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-c...
Feb 03, 2017•40 min
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the Redwood Curtain: 23:56 What We Learned from Our Knitting: Margaret finished Laura’s Lamers' Silken Straw Kerchief (unpublished) which was a long term but pleasant pattern.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-kerchief with a self strip...
Jan 19, 2017•42 min
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...
Jan 04, 2017•28 min
Brainy Thing: 11:37 Behind the Redwood Curtain: 24:21 Catherine has declare “Hat Day” by knitting Marsha McCormack’s “Easy Watch Cap With A Twist” http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/easy-watch-cap-with-a-twist . Marsha designs under the name of Lena’s Legacy Hand Knits, honoring her grandmother who taught her to knit. The pattern is free. Catherine also knit the "Countless Baby Hat” http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/countless-baby-hat a free top down pattern by Cindy Davies that featu...
Dec 19, 2016•36 min
BrainyThing: 27:30 Behind the Redwood Curtain: 32:45 What We Are Learning from Our Knitting: Margaret was inspired by the Maya hat and mittens designed by Theresa Schabes http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/maya-hat-and-mittens-set using Viking Norway Nordlys which is a thick fingering weight 75% superwash wool 25% nylon single loosely plied yarn. What is striking about the yarn is the intense colors. They have long irregular stripes that are what I call a true gradient — they seem to blend ...
Dec 05, 2016•44 min
Brainy thing: 12:46 Behind the Redwood Curtain: 26:38 What We’re Learning from Our Knitting: Twice Margaret made the ribbed brim of the Top Down lace beanie from lion brand http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/lace-beanie-70177 too tight. She tells how Lori’s Twisty bind off https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rWS77BKk5NQ saved the day. She used Plymouth Kudo yarn in cotton and silk. And Catherine enjoys the pile of washcloths that she received from her Ravelry washcloth exchange — all in cotton ...
Nov 18, 2016•39 min
Brainy Thing: 18:46 Behind the Redwood Curtain: 24:36 What We’re Learning From Our Knitting: Catherine scores a spectacular finish to the Vanessa Ives Knit-along by Bunny Muff or Mona8pi http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/vanessa-ives Margaret struggles with a crocheted stuffy, Aitches by Brenda K. B. Anderson http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/aitches Brainy Thing: Catherine find a study that specifically links “mood repair” or depression relief from knitting done at the Arizona State...
Nov 02, 2016•32 min
Welcome to Episode 48: How You Can Learn the Holistic Way Brainy Thing: 22:20 Behind the Redwood Curtain: 29:50 What We Learned From Our Knitting Margaret learns a lot about her knitting by not knitting. Catherine confronts some of the challenges of long term knitting projects, this time the Meadow Lark Shibori Jacket http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/meadowlark-shibori-jacket by Gina Wilde out of Alchemy yarns. Brainy Thing: Holistic Knitting When is learning like a piece of knitting Whhe...
Oct 18, 2016•39 min
Welcome to Episode 47 of Teaching Your Brain to Knit Brainy thing: 11:29 Behind the Redwood Curtain 21:56 What We’re Learning from Our Knitting Margaret has been looking for modifications of the Afterthought Heel to prevent (or reduce) those strained stitches in the corner. She found Afterthought Heels Revisited ( http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/afterthought-heels-revisited ) by Laura Linneman of the Kinitgirlllls (yes, three “l”s) Podcast fame and the Knit Better Socks blog by RMD ( htt...
Oct 03, 2016•36 min
Brainy Thing: 13:19 Behind the Redwood Curtain: We modify our podcast a bit this podcast as we synthesize and review two years of our podcasting episodes. What We’ve Learned from Our Knitting (and Crochet) Catherine and Margaret talk what they’ve learned from their knitting over the past two years. Margaret has learned about her ADD with knitting and how she needs variety. Catherine has learned that she needs two projects — one a simple carry-around project and another one that challenges her. C...
Sep 17, 2016•33 min
Brainy Thing: 18:27 Redwood Curtain: 33:43 What We’re Learning from Our Knitting (and Luceting): Ta Dah! Catherine finished her Garden Arbor Shawl by Kira K Designs, a kit she got from The Natural Fiber Fair in 2015. The yarn is the Sky colorway in Bamboo from Be Sweet Yarns. Margaret made a lucet bracelet that was a modification of the pattern that Jennifer Hansen, from Stitch Diva offered as a bonus after completing her free 7-Day Lucet Challenge. https://app.convertkit.com/landing_pages/38006...
Sep 03, 2016•41 min
Brainy Thing: 18:30 Behind the Redwood Curtain 30:00 What We’re Learning from Our Knitting and Crochet Margaret completed the Alpaca Angel Crochet Shawl pattern PO6134 by Kristen Omdahl http://www.amazon.com/stream/ref=strm_swm_all_nav_IF?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=nav-sitewide-msg&pf_rd_r=5S5CKKRATKXE71SVA3NT&pf_rd_t=4201&pf_rd_p=1858d2e6-f93a-4246-9790-e206ebea43d1&pf_rd_i=navbar-4201 using Knit Picks Diadem KD in silver and gold. Catherine’s potholder swap is completed ...
