Episode 29

The hosts discuss various topics in this podcast episode. They talk about creating their own podcast network and discuss their break. They also discuss insect repellent and their favorite gifts they have given to others. Carter talks about crocheting blankets and his son's reaction to wool. They also discuss why wool can be itchy on the skin and the structure of wool fibers. We pay respect to the traditional custodians of the lands that we are recording this podcast on. You're going to have your own podcast. Oh my god, I am going to have my own podcast. So you need to know how to do it. You have to tell us about that at some stage. And you can be on the Felix and, no, the, I don't know, whatever podcast network we create. The FAC. The Felix, Ali and Carter Podcast Network. The FAC. Oh, that does not work. That's so funny. Family friendly my butt. That's the focus. I am Carter and welcome back to the first episode of season two of Down the Rabbit Hole. Back for another season in a co-host chair. Welcome Felix. How was your break? G'day Carter. Good to be back. My break was long and uneventful. I spent most of it trying to get back into running and injuring myself and then trying to get back into running and injuring myself and then trying to get back. I'm running out of breath. Oh my god. There was a lot of that. Old man injuries. Yeah. You did have to look after me for a while. So that was appreciated. Yeah. Are we going to talk about that? I don't know. And everyone's favorite Gen Z'er, Ali. Yeah. You're a Gen Z'er. Gen Z'er. Yeah, I am. Gen Z'er. Ali, how have you been since we talked to you last? Been pretty chill. Finished up the semester for uni and been working pretty much every day ever. So. Crazy. Keeping busy. I feel like that was the most Gen Z'ed response I could have got. So yeah, thanks. You're welcome. You can call me a Gen X'er. Ew, I don't like it. That makes me a millennial. And Carter the millennia. Millennial-er. Millennial-er. I'm not a big fan of that. Exactly. By the way, Carter, I just noted, I'm sure our audience will too, that Ali was automatically promoted to co-host, whereas the best that Bagel ever achieved was guest host. No, he did get promoted. He did by the end, did he? Oh, okay. Actually, Ali's episode was his last episode as co-host. Got it. Last promotion, Ali. Today's episode is brought to you by Insect Repellent. It does what it says it does. I love Aragard. Oh my God. Lifesaver. Can I brand name drop them? Yeah, actually. Hopefully they sponsor us, actually. I don't think we're going to get food for using their name. But they did just get free advertising. Free advertising, right? Literally mosquitoes will suck my blood and leave giants. Yuck. I find that my favorite insect repellent is another person, because as long as another person's there to get bitten, I'll be fine. My person was my grandmother, and she's passed away, unfortunately. Tough. Bring in the Aragard. Yeah, Aragard will do the job. Sorry. Just need to mummify your grandmother and- That doesn't make the blood's gone. Oh, yeah. Our mummification works. I knew it. Yeah, we knew that. Today's question is, what was the best gift you've ever given someone else? Ali, go for it. Okay. This is really, really, really, really hard because I am an excellent gift giver. That's good. I'm not sure whether it's sarcasm or not. I cannot wait for my next birthday gift. Really? Okay, I don't know what the gift is. Can someone come back to me? Felix? Oh, I too, like Ali, am an amazing gift giver. Dude, this is quite reminiscent of someone we had on our show last year who- Patrick. Patrick, yes. Taught gift giving, which was pretty cool. I think I mentioned the fingerprint necklace. I was thinking that. In that episode, which was pretty cool, but probably my favourite gift. Oh, no, hang on a sec. It was my favourite, not their favourite. I don't think I'm very good at giving gifts. It turns out none of us are because I'm really racking my brain here and I'm not coming up with enough. I'm trying really hard. I gave my wife for Christmas a birthstone necklace of the family's birthstone, five birthstones on it. Oh, I've seen those. They're so pretty. I love that. Nice one. Good. My best gift that I've given. Okay, so my boyfriend's super techie, very nerdy. Doesn't wear a watch though because not his thing, but Apple Watch technology and watch and just really cool. So that's what I got him for Christmas. So very cool. And it's so cool. There's a thing on the watch that you can do walkie talkie settings. So we can