Brainy thing:     17:09   Behind the Redwood Curtain:  24:36   What We’ve Learned from our Knitting: Margaret finished Sarah Schirra’s Mystery Knit-along named Nice to Gnome you.   Knitting with two strands of yarn was challenging — especially with the nose and the center double decrease but she enjoyed watching how the various doubled yarns of different colors worked together.    https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/nice-to-gnome-you https://www.moderndailyknitting.com/double-vision/?mc_cid=c289c548d9&mc_eid=f7638ac441    She used a combination of colors from Leading Men Fibers. https://www.leadingmenfiberarts.com/ Afterwards, she knit Susan B. Anderson’s Peas in a Pod, a tiny amigurumi project where she made small balls with ease.   Finally, she discovered and knit an Izzy Doll, to be donated to charity https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/summer-veggie-charm-set    sethttps://www.ravelry.com/patterns/search#sort=best&inline=&query=izzy  https://cmea-agmc.ca/story-izzy-dolls#:~:text=During%20his%20first%20peace%2Dkeeping,dolls%20and%20Mark%20distributed%20them. Catherine is steadily knitting and enjoying Bright Summer Day, a shawl designed by Sivia Harding as a Mystery Knit along. Catherine is using Canon Hand Dye by Amy Lee in colors of yellow and maroon.  https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/bright-sunny-day   Brainy Thing: One of the most under-appreciated senses, smell not only is key in our sense of taste but also helps us form emotional links with others. https://www.brainfacts.org/thinking-sensing-and-behaving/smell/2015/making-sense-of-scents-smell-and-the-brain https://www.dana.org/article/the-senses-smell-and-taste/ https://www.fifthsense.org.uk/psychology-and-smell/ https://www.nidcd.nih.gov/health/smell-disorders#1 https://hms.harvard.edu/news/how-covid-19-causes-loss-smell#:~:text=Analyses%20of%20electronic%20health%20records,to%20patients%20without%20COVID%2D19 https://n.neurology.org/content/smell-brain.     Behind the Redwood Curtain:   Catherine discovers that a small local creek has a big history and has landed right in the middle of the Cancel Culture debate.     Today in Episode 118 of Teaching your Brain to Knit, we explore the sense of smell and how it connects us to others; We report on knitting projects — the Bright Sunny Day shawl, a mystery gnome, peas in a pod, and Izzy, the charity doll, and we discuss the small neighborhood Janes Creek which is now embroiled in local politics.  As has been the case with the last few podcasts, we’ve recorded this on zoom which suffers from occasional sound distortions.  We are continuing to search for solutions which will work with our antiquated digital equipment.  Thanks for your patience and thanks for listening to Teaching Your Brain to Knit.