Aug 20, 2016•40 min
Brainy Thing: 18:45 Behind the Redwood Curtain: 33:15 What Our Knitting and Crochet is Teaching Us: Margaret crocheted the Boteh Scarf http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/boteh-scarf in by Kathy Merrick out of nearly three balls of Bella Lino 58% Linen, 26% viscose, and 16% cotton http://www.ravelry.com/yarns/library/classic-elite-yarns-bella-lino . It looks like since Bella Lino is not part of Classic elites yarns' verde collection — like Sprout in chunky or Seedling in worsted/aran, it is ...
Aug 03, 2016•44 min
Brainy Thing: 22:56 Behind the Redwood Curtain: 32:23 What We’ve Learned from Our Knitting: Catherine recently bought a skein of Be sweet yarn, African Bead Ball, to celebrate Knitting in Public Day. http://www.ravelry.com/yarns/library/be-sweet-african-bead-ball . She started knittingKira Designs' Garden Arbor shawl ( http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/garden-arbor-shaw l) out of another Be Sweet yarn, Bamboo. Margaret learned a new skill through the 7 day lucet challenge. Check out Jennif...
Jul 17, 2016•42 min
Brainy Thing: 19:01 Behind the Redwood Curtain What We’re Learning From Our Knitting: Catherine is knitting washcloths using SmarieK’s free pattern Double Lattice free pattern. http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/double-lattice-cloth using scraps of cotton including Knit One Crochet Two and Cotlin. Margaret had another Mending Party. Thanks to oekmama1in our Ravelry Group for referring her to Kate Atherley’s article in Knitty 2006 on Repairs. http://www.knitty.com/ISSUEspring06/FEATrepairs10...
Jul 03, 2016•42 min
Brainy Thing: 20:35 Behind the Redwood Curtain 32:40 What We’re Learning from Our Knitting Margaret was inspired by Catherine to try Sasha Ball Rives wonderful pattern Among the Wildflowers http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/among-the-wildflowers with her own “learning opportunities”, of course. For a Ravelry swap, Catherine completed the Crochet Flower Potholders pattern by Jennifer Martin Blue J http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/flower-potholders using scraps of cotton. Brainy Thing...
Jun 17, 2016•43 min
Brainy Thing: 14:20 Behind the Redwood Curtain: 27:50 What We’re Learning from Our Knitting: Margaret crocheted Easter Egg motifs She never got the Easter Egg Garland http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/easter-egg-garland by Michaela Krause http://www.ravelry.com/designers/michaela-krause correct but was able to fudge it and she liked this one best. The other pattern was the Easiest Crochet Egg Pattern Ever http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/the-easiest-crochet-egg-pattern-ever by Miche...
Jun 01, 2016•35 min
Brainy Thing: 14:50 Behind the Redwood Curtain 25:05 What We’re Learning from Our Knitting Margaret conquers (almost) the Fish Lips Kiss Heel http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/fish-lips-kiss-heel with a sock for her grandson out of Fridays Studio Monday Base (Superwash 75% and Polyamide 25%) in the Halloween color way. Catherine is continuing knitting baby socks for Afghans for Afghans using the Kate Atherly Baby Socks http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/baby-socks-23 with the modifica...
May 17, 2016•37 min
Brainy Thing: 19.28 Behind the Redwood Curtain: 29:14 What We’re Learning from Our Knitting Catherine finished her Among the wildflowers bandana cowl http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/among-the-wildflowers which was another opportunity to use beads. She used Rizoni yarn from The loom (The loombangkok.com). Sasha Ball Rives http://www.ravelry.com/designers/sasha-ball-rives was the designer of the free design. In addition to designing, she owns the Stitch Space yarn shop in Missouri. On her ...
Apr 17, 2016•39 min
Brainy Thing: 22:00 Behind the Redwood Curtain: 38:45 What we learned from our knitting: Margaret played with crocheted hearts from DIY Wedding by Jennifer E. Ryan either in Interweave Crochet Summer 2015 or as a special collection on the Interweave Website. They were cute, quick and fun. They are called Guest Lapel Pins on Ravelry. http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/guest-lapel-pins Catherine shares Towashis she received from her swap. One was made of a worsted cotton, the second from suga...
Apr 01, 2016•41 min
Brainy thing: 23:33 Behind the Redwood Curtain: 33:33 What We’re Learning from our Knitting: Catherine’s been doing some knitting for a theatre production: She made a pair of fingerless mitts in bright pink for the monkey character in Jungalbook, just relying on measurements and her memory of doing mitts. She used Deceptive Cookie's http://www.ravelry.com/people/DeceptiveCookie Bias Stripe Shawl Recipe http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/bias-stripe-shawl-recipe (free) for a black and orange...