literally just go to our walkie talkie. We speak to each other and we have to say over and roger, roger and stuff like that. And it's very, very cool. That wouldn't get old at all. I love it. Hey, do you have to give permission to the other person to do walkie talkie? You do. You do have to give, but you only have to give it one. Oh, no, that's not okay. I love it. I mean, that's pretty cool that you can do walkie talkie, but these days we have these things called mobile phones. But the walkie talkie element, I don't have to hold anything. I don't have to hold my phone. I think I watch. It doesn't have to be answered. All of a sudden, you've got someone talking on your wrist. They do have to approve it initially, but then you can just keep talking. But in 2023, they have to approve it. In 2025, when they're in exam, all of a sudden you have- You're not allowed to wear Apple Watches in exams anyways. Okay. I'm sorry. Oh, serious? Yeah. Wow. Yeah, that makes sense. When you're doing something else really private, when you're at a funeral, there you go. You don't wear a watch to a funeral. Who doesn't wear a watch to a funeral? It's not an Apple Watch. That would ruin your outfit. No, that's what Apple Watch is designed for, to go with everything. Yeah. It's a style piece, surely. No, I disagree. I literally just wear it for work. I specifically picked my watch to make sure that it fit any outfit. Yeah, that's because you're old. Your sports watch, yeah, that doesn't work. It's not a sports watch. It's a health watch. It's definitely a sports watch. Oh, gosh. I've been watching a lot of Black Mirror lately. This conversation has me thinking about where technology is going with this kind of stuff. Oh, we're in trouble, folks. The machines are taking over. Absolutely. That's why you don't watch Black Mirror, too, actually. Yes. Oh, my God, yes. So what have you got for us, Carter? Well, Felix, as you're aware, I've been doing a bit of crocheting in my recovery, and I decided to do some blankets because it is relatively simple and takes up my time. And with the hope that they would be ready for next winter, I got the project going. You started on that pretty early. You were doing that back in, what was it, September, October last year? Yeah, actually, it was the October. I started it when I came out of hospital, and I had to undo that whole work because it was all wrong. But it served me well through that period, and I continued on from there. I wasn't quite in the right head space at the time, but you know. No, I couldn't tell. It looked pretty good to me. Yeah. I could have kept going, but it just wouldn't have been happening. Anyway, I was showing my oldest some of the wool that I could use for his blanket, and when I showed him, I rubbed it on his skin and I asked if it was itchy. This brought on a bit of a weird look from him. He said no, but he obviously doesn't have sensitive skin like me. Oh, so you have that too? I always had that problem as a kid. Ali too? Yeah, 100%. Yay. So he looked at me a little weird. He said no, but I could tell that this was going through his head as to why it would be itchy. That's a relief. He thought about it for a while, and then he asked me why. Why would it be itchy on his skin? I explained that some people find wool itchy on their skin and hoping the questions would end there, but of course, they didn't. You wouldn't get an episode if they ended there, would you? Yet, I say it every time. Thank you, inquisitive kids. Exactly. We wouldn't have a podcast without it. So when further questions came my way about why wool was itchy, I needed to consult the trusty internet because when it came down to it, I had no idea. And there's nothing trustier. Yeah, everything you read on the internet, Ali, is correct. Don't tell me that. I'll believe it. Your brain will explode if you believe that. My brain's already exploded. Everyone's is. As I found out, it was an interesting little rabbit hole that I went down. What do you guys think wool is itchy? Because sheep are smelly. Yeah, interesting. The smelly factor. Yep. They are definitely smelly, and they're dumb. They're dumb? They're so dumb. I'm not sure about them being dumb, but I can tell you when you're camping in a field next to a field of sheep and at night, they're just... Yeah, that's the dumb part. Just all night long, it's like, I just want to shoot those sheep. I'm not into guns, but I want to shoot those sheep. Have you done that recently? I've done that 10 years ago and I'm still scarred. Wow. I quite like the sound. But why, why