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, we look out for Red Flags in Scientific Research, learn a knit-in- place patch repair for socks, offer tips for knitting a pattern for the second time; discover the world’s last coastal redwood forrest; PLUS offer giveaways for the membership incentive and book de-stash.

2Sep2016

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

Posted in Brain Function, Knitting by teachingyourbraintoknit

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.

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 L

ucet 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.

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The 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/

https://www.amazon.com/Little-Handbook-Shinrin-Yoku-Amos-Clifford-ebook/dp/B00EP6BDFG/ref=tmm_other_meta_binding_title_sr?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1472775354&sr=1-1

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:

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.

http://www.times-standard.com/article/NJ/20160706/NEWS/160709929

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

1May2015

Ep. 015 Knitting, Meditation, and Changing Your Brain (for the better)

Posted in Brain anatomy & physiology, Brain Function, Brain health, Knitting, Meditation by teachingyourbraintoknit

Welcome to Episode 15: Knitting, Meditation, and Changing Your Brain for the better

Brainy Stuff: 14:05

Behind the Redwood Curtain: 28:20

What We’re Learning from Our Knitting and Crochet:

Catherine is still persisting with her Meadowlark Shibori Jacket by Gina Wilde. The beautiful Alchemy yarn requires some attention. She also found a new pattern to work on — the Clapo-ktus by Loredana Gianferri. She’s knitting it with Goth Sock.

It’s a mix between the clapotis and the Baktus patterns and it’s free on Ravelry.

Catherine’s Clapo-Ktus

Margaret created a drop stitch scarf (her own free-style design) out of Sari Silk Handspun. Although she describes the yarn as being plied, what she meant that the yarn was twisted. She mentions that a long while ago, she saw a drop-stitch scarf on Knitting Help.com

Brainy Stuff

Amygdala — less grey matter here means a person is less reactive

Catherine reports on research that shows that the grey matter of the brain — that part of the functioning brain cells — actually increases when a person meditates. She mentions an article printed in the Harvard Gazette that features the research of Dr. Sarah Lazar of Massachusetts General Hospital. Lazar’s Ted Talk on the topic iseasy to understand and has with lots of diagrams. Drawing on prior research (reported in earlier podcasts) that shows that knitting produces meditation-like brain waves, Catherine hypothesizes that knitting would then also increase grey matter. There’s no specific research that supports that link yet, but we hope scientists explore it soon. She concludes with a report on a program called Knitting Behind Bars started by Lynn Zwerling for prisoners at Jessup prison in Maryland.

Behind the Redwood Curtain

Margaret talks a little about the logging history of redwoods. When a redwood is cut down, smaller “sprouts” grow out of the stump (if they are not suppressed by herbicides). Check out the National Geographic Article on the Redwoods.

Many “sprouts” coming up from a cut redwood planted too close to Margaret’s house which undisturbed would turn into the following photo.

The “sprouts” have grown up in this tree. Second Growth Redwoods. near Orick, CA

A Knitting Tip

Catherine reminds us to to change up the needle size of different projects we have going at the same time to help promote good ergonomics and hand health.