ravelry as of December 3, 2014) half circle shawlette, free on Knitty. She learned you probably won’t notice that the increases don’t line up (not the pattern’s fault — she stopped counting.) Can you see them?

She used

Noro Taiyo Sock colorway 30 and

Wild Orchids Fiber Arts Amore, colorway Lavendar

Catherine:

Catherine continues learning from

Faberge’ by Laura Aylor

She’s using

Classic Elite Yarns Mountain Top Vail yarn in two colors.

Brainy Stuff: Layers of Visual Learning

According to some theories, people who identify as visual learners, usually find it easier to take in information visually, but they use auditory or kinesthetic means to process and integrate that information. Therefore, probably the best learning occurs when all three modes are used. More about this in upcoming episodes. This link has other links including one for a self-assessment.

Laura Nelkin’s Craftsy class: Mastering Lace Shawls gives step-by-step and frame-by-frame instructions for making two shawls: Skywalker and Clarus.

Duolingo is a free app that teaches Spanish, French, German and other languages. It uses visual, auditory and kinesthetic approaches.

Behind the Redwood Curtain:

One of the Northwest’s most famous denizen is the legendary Bigfoot.

from Wikipedia. http://www.jcu.edu.au/wiledpack/modules/fsl/JCU_090460.html Frame 352 from 1967 Patterson–Gimlin film, alleged by Roger Patterson and Robert Gimlin to show a Bigfoot, was a man in a gorilla suit.^[1

Knitting Tip:

Needles of the same size but made from different materials will give you different gauge.

16Nov2014

What’s your VAK?

Posted in Knitting, Learning by teachingyourbraintoknit

WELCOME TO EPISODE 4

Brainy stuff starts at around 24 minutes

What Catherine is learning from her knitting:

The Coraline father sweater (no pattern):

How not to finish your sweater

What Margaret is learning from her knitting:

Turning socks inside out for stranding: Margaret’s modified Kirklees

Kirklees Socks by Tian Foley

Friday’s Studio Sock

Margaret’s cut and reknit Hermione’s Everyday Socks

Margaret’s original Hermione’s Everyday Socks by Erica Leuder

Cat Bordhi’s Sweet Tomato Heel socks book (well worth getting) and Youtube

Dragonfly Fibers Dragon Sock

Is your preferred learning style visual, auditory, or kinesthetic?

About visual, auditory, and kinesthetic learning styles here.

Free VAK test here.

Behind the Redwood Curtain

North Country Fair

Catherine talks about the alpaca or llama people who have a booth. They are the Tyler Family who have Arcata Bay Llamas which includes llama, alpacas, angora rabbits and Icelandic sheep.

Knitting Tip

Check your gauge throughout your project. It can change.

Ep. 1 Pod cast-on: Open up to knitting

Welcome to Teaching Your Brain to Knit Episode 1: Open up to Knitting

Brainy stuff begins: 26:08 minutes in

What Catherine is learning from her knitting:

Firefly Dishcloth by Holly Klein

Hemp for Knitting

Note the little “glitch” in the ribbing that occurred when Catherine weaved in the ends. She later undid it and re-weaved it so that it didn’t look wonky.