or why does that wool itch my skin? Something to do with the fiber. I don't know. Why wool and not other fibers? I don't know, Carter. I do not know. Well, there are a number of reasons that wool itches the skin. And the first reason that I looked at was the structure of the wool fibers. So you're on the right track there, Phoebe. Okay. All right. Unsurprisingly, Allie, you're not so on the right track because it had nothing to do with smell. This one, anyway, might come up a bit later. Fine. Okay. And I do like the smell of sheep, to be honest. When was the last time you were near a sheep? Particularly when they're sizzling on a barbecue. Gotcha. I don't like lambs, though. As long as they're not going, ah, at the time. When you look at wool under the microscope, and you guys will see an image sent through here, the surface is scaly. And these scales on the wool fibers are even smaller than the human hair follicles. So alpaca's the way to go. Oh, no, wait, polyester. Yeah, polyester is very smooth. Unscaly. Isn't that plastic? Yes. Yeah. I do not eat microfibers. I love microplastics. Microplastic or plastic. You've got merino versus human hair there. Is the human hair, because, you know, when I start growing a beard, I can't grow a beard because once it gets to a certain length, I get really itchy around the neck. The way I looked at it, merino is about a quarter of the size of a human hair, whereas the coarse wool is about half the size, maybe a third. And it's the coarse wool that is the one that causes the issue because the scales are much larger. Ah, so merino is not as itchy. No, it's actually considered not itchy. I find merino really itchy. So some people still get irritated to do it, but if you're mildly itchy to the coarse one, there's a chance you won't be itchy to the merino. So these scales on the wool fibers, someone's doing ballerina mood. I just drank a drink with red cordial in it. Oh, and you're particularly... Sensitive to colors. Peter hasn't gone away with age either. Good to know. So these scales on the wool fiber are even smaller than human hair follicles. So as they can easily get into the tiny spaces between our skin cells, that's nice image, isn't it? That sounded like I was reading it, but I wasn't. When this happens, the scales can poke at the nerve endings in our skin, causing a sensation. I'm getting itchy just looking at the coarse wool. It looks like it has a disease, doesn't it? Like it's... Yeah, I'm feeling very uncomfortable right now. You can stop looking at it. Oh, okay. The second factor that determines how much wool itches your skin comes down to the diameter of the wool fibers. Thicker wool fibers are more likely to itch than thinner wool fibers. This is because the thicker wool fibers are more likely to bend and poke at the skin. There are some types of wool that have very thin fibers, such as merino as we're discussing, that's less likely to itch your skin than other types. So have you guys tried... Ali, you mentioned you were itchy even with merino. Have you tried alpaca? No, I have not tried alpaca wool, but I tend to stay away from wool in general. I'm just looking at the alpaca fiber and I'm thinking that might be worth a go. Maybe I should go buy some alpaca wool. I know that in... I think it's in New Zealand they do a bit of possum wool, but that would be more hair, wouldn't it? So maybe that's more... Ew, it's from rodents. Possums aren't rodents. Yes, they are. No, they're not. They're marsupials. Oh, hang on. Prove me wrong. I cannot... I shall not... I will not be proved wrong on this. I'm going with marsupials. I refuse to be. Oh, they are marsupials. They're just ugly like rodents. Oh, absolutely ugly like rodents. They're not ugly. They're so cute. They're so ugly. Not Aussie possums. What other possums are there? American possums. Americans don't have possums. Do you have possums, Americans? Yes, they do. They do. They're so ugly. They've got squirrels. No, no, no, no, no. Look up an American possum right now. Okay. They're so ugly. I'll take your word for that one. But if you want a really cute rodent, you've got to look at the capybara. Oh, yes. I know capybaras. Trust me, they were trimmed on TikTok like ever. Aren't they cute? Capybara, capybara, capybara. Is that a TikTok thing? Yep, it's a TikTok thing. Very friendly. I have a little mouse that jumps out of my compost bin now and then. Do you put meat in there? There is no meat or dairy that goes into my compost bin. It's a vegetarian rodent. There you go. Good for you. They are omnivorous. True