Brainy Thing:    14:14              Behind the Redwood Curtain:  22:40

 

What We Learned from our Knitting

Finish up Party

Margaret finally finished her grandson’s socks (for the second time (no pattern— the first time it was too tight) and Catherine finished up two projects.    Margaret mulls over the product versus process question with the help of some famous knitters:  

process vs. product at Knit Purl   https://www.knit-purl.com/blogs/blog/process-vs-product-knitting

 Yarn Harlot  http://www.yarnharlot.ca/2015/01/product-vs-process/

Catherine’s finishes another baby sock recipe that she usually donates to Afghans for Afghans and two little cowls for a friend’s children — on of a fox and the other a teen aged ninja turtle.  Heidi May of Velvet Acorn Designs is the designer  http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/search#query=heidi%20may%20&page=1&view=captioned_thumbs&sort=best

Failynn Fox Cowl   http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/failynn-fox-cowl

 

Brainy Thing:

Two new-ish studies explore depression and agin looking at the brain split front and back.  

 http://www.paulnussbaum.com/gettoknow.html

 http://thebrain.mcgill.ca/flash/d/d_05/d_05_cr/d_05_cr_her/d_05_cr_her.html

 

Behind The Redwood Curtain:  

Arcata’s Sister City, Camoapa, Nicaragua,  supported in part by the I Street Party  https://www.facebook.com/sistercityproject/

 

Links:

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.

 

 

Today in Teaching Your Brain to Knit we find two studies that focus on the front of the brain one on depression, the other aging;  , in knitting synchronicity both Margaret and Catherine finish-up- languishing projects,  we share the story of  how the little  town of Arcata helps a sister city in Nigaraguan with a big party, Catherine gives us a knitting tip from her hard earned wisdom, and don’t forget the Learn-along where you try some new technique, pattern, yarn or craft to sharpen your brain and maybe win some prizes.    Check out the details on Teaching Your Brain to Knit Page on Ravelry

 

 

Brainy thing:   17:11  Behind the Redwood Curtain:  30:42

 

Catherine was deep into the production of Pussy hats by   Jayna Zweiman and Krista Suh https://www.pussyhatproject.com/knit/ .   Bunches more patterns on:  http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/search#query=pussy%20hat&view=captioned_thumbs&page=1&sort=best  Margaret steals, uh, appropriates one of them.  Catherine took this opportunity to repurpose a cowl that was beautiful —Cuppa Java Cowl  http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/cuppa-java-cowl  by Sarah Wilson or The Sexy Knitter http://www.ravelry.com/designers/sarah-wilson— but didn’t quite work for her.   She loved the yarn, though: A Gothling merino cashmere blend by Rainy Days and Wooly Dogs Goth Sox in the colorway "Home Coming Queen’s got a gun.”  She made other hats out of Cascade 220 and some mystery yarns from her stash.

Margaret features some knitting made by other people and shares her delight with the Faberge’ egg-like ornament designed by Laura Lamers’ (http://www.ravelry.com/people/northcoastknit)  of the Northcoast Knittery.  

 

Brainy Thing:

 

Behind the Redwood Curtain:

A paved, multi-use trail just south of Bay Shore Mall and along the Eastern Edge of Humboldt Pave meets lots of needs.   It’s the Hikshari’ trail   http://www.redwoods.info/showrecord.asp?id=5666

 

Podcast Business:

There’s an ongoing incentive to sign up for the Teaching Your Brain to Knit Podcast Ravelry Group and a current contest for the 2017 Learn-along.  

 

 

 

 

How the hormone Oxytocin can increase happiness, How knitting can unite sides in activism, The discovery of a new stitch which brought joy,  Finding a new humboldt trail that accommodates a range of needs, Repurposing yarn for a -not-quite-right finished project

Brainy Thing:   15:59             Behind the Redwood Curtain:  23:56

What We Learned from Our Knitting:

Margaret finished Laura’s Lamers' Silken Straw Kerchief (unpublished) which was a long term but pleasant pattern. The yarn is challenging but so worth the extra attention it needs.   The pattern includes beads and silk — what more could you want?

