Brainy:  12:49       Behind the Redwood Curtain:  21:21

 

What We’re Learning from Our Knitting:

Catherine reaps the rewards of the Dishcloth Swap https://www.ravelry.com/groups/annual-dishcloth-swap.

Margaret finds comfort from yarn crafts after the Tree of Life mass shooting with the Jewish Hearts for Pittsburgh group.  In Ravelry:  https://www.ravelry.com/groups/jewish-hearts-for-pittsburgh    Also on Facebook.

 

Brainy Thing:  Good Brain Chemicals from Group Singing

Let’s raise our voices for the good brain chemicals we get from singing — especially in groups.   

 

Behind the Redwood Curtain:

Margaret shares a little research on the redwood trees canopy, that ecosystem high in the air.  

 

Podcast Links: 

Instagram:   Margaret Kelso for Margaret and MagicWombat1 for Catherine

 

Today in Teaching Your Brain to Knit Catherine reaps the rewards of her Dishcloth Swap and shares them with us, Margaret Finds comfort in a crochet version of Jewish Hearts for Pittsburgh, Catherine reports on research that confirms    that singing helps us feel better, especially when we’re in a group, and Margaret reveals research on the surprising ecosystem hundreds of feet above the ground in the Redwood canopy.   

 

 

 

Brainy Thing: 13:22                  Behind the Redwood Curtain: 21:37

 

What We’re Learning from our Knitting (and Crochet)

Margaret finished the crocheted blocks (from The Big Book of Granny Squares by Tracey Lord) for a lap blanket.  She finished #33, #133, #66 and #178 and two others she didn’t write down.  Now she plans to piece together the blocks with a stitch of some sort but she’s not sure what yet.  Finally she wants to felt it.  She hopes the finished results will be a nice felted blanket that she’ll donate to charity.  The yarns are  Valley Yarns  100 % Wool  Northampton Bulky Light Grey and Araucania Yarns Nature Wool  Chunky  Deep red/black  or black/red.  Her hook size was K.

 

Catherine is working on her template sweater or test sweater out of an inexpensive acrylic (Caron) for her son-in-law.   The name of the yarn is Yarnspirations by Caron Big Cakes in the Summer Berry Tart Colorway (gradient) out of 100% acrylic.   She’ll check against this sweater to be able to get accurate measurements and then make a new one out of a pricier yarn.  The one she’s doing now can also go to him as a house sweater or to charity.  The pattern, Andoa, https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/andoa-pullover is free on Ravelry, from Nora Gaughan for Berroco.

 

Brainy Thing

Today Margaret discusses a mix of fun facts about the brain from https://www.livescience.com/12916-10-facts-human-brain.html with an update about a challenge to the myth of multi-tasking :   (https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/creativity-without-borders/201405/the-myth-multitasking)

 

Behind the Redwood Curtain

Catherine reports on an easy trail in Trinidad CA called Elk Head https://www.hikingproject.com/trail/7029875/elk-head-trail with an option for the adventurous:   a terrifying spur call Megwil Point with an incredible up-high view of the beach and ocean.   

 

A Little Podcast Business

We have another give-away — a book of knitted baby hats and a commentary on Slow Podcasting which details our future plans for the podcast.  

 

In this Episode of Teaching Your Brain to Knit we share some fun facts about the brain from its texture (like tofu) to the question of multitasking;  Margaret wonders how she’ll piece together her crocheted granny squares and Catherine reports her progress on her template sweater.  She also reveals a little known outcropping from the Elk Head Trail in Trinidadcalled Megwil Point.   We have another giveaway and we talk a little bit about Slow Podcasting and the future of our podcast.  

 

Links:

Instagram:   Margaret Kelso for Margaret and MagicWombat1 for Catherine