story. It actually ate holes in my compost bin to get in it in the first place. Oh my God. Is it raised? Like is it on leaves? Yeah, it's raised. It's off the ground. When you look at the size of the rodent that jumps out of it, I have no idea how it reached it in the first place. Yeah, that's crazy. Crazy. I was hoping that that wouldn't happen because I've just started a compost thing and I really don't want my rodents anywhere near it. I know. We specifically kept meat and dairy out of it so as we wouldn't attract rodents. The last factor that I found that can affect how itchy that Christmas jumper is comes down to the naturally occurring... I've never worn a Christmas jumper in my life because we live in Australia. I know. Actually, I saw one from my work the other day that says... Oh, I can't remember what it says. It was so funny. I imagine it was hilarious. It was like, Merry effing Christmas or something like that. And it was still really pretty with the Christmas trees. It was like a navy blue and green. And I was so tempted to wear it for Christmas last year. But instead, I wore a really beautiful pajama top instead. Pajama top? Yeah, it was good. You have to post photos. Yeah. Okay, very nice. That's up to you whether you do or not. I will. I imagine the pajama top was probably not as warm as the jumper. No, which is great for our Australian climate. True. The last effect comes down to the naturally occurring oil found in sheep called lanolin. I know what lanolin is. I've heard of that. I've heard of it. I don't know what it does. Isn't it like pee? Pee? Lanolin? No. No, it's an oil. Never mind. You're talking about urine from a sheep? No, never mind. I'm wrong. I hope you're wrong because I think lanolin is like something you can rub into your skin. Yeah. I was told to use it for my eczema. Don't rub pee into your skin. Never mind. I'm wrong. I'm wrong. No. You've been watching Bear Grylls, haven't you? Um, actually I have because Florence Pee was on episode so... That means nothing to me. Oh my god, she's the best. I love her. Okay, so... Oh, no, don't worry. Lanolin can be irritating to some people's skin. Oh, really? But it was good for your skin. Which can also make wool feel more itchy. This is because the lanolin can... Wait for it! This is because the lanolin can trap moisture against the skin which can make the skin feel sweaty and uncomfortable. It's supposed to be moisturizing, but I just googled it, sorry. Yeah, but moisturizers are oil, so... Yeah, but it also says if you're allergic to wool, avoid it. Oh. So there could be a reason that you're allergic to it. Yeah. Crazy. That makes sense. I would have thought that there'd be less lanolin in like a mass-produced wool. Like, that's been well and truly laundered and... Processed. Whatever. It's more the Ma and Pa's knitting, I would imagine. I will say I have some sweaters and things from my grandma and oh my god, they are so itchy. I have to wear shirts under all of them to wear any of it. I thought you were going to say they're hideous. Oh, no. They're gorgeous. I love... I haven't worn them, probably, because... Because they're hideous. I was just thinking that you're sitting... Like, you're actually knitting blankets for your children. So let's hope that they aren't allergic to wool because they're the ones that are most likely to cause the reaction from what you're saying. Yeah, it's acrylic. Oh, okay. All good then. Acrylic's good, right? Microplastics. Acrylic's plasmodium. So it's not good, but I know they're not going to be itchy to it. I looked into why some people are more sensitive than others and predominantly comes down to genetics. It turns out that some people are simply more predisposed to skin sensitivity than others. Repeated exposure to wool can also increase the likelihood of sensitization, especially in individuals with a family history of allergy. Dry skin, etc., and other skin conditions can make people more vulnerable to it. Tick, tick, tick. I think I tick all those boxes. Sorry, I think you were ticking down the time on the timer, not the, oh yeah, I got that. Yeah, I got that. Yeah, I got that. It was a little too metronome-like, wasn't it? It was, tiny bit. I also have that, that, and that. So if you're unlucky enough to get itchy skin from wool, there are a few things that you can do to reduce the chance of it occurring, depending on the severity, of course. Acrylic. Buy acrylic, yes. Not lanolin. Choose finer wool, such as merino. Nice. Been there, done that. Alpaca. Alpaca, yeah. Haven't tried alpaca. I'll