Catherine finished her  Age of Brass and Steam shawlette by Orange Flower http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/the-age-of-brass-and-steam-kerchiefwith a self striping skein from Canon dye works.

 

Brainy Thing:

Margaret reports on “Neurosociety," the immersion/interactive theatre experience currently in Menlo Park, California that explores how our brains influence our perceptions and how our perceptions impact what we believe.  It was created by David Byrne and Mala Gaonkar.  http://www.pacegallery.com/exhibitions/12834/the-institute-presents-neurosociety and runs through March.

 

Behind the Redwood Curtain:

Catherine talks about how Arcata’s Big Scoop ice cream shop is an excellent example of a locavore business and one that reflects the owners’ values.

 

Knitting Tip:

Margaret got feedback from listeners about more information on Color Dominance.  Here is some  particularly helpful information she found:   

Ysolda Teague’s blog  http://blog.ysolda.com/ysolda-blog/2014/5/29/technique-thursday-colour-dominance

Dianna at the Paper Tiger blog  http://paper-tiger.net/blog/13911317/colordominance

 

2017 Learn-along:

The 2017 Learn-along runs from January 1 to May 1.   There are two threads on the Teaching Your Brain to Knit page of Ravelry:  one for the finished projects and one for chatter — to admire, offer advice and muse.

 

Links:

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.

 

Today on Teaching Your Brain to Knit, an interactive theatrical event that teaches you about your brain; a new strategy for dealing with challenging yarn, having fun with self-striping yarn, how an Arcata ice cream shop supports the locavore movement, More on color dominance and a reminder about the 2017 Learn-along.

 

 

 

 

Brainy Thing:   13:02    Behind the Redwood Curtain:

 

What We’re Learning From Our Knitting:

Catherine returns to an old favorite, The Age of Brass and Steam by Orange Flower http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/the-age-of-brass-and-steam-kerchief

Margaret tries a new tool, Embellish-Knit https://www.amazon.com/Caron-20293-Embellish-Knit-Machine-Kit/dp/B003W0AUQ4/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1483493507&sr=8-1&keywords=embellish-knit+machine+kit which makes a wicked-fast i-chord to create some Wreath Ornaments by Lorna Miser.

 http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/wreath-ornaments-3  and the Fino necklace by Laura Nelkin.  

 http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/fino

 

Brainy Thing:  Gut Instinct and the Brain

Scientists are showing a direct link between the human gut and the brain which accounts for those “gut feelings we get. 

Switzerland science researchers at ETH in Zurik,  Urs Meyer  German and his team at the  Swiss Federal insititude of technology,  research gut brain afferance   https://www.ethz.ch/en/news-and-events/eth-news/news/2014/05/how-the-gul-feeling-shapes-fear.html

 

Behind the Redwood Curtain:  Sequoia Park Zoo

A small but sweet zoo in Sequoia Park in Eureka concentrates on education and species preservation.

 

Knitting Tip:  Prevent Repetitive Stress Syndrome

Keeping your hands in a C shape with your palms facing upward helps to prevent repetitive stress syndrome

 

Learn-along

Our all-new Learn Something New Incentive with randomly selected prizes.   See thread on the Teaching Your Brain to Knit Ravelry page.   One prize will be a skein of 650 yards of Kristin Omdahl’s  B so Fine yarn  (in bamboo)   by Kristin Omdahl Yarns.   Other prizes to be announced.  

 

Links:

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.

 

Is there anything to  “gut feelings” that people are always talking about, We return to an old favorite   Age of Brass and Steam Kerchief, using a new tool dramatically speeds up making i-chord, Spot lighting Eureka’s small but educational zoo, a way to prevent repetitive stress syndrome, and the beginning of a new Learn-along