Brainy thing:  17:42      Behind the Redwood Curtain:  28:36   What We’re Learning from Our Knitting: Margaret gains an even greater appreciation for well written directions.  Two great patterns, in particular  that she’s worked on lately is Wooly Sheep by  Lucy of Attic 24 https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/woolly-sheep-2.  She used scrap yarn.    She added a touch of embroidery on the sweater/blanket for the sheep.  Also, she’s working on the Baker’s Twine potholder out of  https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/baker-s-twine  two strands of dk cotton, one black and one white.  The designer is Catherina Duden.   Her company is Ducathi.   Catherine is working away at her Socky Slouchy Hat by Loren Sanchez  https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/socky-slouchy-hat.    She’s also trying to find a gauge she likes for a potholder for her potholder exchange:  the 2020 Potholder Exchange:  https://www.ravelry.com/groups/2020-potholder-swap   Brainy Thing:  Countering the Stress of the  Pandemic Experiencing sheltering-in-place and isolation creates stress for most of us.  Margaret shares many strategies for helping to ease your way through the crisis. https://www.businessinsider.com/what-coronavirus-covid19-pandemic-stress-is-doing-to-your-brain-2020-5 https://www.wired.com/story/what-does-covid-19-do-to-your-brain/    cytokines   April 30  https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/demystifying-psychiatry/202004/effects-covid-19-the-brain   https://www.sciencealert.com/some-covid-19-patients-are-also-reporting-neurological-symptoms   blood brain barrier   https://theconversation.com/lethargic-global-response-to-covid-19-how-the-human-brains-failure-to-assess-abstract-threats-cost-us-dearly-137119   slow response   research necessary mental health   https://www.cnn.com/2020/04/15/health/covid-19-mental-health-pandemic-wellness-intl-scli-gbr/index.html   upper and lower brain   https://www.forbes.com/sites/rahulrazdan/2020/04/26/sustainability-covid-19-elon-musk-and-a-tale-of-the-upper-and-lower-brain-/#547f277273ba   what we don’t know   https://www.newyorker.com/science/medical-dispatch/what-we-dont-know-about-covid-19   poly vagal  https://acepblog.org/2020/05/05/the-pandemic-zoom-and-polyvagal-theory/ https://www.registerguard.com/news/20200601/prevention-dont-hold-in-anxiety-get-relief-by-talking-about-it https://today.uconn.edu/2020/06/americans-coping-covid-19-stress/ https://www.newswise.com/coronavirus/the-potential-of-covid-19-to-infect-the-brain/?article_id=731490   Behind the Redwood Curtain: The Humboldt Open Studios allows visitors and patrons to see artists where they work.  This year’s event is cancelled but we hope it continues in the future.     Welcome to Episode 114 of Teaching Your Brain to Knit.   Today we shares many strategies for helping you ease your way through the isolation and separation of the Pandemic.  Margaret gains a new appreciation for well written directions and mentions two projects with excellent directions that she’s been working on.   Catherine continues working on her Socky Sloucy Hat and struggles to find a perfect gauge for her potholder.   And she also reports on an annual event in Humboldt, the artists’ Open Studios which sadly has been canceled this year but that we hope you can catch in the future.   Many thanks to KnittyBarb of the Two Knit Lit Chicks Podcast who shared her tips on recording remotely with me.   Unfortunately, both Catherine and I have very old devices and so the sound quality here continues to be less than ideal.   But we’re working on it.     Thanks for listening to our podcast.  We’re going to increase the frequency of our podcasts to a bit more than once a month.   If you subscribe — we’re on most podcast apps and aggregators — you’ll be sure not to miss our episodes.