try that next. Rodents. Ew, I can't do that. Wash wool in cold water. Washing wool garments in hot water can make the fibres feel more coarse and itchy. And make them shrink. And make them shrink. This is because the hot water causes the fibres to swell, which pushes the fibres out, making them longer. Interesting. There you go. Don't wash on hot. Got it. If you're as allergic to wool as Allie is, then this one could come in handy. Wear a layer of clothing underneath your wool garment. I think she does that. That's what I do. That's what she does. That's like, oh my gosh. Almost like I wrote it after. It's actually what I do too. And the final thing is avoid wearing wool clothing for long periods of time. Now, I don't know why that was. I couldn't find anything as to why that would matter. But I guess it comes down to the wicking. I guess you could create a bad allergic reaction if you wore it for too long. Yeah, I think it's either that or because sometimes it keeps the moisture in, depending on the particular type of wool. And therefore, your sweat effectively can cause a heat rash, which then opens up the cells that then the wool can get into easier. Yeah. I don't know if I'm no longer allergic to wool or if I just get really fine wool these days because I love wool socks and I love wool tops. Wool socks. Wool socks are actually my favourite. You can wear them summer or winter. Really? They're supposed to be really warm, right? But also good in summer. Oh, cool. I'm not a fan of wool socks. I wear Birkenstocks, so I don't really like socks. Yeah. Unless I'm wearing my Bostons and then... It depends on the quality. Of the sock? Yes. I like the Birkenstocks socks. They'd be wool, wouldn't they? Oh, I don't know. I like... I have one pair. They're really nice. I shouldn't have told you. Yeah, one last rabbit hole I went down was about Kashmir, which is something we haven't talked about. Oh, I love Kashmir. I love Kashmir. It's a great song. Oh. Do either of you know where Kashmir, the fibre, comes from? Kashmir? Kashina. Does it come from Kashmir? Like the place? Is it an actual animal called Kashmir? Kashmir is a type of hair that comes from the goat breed called Capra hercus. Capra hercus. So it doesn't come from Pakistan. Originated in the mountainous regions of Kashmir in north of the Indian subcontinent. Oh my gosh, I was right. You were right. The hair is a soft undercoat that is mostly grown by these goats in the cold winter weather and removed in the spring. Because of the structure of the fibres, it traps air in pockets that allow the material to be thinner while keeping you warmer. I love it. That's amazing. I want it. I know. The more I read it, the more I wanted Kashmir. It's so expensive. Oh, well, there's a reason behind that. The fibres also wick away moisture from the skin, preventing overheating and maintaining a comfortable microclimate. How cool is that? That is very cool. Very, very interesting. So how would you answer your kid's question now? Because your parents have sensitive skin and they pass it down to you, along with bad eyesight and flat feet. Rotten thuggers. Yeah, my kids have a lot to worry about. You got a joke for us, Carter? What did the farmer feel after not getting enough wool? What? Hurt. Where does Steel Wolf come from? Where? Robot sheep. I like that one. I can just imagine now trying to shear a robot sheep. Bethany is pretty strong. I think she is. Might be more like a filing plane. A grater. Or a cheese grater or something. Pretty strong. I really hate it. Who gave it to you? A friend. My best friend. Debbie told Sam. Yeah, they know. She knows. It's from her PlayStation. Blew up. So... That wasn't the story we got last time. Let's hear about this in the next episode. Really? I think we need to hear more about a PlayStation blowing up. No, I don't actually know the rest of the story. She just said she doesn't use it. I want to know about the PlayStation blowing up. Well, I don't know enough about it. I just know that she doesn't use it anymore. Can you do some research on the PlayStation? Yeah, let's find out about the PlayStation that blew up. I think she just left it on for too long. I'm going to overheat. You'll have to find out. How exciting. This is a public service announcement. That's going into the outtake, by the way. Is it? If I remember. All right, folks. Good. That must be a wrap, right? That's got to be a wrap. Well done. Congratulations. Welcome 2024. First episode done. Second one in a couple of weeks. Sounds good. Yeah. How's your exams? Completed.