Ep. 117 Compassion and the Brain; Knit a-longs; Virtual Fiber events

Brainy thing: 19:33    Behind the Redwood Curtain (and beyond):  34:15

 

What We’re Learning from our Knitting:

Catherine finished hosting 2020 Potholder exchange which she said was successful.   She has been doing some dyeing with procion dyes which she says was  fun but messy and recommends kool aid dyes (acid)  for beginners.   Her current project that she’s making for the Dishcloth Exchange is Log Cabin Dishcloth by Mary Anne Dinsmore  https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/log-cabin-dishcloth.   She also working on the Bright Sunny Day Mystery Knit Along by Sivia Harding Using Canon Hand Dyes by the Other Amy Lee but going slower than the clues are coming out.  https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/bright-sunny-day

Margaret finished the third Potholder for the exchange using Chicken Potholder  by Erangi Udeshika https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/chicken-potholder-6 .  She also finished two projects in Laura Nelkins Kit Knit along.  First was a very pleasurable two color Stranded hat call Proto Lola https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/proto-lola  in green and white, Berroco Catena and Istez Lettlopi.   She’s was challenged by the combination of yarn (JaggerSpun Zephyr wool/silk laceweight yarn and small sharp needles.   The pattern is Cassio Collar  and the beads and findings are lovely.   In fact the whole thing is lovely now that it’s done.   I have an extra kit that I’m happy to send to a listener who is the first one on this thread (Episode 117) on our Ravelry Group  Teaching Your Brain to Knit.  

 

Brainy Thing:

Catherine discusses the difference between Empathy, Compassion and Pity and the role genetics and the brain plays on compassion. https://www.cam.ac.uk/research/news/study-finds-that-genes-play-a-role-in-empathy  https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-athletes-way/201310/the-neuroscience-empathy#:~:text=This%20specific%20part%20of%20your,the%20the%20right%20supramarginal%20gyrus.&text=This%20area%20of%20the%20brain,responsible%20for%20empathy%20and%20compassion.She also shares some compassion quizzes and recommends George Orwell’s Down and Out in Paris http://gutenberg.net.au/ebooks01/0100171h.html  and Black Like Me by John Howard Griffin.   

Max Planck https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Max_Planck      https://mpfi.org/

Greater Good quiz  https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/quizzes/take_quiz/empathy

 

Behind the Redwood Curtain

The local Natural Fiber Fair is going virtual this year http://www.naturalfiberfair.com/  so all can attend free this year.   Watch out for other local fiber events that may be going online.  Stitches has had virtual events https://stitches.events/  and Vogue Knitting will be putting on Virtual Knitting Live by Vogue Knitting on September 10-13 and October 8 through 11 https://www.vogueknittinglive.com/portal   Marketplace:   https://www.handspunhope.org/events?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIwf3OmdbV6wIVxcDACh0OzQ0cEAAYASAAEgI2p_D_BwE.  

 

Welcome to Teaching Your Brain to Knit, episode 117 where we explore the genetic and brain links to Compassion, report on Catherine’s progress on Potholders and Sivia Harding’s Mystery Knit along and Margaret’s completion of two of Laura Nelkin’s kits.  We share that our local Natural Fiber Fair is going virtual and encourage everyone to check out their own local fiber events as well as national fiber shows that are happening online.