Category Archives: Knitting

Ep. 041 One Simple Solution to Poor Memory — Sleep

Posted in Knitting by

Welcome to Episode 41:   How to Lay Down Long Term Memory or Take Notes on Your Knitting

Brainy Thing:   19:01    Behind the Redwood Curtain

What We’re Learning From Our Knitting:

Catherine is knitting washcloths using SmarieK’s free pattern Double Lattice free pattern.  http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/double-lattice-cloth using scraps of cotton including Knit One Crochet Two and Cotlin.
Margaret had another Mending Party.   Thanks to oekmama1 in our Ravelry Group for referring her to Kate Atherley’s article in  Knitty 2006 on Repairs.   http://www.knitty.com/ISSUEspring06/FEATrepairs101.html
uses sewing thread to loosely graft stitches at top and bottom.  Among piles of socks, Margaret mended the  As You Like It Cardigan by Judith Shangold  our of Cascade 220 super wash in a brown.
Some of the socks were made from  Fish knits warm sock; Online commercial; Misty alpaca hand dyed sock yarn (alpaca, merino nylon, silk) ;  Fiber lady luxury sock yarn easy.   Her favorite pattern in this lot was  Mystery Sock V: April Showers by Wendy Gaal, in Sock-aholic yarn from Knitters Brewing Co (75/25 wool/ 2 lattice editednylon 480 yards).  She also tried to make the brim of the  Lace Beanie #70177 by Lion Brand Yarn out of Plymouth Yarn Kudo  top down lace yarn larger but even after vigorous blocking it is still too tight.  She’ll have to revisit that. mending socks

Brainy Thing:  Adequate Sleep is Essential to Long Term Memory

Catherine talks about the research between developing long term memory and sleep.

Behind the Redwood Curtain:

Margaret shares how she spotted a blue grey heron down the street from her and her resultant research on them,    The Audubon site not only has a beautiful close up of the bird but also recordings of its calls and songs.   http://www.audubon.org/field-guide/bird/great-blue-heron
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Knitting Tip

Concerned about running out of yarn on your row?  Catherine advises you to lay out your yarn, back and forth and back again (three times the length of what you have left)  to determine how much you need.

A Little Podcast Business

We announced winners of our Knitting Tip contest (She will receive Pom Pom magazine) and our Incentive to join our Ravelry Group.
ETA 7.5.16

Ep. 040 Is the Negativity Bias Affecting Your Knitting? Ideas to Help.

Posted in Brain anatomy & physiology, Knitting by

Welcome to Episode 40   Is the Negativity Bias Affecting Your Knitting?   There are ways to counter the negative

Brainy Thing:   20:35                Behind the Redwood Curtain  32:40

What We’re Learning from Our Knitting

Margaret  was inspired by Catherine’s project to try Sasha Ball Rives’ wonderful pattern Among the Wildflowers  http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/among-the-wildflowers  with her own “learning opportunities”, of course.
mtk wildflower

For a Ravelry swap, Catherine completed the Crochet Flower Potholders pattern by Jennifer Martin  Blue J  http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/flower-potholders using scraps of cotton she had leftover in her stash!

potholder 2 potholder

Brainy Thing:  Negativity Bias:

Studies have shown that are brains are hardwired toward the negative which is a great advantage on the Savannah but probably not now.  Check out:  https://www.psychologytoday.com/articles/200306/our-brains-negative-bias  and
For ways to counter that bias, try  Marelisa Fabrega  http://daringtolivefully.com/overcoming-negativity-bias.

Behind the Redwood Curtain:

Catherine tells us about the historical Phillips house in Arcata built in 1853/4 in the  Greek Revival style which is open Sundays 2 to 4  http://www.arcatahistory.org/phillips_house_museum_arcata .
 hc-arcata-phillipshse-calendar phillips_house_arcata_california_thumb

phillips spinning phillips 3 phillips 2 phillips quilt

Knitting Tip

One of our Ravelry Members, puffygriffinclaw, offers some tips on Felting.

A Little Podcast Business

Listen for the winners of the membership incentive and the tips contest next episode.  In the meanwhile, become a member of our Ravelry Group  http://www.ravelry.com/groups/teaching-your-brain-to-knit,  and check out our 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.   Also, join our Facebook Group  https://www.facebook.com/Teachingyourbraintoknitpodcast/?ref=aymt_homepage_panel

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

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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

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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

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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

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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