Brainy thing: 20:20 Behind the Redwood Curtain: 32:18

What We’re Learning from Our Knitting

Margaret makes new discoveries about the granny square and Catherine notes that there’s a resurgence in popularity of granny squares. Giant Granny Square Afghan by Crochet Me Lovely https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/giant-granny-square-afghan .

Catherine also talks about second-baby-sock-syndrome with her Kate Atherley Baby Socks https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/baby-socks-23 and knitting blocks with patterns from Barbara Walker Treasury of Knitting Patterns 4 volumes published by Schoolhouse Press https://www.schoolhousepress.com/. She also mentions the silent knitting group on zoom as the heritage and remembrance of Cat Bordhi, the late, great knitting teacher and encourager. https://new.catbordhi.com/silent-knitting/

Brainy Section

This episode we focus on Highly Sensitive People, a group that has been widely researched. There seems to be both a nature (genetic, brain chemistry) and nurture aspect in the background of HSPs.

Quiz — Are you an HSP? https://hsperson.com/test/highly-sensitive-test/.

https://www.verywellmind.com/highly-sensitive-persons-traits-that-create-more-stress-4126393

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/basics/highly-sensitive-person

brain. https://highlysensitive.eu/en/the-highly-sensitive-brain/#:~:text=Highly%20sensitive%20people%20activate%20brain,especially%20those%20close%20to%20them.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4086365/

Behind the Redwood Curtain:

Potawot health village is much more than a clinic for American Indians. It is an environment including land use and cultural events that promotes wellness and healing.

http://www.sonic.net/~water4/main_pages/PHVP.html

Welcome to Episode 137 of Teaching your Brain to Knit. Today we investigate the life and brains of Highly Sensitive People. We mention crocheting granny squares, baby socks, knitting blocks for charity and silent knitting meetups. Finally we share information on Potawot Health Village, a local health facility that creates a wellness environment including clinics, gardens, and cultural events.

Welcome to Episode 108 where we learn how animals — and not even real ones — can help our brain health.   We knit a Wristlet, harvest the bounty of the Washcloth Swap and discover the old-timey traditions of family style eating.

What We’re Learning from our Knitting

Brainy Thing:  Brain Changes in Animal-Human Interactions

Behind the Redwood Curtain:  The Samoa Cookhouse

Eat like loggers ate — family style with one menu option a day — check it out ahead of time.  There’s also a logger museum to check out.

Welcome to Episode 107 where we learn that overthinking can lead to analysis paralysis;  We talk about socks and more socks;  Knitting into a Vortex;  and where to find guides to the Redwoods.

What We’re Learning from our Knitting:

It’s socks, socks, socks in our knitting this episode.  Catherine shares the sad tale of her puppy getting to a washcloths she had finished for her Washcloth exchange.   Now she gets to keep the slightly chewed Vortex 5 by Rebecca Hudson  https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/vortex-5-dishcloth but needs to make another one.  She decided on the perfect traveling project:  Baby socks.   Some patterns she likes are  ribbed far away baby socks   originally from Afghan for afghans made in worsted weight https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/ribbed-far-away-baby-socks.  She also like another free baby socks pattern:  jelly bean baby sock spud and chloe  Susan B Anderson  https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/jelly-bean-baby-socks

Nugget Sock by Laura Nelkin

Brainy Thing:

Behind the Redwood Curtain:

Guides for Exploring the Redwoods: 

Welcome to Episode 106 where we talked about summer socks, trying a part of a patter — beaded i-cord, discovering a color app for project planning, the annual washcloth exchange;  The latest on the Placebo Effect and the new Arcata Fairy Festival

What We’re Learning From Our Knitting

Margaret finished a pair of summer socks:  Top down, 1×1 twist rib cuff, afterthought heel with gusset,

She learned a lot from making the first step from Laura Nelkin’s Ducenti Shawl https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/ducenti-mkal— a beaded i-cord. Made from in two different but closely coordinated colors, the two skeins of yarn came in Laura Nelkin’s Ducenti Shawl kit,  originally a mystery kit.They are a wonderfully soft single ply Dragonfly Fibers, Pixie yarn in 100 % merino in a mossy green and a variegated dark putty, with hints of a brassy brown and green.

Catherine shares a free app from Home Depot for matching up colors.   She finds the matches are a tad on the dark side but still thinks it’s a nifty tool.   She found some yarn she’s long been looking for from  Lion Brand gradient stripe in pink for a dog sweater for a dog who looks fierce but isn’t.   She is working on her Dishcloth exchange using cotton she had on hand plus a  ball of lily’s sugar and cream  in white, lime, teal green, and  lavender.  The pattern is  Vortex 5  by Rebecca Hudson  (Meditative is her Rav name.)

Brainy Thing

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK513296/

https://www.minnpost.com/second-opinion/2019/03/the-mysterious-and-maddening-placebo-effect-what-we-know-and-dont-know-about-it/

http://programinplacebostudies.org/

Behind the Redwood Curtain:  Arcata Fairy Festival

A new kid-friendly event in Arcata is the Fairy Festival, celebrating its second year and planning for the next.

https://www.arcatamainstreet.com/fairy-festival

A little podcast business:  Give Away

Another fun giveaway.  Be the first to request it on the Ravelry thread.

In this episode of Teaching Your Brain to Knit we discuss summer socks, beaded i-cord, the dishcloth exchange anda pink striped yarn for a dog.   We share the latest on the Placebo Effect and report on a new area event, The Arcata Fairy Festival.

We have a wonderful give-away today from Margaret’s unending stash, the Laura Nelkin kit, Ironish, a two color scarf.   The kit includes two skeins of Navia, Silkiull yarn which is  75% wool, 25% silk:  one skein is steel( a medium grey)  and the other raspberry. The kit also includes beads which you can use or not.   I have printed up the pattern which has links to Laura’s video instructions.

Thank you for listening to our podcast.   We now publish once a month and you can subscribe on all the major podcast servers including Apple, Stitcher, and Spotify.  Margaret is Margaret 924 on Ravelry and Catherine  is Magic Wombat.  We are also on Facebook and sometimes even on Instagram.

Ep. 105  Welcome to Episode 105, where we discuss Diet and Depression;  Making a blanket out of a sweater gone wrong;  Making Log Cabin Mitts out of Buffalo Yarn;  and the Reintroduction of the Condor along the North Coast.

What we’re learning from our Knitting:

Catherine plays too little/too much with her Caron Big Cake (https://www.ravelry.com/yarns/library/caron-big-cakes) a 100% acrylic yarn. But she’ll end up with a smaller baby sized blanket and blanket squares for a charity blanket.  Margaret tries out Buffalo Wool Company Prairie (bison and silk) https://www.ravelry.com/yarns/library/stunning-string-studio-prairie on a pair of log cabin mitts https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/log-cabin-mitts by Karen Templer.   Great yarn and a fun pattern.

Brainy Thing:

Behind the Redwood Curtain:

Margaret discovers the history of the condor along the North Coast and exciting news that they will be reintroduced. https://www.northcoastjournal.com/humboldt/bringing-prey-go-neesh-home/Content?oid=14060254

A Little Podcast Business: