Ep. 031 Knitting, Life-long Learning and Your Brain

Brainy Thing:   26:00      Behind the Redwood Curtain:  38:15

 

What we’re learning from our Knitting

Catherine gives an update on the Vanessa Ives Mystery Shawl http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/vanessa-ives By Bunny Muff  http://www.ravelry.com/designers/bunnymuff and how even Michael’s failed in providing Japanese beads that would work.  While she’s waiting for her delivery of beads, she’s working on Baby Socks by Bianca Bufran for the Afghan for Afghans project.  The socks are made from Treadsock Yarns that Catherine dyed with Dharma dyed goods.    She’s also been working up some scrubbies for the Dishcloth group she belongs to.  This one is Little Scrubbie http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/little-scrubbie by Arctic Trails Abstract  http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/sources/arctictrailsabstractblogspot and made out of leftover Knit Picks Indy Chain Linen in  and leftover AllHemp 6 lux.

 

Margaret tells the “amazing” story of finding a hand dyed indigo boucle cotton at Amazing Yarns in Emerald Hills, CA.  She knit the Miami Vice pattern http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/miami-vice by 3 bags fulled http://www.ravelry.com/designers/threebagsfulledor Hillary Designs and learned of ways to fix the dye from John Marshall of John Marshall Works in Fabric who was at the Natural Fibre Festival in Arcata in September.

 

Brainy Thing

Another reason we crafters should continue to learn?  Catherine talks about the Nun Study, a longitudinal study of Sisters of Notre Dame which indicates that lifelong learners have a lower rate of symptoms of dementia even if there are pathological signs of it in the brain after death.  Also, those with stronger language skills fared better in terms of preventing dementia.

 

Behind the Redwood Curtain

Margaret shares information about the mission of the Friends of the Dunes’ Humboldt Coastal Nature Center.

 

 

Knitting Tips   (technical problems prevented the recording of this.

Learn more about indigo from the “word of the Week” on Indigo expert John Marshall.  http://johnmarshall.to/blog/category/japanese_word_of_the_week/

 

Podcast Business

The incentive to sign up for the Teaching Your Brain to Knit Ravelry Group continues.  http://www.ravelry.com/groups/teaching-your-brain-to-knit