Tag Archives: Jennifer Hansen

Ep. 045 Shinrin Yoku (Forest Bathing): An Ancient Healing Technique Supported by Modern Research

Posted in Brain Function, Knitting by

Welcome to Episode:   Shinrin Yoku (Forest Bathing):  An Ancient Healing Technique supported by Modern Breathing

Brainy Thing: 18:27     Redwood Curtain:  33:43

What We’re Learning from Our Knitting (and Luceting):

Ta Dah!  Catherine finished her Garden Arbor Shawl  by Kira K Designs, a  kit she got from The Natural Fiber Fair in 2015. The yarn is the Sky colorway in Bamboo from Be Sweet Yarns.
garden arbor close
garden arbor
Margaret made a lucet bracelet that was a modification of the pattern that Jennifer Hansen, from Stitch Diva offered as a bonus after completing her free 7-Day Llucet braceletucet Challenge.  https://app.convertkit.com/landing_pages/38006.  She used Magnetic clasps. She also tested out the KonMari method http://tidyingup.com/ of organizing all her knitting, crocheting and lucet supplies.

Brainy Thing:  Shinrin Yoku (Forest Breathing)

Catherine introduces us to Shinrin Yoku the Japanese codification of a worldwide ancient custom of Forest Breathing. 0315305F-155D-4519-3EB2071A3180CA23-smallThe phenomenon of the healing from forest is getting a lot of research interest and an American study shows that walks in nature can help children with ADD and ADHD.  Some resources:
The Little Handbook of shinrin yoku   http://www.shinrin-yoku.org/
The Association of Forest Therapy:   http://www.natureandforesttherapy.org/
On ADD and ADHD:   Andrea Faber Taylor and Frances E. Kuo  http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1448497/

Behind the Redwood Curtain:

ascreen-1

Breaking news (at least relatively from us) — Redwood trees are  best at fixing oxygen– converting Carbon Dioxide into Oxygen in the process of photosynthesis therefore they can be helpful resources in battling Global Warming.
Teaching Your Brain to Knit Podcast:  https://teachingyourbraintoknit.com/
Teaching Your Brain to Knit Podcast group on Ravelry:  http://www.ravelry.com/groups/teaching-your-brain-to-knit

Ep. 042 Brain Freeze Research Could Pave Way for Migraine Relief

Posted in Brain health, Knitting by

Welcome to Episode 42:  Brain Freeze Research May Pave Way for Migraine Relief

Brainy Thing:    22:56               Behind the Redwood Curtain:  32:23

What We’ve Learned from Our Knitting:

Catherine recently bought a skein of Be sweet yarn, African Bead Ball, to celebrate Knitting in Public Day.     http://www.ravelry.com/yarns/library/be-sweet-african-bead-ball.  She started knitting Kira K Designs’  Garden Arbor shawl (http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/garden-arbor-shawl) out of another  Be Sweet yarn, Bamboo.
beginning of Garden Arbor lucet challenge
Margaret learned a new skill through the 7 day lucet challenge.  Check out  Jennifer Hansen’s Stitch Diva  http://www.stitchdiva.com/blog/lucet-challenge/.

Brainy Thing

Scientists are researching the common Brain Freeze   https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/05/130522095335.htm  to see if it could reveal secrets that might help treat migraines.
ice-cream-cones-m-1

Behind the Redwood Curtain

Margaret shares some cool facts about the sand dollar.  The best source she found the best source on sand dollars was http://echinoblog.blogspot.com/2012/03/sand-dollars-are-sea-urchins-please.html
Sand dollars

Knitting Tips

Catherine tells us that part of creating gauge is where on the knitting needle you work your stitches.

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. 012 Knitting Fights Dementia

Posted in Brain health, Crochet, Knitting by

Welcome to Episode 12:  Knitting Fights Age-related Dementia

Brainy Stuff starts at:15:40

Behind the Redwood Curtain starts at:26:55

What we’re learning from our knitting:

Catherine found what she wanted to do with her Great Adirondack Yarn Company’s Well Dressed Sheep (cotton/rayon/metallic in chunky weight)   in the Beach House colorway.   She’s adapting a border design “Cabled Lace”  from Leisure Arts’s 50 Fabulous Borders by Rita Weiss that she found at the Foggy Bottoms Yarn Store in Ferndale.

cowl startcowl and yarn

She also talks about making the Humboldt Squid, mythically known as the Kracken. 

squid

 

Inspired by that project, she finished up a jellyfish she’s been working on for awhile.  jelly jelly 2

 

Both are from Hansi Singh’s Amigurumi Knits .

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Catherine found the largest real jellyfish she’s seen around here recently on one of our beaches.

jelly beach 2

 

Margaret has gone crazy for the Lucci Yarns DK cotton tape yarn in luminescent colors and the Washcloth Wrapped Soaps (washcloth, border, and “ribbon”) created by Stitch Diva Jennifer Hansen who owns Stitch Diva Studios.

close up washloth Multiple washcloths lucci washcloth red

Margaret was wearing her Gallatin Scarf by Kris Basta in Hanelei Hand dyed yarn.

gallatin

 

Brainy Stuff:

Studies are showing that knitting and other similar activities can cut the risk of age related dementia and Alzheimer’s disease although most reports are anecdotal and scientists say more studies need to be done.

You can hear Dr. Yonas Geda on this You Tube explanation.

Central Kentucky University publishes the Successful Aging Resource Guide and Greg Jicha MD and Sarah Tarrort MD discuss similar studies in the 2013 issue on page 6.

Even magazine reading and computer activities seem to help according to this article. 

Behind the Redwood Curtain:  Humboldt Bay National Wildlife Reserve

Located on an estuary, the Humboldt Bay National Wildlife Refuge is a stop on the International Pacific Flyway, which shelters and feeds birds as they migrate.

wildlife 4 wildlife 3 wildlife 2 wildlife

Knitting Tip:

Margaret suggests that on challenging projects, you chart out knitting or crochet instructions either formally (with the “official” symbols) or informally (with your own marks.)