Brainy Thing:     13:44             Redwood Curtain:  19:26

 

What We’re Learning From Our Knitting;

Margaret continues her exploration of new techniques through the creation of jar covers (to use as vases, crochet hook holders, pencil holders, etc.).   This time she tries out foundation crochet with the pattern  Crochet Jar Cosy by Emma Escott  http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/jar-cover-5

Foundation Crochet :  

photo tutorial:  .futuregirl.com/craft_blog/2009/3/tutorial-foundation-single-crochet.aspx    lots of markers and arrows

 

Catherine reports her progress on  worsted weight charity socks sponsored by the NorthCoast Knittery—https://northcoastknittery.com/blogs/shop-tidbits/socks-for-the-homeless with using Kramer Yarn in the Garnett color.  Harry Wells designed the basic sock pattern.  She also talks about what she learned at  Sunny Grove Alpacas, a local farm with goats and alpacas.

 

Brainy Thing

What can Silence do for the brain?   Good things, says Margaret.  Hear what she has to say about noise and silence.

 

Daniel A. Gross http://nautil.us/issue/16/nothingness/this-is-your-brain-on-silence

Dr. Michael Wehr

Imke kerste:  https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00429-013-0679-3

Benefits of Silence:  

Medical Daily 5 health benefits of silence

 

Redwood Curtain   

Humboldt State University, locally called HSU, started out as a teacher’s college.   Catherine traces its history over a hundred years.  

 

Give away  

Knit Baby Head and Toes by Gwen Steege will be given to the first person who asks on Episode 64 thread on Ravelry.

 

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.

 

On this episode of Teaching Your Brain to Knit, we look at what is the impact of noise and silence on the brain, what’s the benefit of the foundation crochet technique, following progress on charity socks and learning about raising alpacas, checking out the   over 100 years of history of Humboldt State University, and offering another book give away.

 

 

 

Brainy Thing:    26:15   Behind the Redwood Curtain  42:55

What We’re Learning from Our Knitting:

Catherine learned an important lesson about life lines on her Absolutely Essential Shawl by Bunny Muff http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/absolutely-essential.  She also started a sock for a charity project sponsored by the Northcoast Knittery made of from Kramer Yarn.  

Margaret finally used some organic cotton, naturally colored yarn she had had in her stash forever.  She doesn’t know if they are FireFox yarns, the organic cotton of different colors started by Sally Fox (the labels have disappeared)  but she likes the idea and the yarn.  http://www.foxfirefiber.com/yarn.html.  She made two jar covers by Sara Delaney #575 Crocheted Lace Jar Covers.  http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/crochet-lace-jar-covers  Her Ravelry name is. Chickenbetty.   She used a cute little flower and leaves by Carolina Guzman  from the  One and Two Company with an excellent pattern.  

 

Brainy Thing:

Studies show that the fiber arts (knitting, crochet, weaving, etc.) can help students, particularly women, become more comfortable with STEM subjects — science, technology, engineering and math.   Catherine tells us about it in this segment.

 

Behind the Redwood Curtain

Dozens of things from rivers to frogs were named after Alexander von Humboldt but why and who in the U.S. knows who he is?  Margaret reports on him.  

 

Knitted Babes Give away

As part of her de-stash efforts, Margaret offers up the book Knitted Babes by Claire Garland book — free to the first person who asks for it on the Ravelry Thread

 

Winners of the Learn-along.  

Listen to the episode for the winners of the 2017 Learn-along.  Prizes are Bamboo So Fine in peach and a cute notions case in a  guitar fabric.  

 

Podcast Links:

 

Today on Teaching Your Brain to Knit why educators are trying to  channel STEM students into the fiber arts; who was Alexander von Humboldt and why was he forgotten in the U.S.; What did Catherine learn about Life lines and Margaret about organic cotton; how to get a free book— from us -- and who won the 2017 spring  Learn-along.