Brainy Stuff starts at 15:26

Behind the Redwood Curtain stats at 24:13

Catherine is using her Fantasy Red Cardi by Katherine Foster as her carry along knitting project and has just started a crochet project:  Dogwood Scarf by Suzann Thompson.  Margaret has been experimenting with making samples of different ways to top off the top of a simple hat.

Catherine reports on a study done by Dr. Arne May who found that teaching people to juggle grew their brain cells.   She asks, can knitting and crochet do the same thing?

Margaret talks about clams, clamming and Clam Beach, California.

Margaret suggests that people try different tools and is now experimenting with 12 inch and 9 inch knitting needles.

The incentive prize and the Learn along continue over on Ravelry.

Brainy Part starts at 24:25

Redwood Curtain starts at 32:55

Margaret talks about trying to find the perfects cotton yarn for socks and Catherine tells of her adventures with the Fantasy Red Cardi.

Margaret explains auditory learning from the VAK Learning style perspective and how we use all our senses when we are learning.

In Behind the Redwood Curtain, Catherine celebrates the California Poppy.

Brain Stuff starts at 23:17 and Behind the Redwood Curtain (Arcata Community Forest) begins at 32:33.

Catherine is learning from her Putney Shawl, Clapo-ktus, and the Fantasy Red Cardi.   Margaret is learning from the Flapper Bucket Hat.

Catherine shares the long tradition of handmade wraps to comfort people who are sick, who have had a loss or who are moving away.  One of the current projects is the Prayer Shawl Ministry.

Margaret offers information about the Arcata Community Forest, one of the few community owned forests in the West.

Catherine has a knitting tip to use larger needles to cast on and bind off.

We are starting our first "Learn-a-Long"   See our Ravelry Group for the rules.

And we have a new incentive prize for people who join our Ravelry Group.

Brainy Stuff Starts at 22:00 and Behind the Redwood Curtain begins at 34:07

Margaret tells what she's been learning from Kristen Omdahl's Seamless Crochet Shawl where she tested out the Ninja Star Pattern with the AllHemp6 DK yarn.   She likes the pattern and the yarn but not with each other. 

Catherine talks about her progress on her projects:   Meadowlark Shibori Jacket by Gina Wilde and Clapo-Ktus by Loredana Gianferri and Some Pig washcloth by Eimly Guise

In Part I of why we put down one project and start the other in the Brainy Part, Margaret talks about Novelty and how it impacts our brain.   Then Catherine talks about the Godwit bird and the Zen Center in Arcata. 

Finally Margaret suggests trying different yarns and being aware that you might to use different tension and even different tensioning hand postures. 

Brainy Part starts at: 14:05; Behind the Redwood Curtain starts at 28.20.

Catherine talks about her progress on the Meadowlark Shibori Jacket by Gina Wilde out of Alchemy yarn and her new project Clapo-Ktus by Loredana Gianferri in a beloved skein of Goth Sock.  Margaret kind of winged it with a long, narrow drop stitch scarf out of  Recycled Sari Silk.

Then in the Brainy segment, Catherine talks about how meditation can actually increase the grey matter in your brain and reduce the size and therefore the reactivity of the amygdala.   She also shares information on a program called Knitting Behind Bars.

Margaret describes the logging history of the redwoods and current efforts to be more sustainable.

Catherine's knitting tip is change up needle sizes when you're knitting -- have one project on larger needles and another on smaller.

The incentives to join the Ravelry group continue. 

Brainy part starts at 17:50 and Behind the Redwood Curtain begins at 32:20.

Margaret talks about her adaptation of the Sweet November crocheted scarf and Catherine gives updates on her Meadowlark Shibori jacket and Sock Yarn Blanket.

Margaret talks about the once popular Right- and Left-brain theory and how current brain scientists see those terms as metaphors.  She mentions that knitters sometimes identify as Right- or Left-brained.

Catherine talks about Blue Ox Millworks in Eureka, CA which uses old fashioned methods to make replicas of pieces for residents and business.  It has expanded to have a school and veterans' services.

Catherine also suggests knitters have a number of cast-ons and bind-offs to choose from when they knit.

Brainy Stuff starts at 21:47  and Behind the Redwood Curtain begins at 38.:36.

Catherine shares what she's learned from her knitting of the cowel she completed and her adventures with the Meadowlark Shibori Jacket.  Margaret talks about a Knit-a-long she began many years ago sponsored by Webs Yarn Company that featured tree motifs from Barbara Walker

Today's question is how does Knitting qualifies as an engaged mental activity.   The answer lies in the various brain lobes and brain waves and the location and the wave activity changes depending on what you do including knitting, watching TV, reading or listening to audio books. 

In Behind the Redwood Curtain, Catherine talks about the Arts Alive events in Arcata and Eureka, CA.

The knitting tip this episode is from Josh Bennet who says that if you want long lasting garments, that seaming the pieces is your best bet and that 1x1 ribbing is more durable than other kinds

Brainy stuff starts at 15:40 and Behind the Redwood Curtain begins at 26:55.

Catherine finds a patterns for her Great Adirondack yarn from 50 Fabulous Borders by Rita Weiss.  She also finished a jelly fish from Hansi Singh's Amigurumi Knits.

Margaret has been making washcloths from Stitch Diva's (Jennifer Hansen') pattern and loving the Lucci DK cotton tape yarn.

Catherine relates some research suggesting the knitting and other acitivities reduce the chances of dementia and age-related Alzheimer's.   The evidence is anecdotal and researchs say they need more research before they can find a causal link.

Margaret talks about the Humboldt Bay National Wildlife Refuge.  She also offers a tip to suggest you can sketch out a graph on a challenging knit or crochet pattern that doesn't have one. 

Brainy stuff starts at 22:40 and Behind the Redwood Curtain starts at 32:05.

Margaret shares what's she's learned from the Gallatin Scarf and the Silk Curved Scarf while Catherine talks about new (Meadowlark Shibori Jacket) and old (Sock Yarn Blanket) projects.

Margaret discusses the concept of metacognition and how it helps make knitting projects more successful.  She also talks about the First Street Gallery in Eureka and Catherine offers a knitting tip about soaking your project for 20 minutes before blocking. 

Brainy Stuff starts at 25:40.  Redwood Curtain starts at 37:40.

Catherine is learning more about the structural construction of knitting from Josh Ryks' Scarfy Shenanigans.  She also enjoyed the construction of Laura Aylor's Outlier.  And for charity, she knitted one of her standbys -- Magic 28.

Margaret knit a black and white striped hat and added fringe.  She learned that cashmere is lovely soft but shows her botched efforts to pick up a stitch.

Catherine discusses the Arcata Waste Management Plant and Wildlife Sanctuary and Margaret offered a tip about getting spiral binding on knitting techniques books.