Mar 19, 2016•43 min
Brainy thing: 21:40 Redwood Curtain 31:40 What We’re Learning from our Knitting: Margaret does realize that the Forgetting Curve threw her a curve on the Fish Lip Kiss heel. She made a sparkly pair of blue socks out of Knit Circus Pixie Dust fingering weight merino/silk/nylon/polyamide/metallic yarn. Years ago she got a similar yarn as a kit from Knit Circus for Jaala Spiro’s half circle Coirrina Shawl ( http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/corrina-shawl ) in the Casseopeia color way. When sh...
Mar 01, 2016•41 min
Brainy Thing: 20:47 Behind the Redwood Curtain 33:15 What We’re Learning from Our Knitting: Catherine updates us on her process knitting with Vanessa Ives Shawl by Bunny Muff http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/vanessa-ives She is knitting baby socks by http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/baby-socks--hat Bianca Boonstra for her favorite charity Afghan for Afghans http://www.afghansforafghans.org/index.html . They are out of her 2nd pair of Catnip Yarn that she died with Dharma dyes Marga...
Feb 21, 2016•45 min
Brainy Thing: 13:45 Behind the Redwood Curtain 23:10 What we’re learning from our Knitting Margaret is knitting a cowl out of Katia Temis or Colibri —she’s lost the ball band There’s no pattern: She just casts on 25 or more stitches and knits in garter stitch on very large needles (size 13) until she runs out of yarn. This is her exercise bike knitting. She also reports on how much she likes the Designing Vashti Yarn: Lotus Z-twisted sport weight fashion yarns: 52 cotton, 48 rayon. She knit up K...
Feb 08, 2016•35 min
Brainy Thing: 26:00 Behind the Redwood Curtain: 38:15 What we’re learning from our Knitting Catherine gives an update on the Vanessa Ives Mystery Shawl http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/vanessa-ives By Bunny Muff http://www.ravelry.com/designers/bunnymuff and how even Michael’s failed in providing Japanese beads that would work. While she’s waiting for her delivery of beads, she’s working on Baby Socks by Bianca Bufran for the Afghan for Afghans project. The socks are made from Treadsock Y...
Jan 27, 2016•43 min
Brainy Thing: 15:47 Behind the Redwood Curtain: 25:35Welcome to Episode: How the Distributive Practice Effect or Spacing Effect can help you learn skills in the fiber Arts.What we’re learning from our Knitting Catherine got a lot of satisfaction by completing Laura Nelkin’s Butin Collar. http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/butin-collarMargaret created felted bangles from Mags Kandis’ Bevy of Bangles pattern, http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/bevy-of-banglesfrom the book Gifted, Lovely ...
Jan 03, 2016•33 min
Brainy Thing: 17:37 Behind the Redwood Curtain: 27:54 What We’re Learning from Our Knitting and Crochet: Catherine needed a quick, satisfying, completed project so she whipped up the crocheted Skinny Mini Scarf by Carla Fanton in Feza Purl in gold. Margaret was in the same need-a-quick-success mood and worked up two Javori Designs bracelet kits: Arya crochet in sapphire; Paloma Knit beaded bracelet in Starry night Brainy Thing Catherine discovers the connections between multi-sensory learning, c...
Dec 02, 2015•38 min
Episode 28 Process versus product in your knitting and crochet Brainy Things: 10:40 Redwood Curtain: 18:35 What we’re learning from our knitting and crochet Margaret crocheted a super quick project: the Crochet cobweb pattern by Jennifer Hansen. It's free! http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/crochet-cobweb After a rough start, Catherine is now enjoying the Vanessa Ives Mystery KAL. http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/vanessa-ives Brainy Thing: Process vs. Product in our Knitting and Croc...
Nov 16, 2015•28 min
Episode 27: Reading/Writing Learning Preference and Your Knitting Brainy thing: 25:10 Redwood Curtain: 33:50 What Our Knitting is Teaching Us Margaret concludes (at least for now) her cotton sock yarn comparison with Feel Good Yarns sock yarn knitted in a generic sock pattern and using the new-to-her Fish Lips Kiss Heel by Sox Therapist http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/fish-lips-kiss-heel in Feel Good Yarn Company http://www.ravelry.com/yarns/library/feel-good-yarn-company-silverspun-sock...
Nov 02, 2015•44 min
Brainy Part Starts: 18.01; Behind the Redwood Curtain Starts: 28.54 What we’re learning from Our Knitting and Crochet Catherine took a class from Patti Subik, dyer extraordinaire and owner of Great Adirondack Yarn. http://www.greatadirondackyarnco.com/ http://www.ravelry.com/yarns/brands/great-adirondack-yarn-coShe experienced one of those great insights that opened up her world using procine dyes. She also made a cute pair of Baby Uggs http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/baby-uggs-2designed...
Oct 18, 2015•43 min
