Bright questions about a boring blanket

The blanket continues to go well, and so I bring you the first in a series:

Blanket Size Check ’09

Blanketcheck160609

Nope. Not done. Clearly just entering the lab robe phase. (Thanks to Natalie for holding the blankie, and thanks to Joe for the new camera for my birthday. it’s really cool knowing what the pictures look like in advance again. I was pretty much over the element of surprise on that one. )

Let’s try some questions to liven things up, shall we?

Dianne asks: Just wondering – what yarn are you using?

Blanketwool160609

I’m using Cascade Ecological Wool. This yarn comes in natural undyed sheepy colours, and I really think that the combination of the bold shapes and natural palette is really sophisticated and modern. Mind you, I thought that about mint green batwing mohair sweaters with spandex pants in the 80’s, and now everytime I see a picture of myself from then I practically have to breathe into a felted bag to get a hold of myself, so who the hell knows if its true.

Terri says: Love the blanket. First thing I thought when I saw the picture was …

soothing. I’m putting money on the yarn being Eco Wool. How many skeins

do you figure it’ll take?

I’m guessing that I’ll use about 8 skeins, since I’m hoping that this will be a big blankie. This pattern calls for Silky Wool, so I’ve adjusted the stitch count to account for the larger gauge so that the proportions will be the same. I think. There was math. No way to know if it worked, but I like how it looks. I figure (cue ominous music and sense of foreboding) it’s a bunch of rectangles. What can go wrong?

Mim Bird thinks: Even if you are on deadline, I am having a hard time believeing you have only one project going. Surely all this garter stitch is going to cause repetitive motion injury to your brain. Your stash called this afternoon and begged to hold an intervention. Come on…just a few rows of lace or a small cable, just for a relish, just to keep things lively? You’ll come back to your garter stitch refreshed and alert. Come on…You now you want to. xo

Actually, I do have one teeny tiny (really) stealth project going, but it’s going to be done tomorrow and then it’s all blanket, all the time. I figure I can take it. I’m usually all over the place with the knitting. A little monogamy should be not just possible, but pleasant. (Stop it. Laughing is rude. I’m serious. Get a hold of yourselves. )

Holly wonders: Are you caught up on Doctor Who? You probably have time to watch all of them… not just the new ones!



Sadly, I am caught up, and heartbroken that they can’t seem to make dorky TV as fast as I can watch it. I’m currently shopping for a dorky new series to love. Suggestions for dorky TV are welcome. I also think that this blanket is probably a wicked time to catch up on movies – which would be why the DVD player broke last week, but that’s easy to fix. Computers play DVD’s.

Alex inquires: What differences do you find between the Knit Picks and Addi Turbo needles?

I think that the KnitPicks needles (options) are a good needle, excellent value for the money, and supremely pointy. (I like pointy.) I find that the Addi Turbos are less pointy, but slightly more comfortable, smoother, I like the cables better, and think the joins are nicer. That said, the Options give you… well. Options. I can change cable length – change needles… that’s a nice thing to have, and I (clearly, since I own and use them) like the KnitPicks needles just fine – especially at their price point. That said, I really think that when it comes to needles you get what you pay for, and in a subtle, overall warm-glow sort of way, I prefer the Addi Turbo’s for this project, and for most projects that are really, really big. Anytime I’m getting a megadose of time with a project, I like both the yarn and needles to be the ones I like best. Reduces the odds I’ll stash it in a damp corner of the basement and disavow all knowledge of it.

Kathy in KS suggests: Something tells me there’s going to be an awful lot of these “the blanket is still going well” posts, aren’t there? At least keep us informed as to the color changes or something. Like “I went from the medium light gray to the medium gray today, and tomorrow will be the darker one. I can’t wait!”

Okay. No problem. (Although really, I see where it could be sort of a downer that I picked neutral colours on this one. Bummer.) Today I think I will finish with the black, and then it will be white again. I can’t wait!

(Better? No. I didn’t think it would help much either. How about if I promise a tutorial on picking up stitches in garter stitch? Favourite cake recipe? Anything?)

469 thoughts on “Bright questions about a boring blanket

  1. Oh, am I first?!?
    DVD recommendations: Torchwood and Firefly. Both sci fi. Your call on whether that’s dorky. Both feature hot looking guys.

  2. Dorky TV suggestions? X Files. Beautiful characters and sci-fi goodness all wrapped up into 9 neat little seasons. And two movies.

  3. If you like Doctor Who, then Torchwood definitely should make it on to the list. There are seven seasons of Buffy the Vampire Slayer for your viewing pleasure and one season of Firefly. I wouldn’t recommend these as dorky, but they are entertaining (and have really good looking guys.)
    Not Scifi? NCIS has five seasons on DVD.

  4. Alias. Maybe you’ve already gone there, I can’t remember. Just a warning tho – there’s a lot of action and suspense. I found that my dog slept in the living room on the nights where I watched Alias – must have been all the judo kicks and karate chops in my sleep… hi-yah!

  5. How about some more sour cherry recipes? I love the Cherry Upside Down Cake you posted a few years ago.

  6. Torchwood and Primeval (I know you’ve seen Firefly already) for dorky sci-fi TV. Have you seen Supernatural at all? Pretty boys and some fantasy/sci-fi combined with a kickin’ 80s soundtrack. No really. The music is awesome.

  7. I was going to suggest Firefly, too! My favorite dorky tv outside of Mystery Science Theater 3000.

  8. Hmm. Dorky TV Series?
    -Fringe
    -Eureka
    -Numbers
    -Dead Like Me (Not geeky but twisted and funny)
    -Carnival (Not really geeky/dorky by interesting)
    -Life after Humans (Maybe Life After Man… Havent seen it awhile, but I know it still on the air and will make the nature geek in your brain exceedingly happy)
    I know you’ve obviously watched BSG and probably Firefly as well…

  9. As long as you’re taking requests – can you please discuss the Figure 8 cast on method? I’ve ripped this out probably 50 times. Seriously. I think if I do it 20 more, I might be able to start a toe up sock. Maybe. Have you watched Heroes? We’re catching up. I agree with the Torchwood suggestion as well, and of course Buffy. Don’t forget its spin off, Angel! Six Feet Under was pretty good too – but we may be the last people on the planet to have not watched it yet.

  10. “Being Erica” is kind of a fun show, but I doubt it’s on DVD yet. “Corner Gas” is mindless and mildly addictive. And for American content, how about “Curb Your Enthusiasm”?
    I made a log cabin blanket a few years ago out of Patons Decor that sees daily use as is so, so comfortable. Truly mindless, never-ending knitting, though!

  11. There’s a new season of Torchwood this summer. Remember, Torchwood is a respelling of Doctor Who? Yes. Have you checked out Pushing Up Daisies? Or Chuck?
    I think your blanket is looking very moderne. Good luck on the knitting monogamy/monotony.

  12. I vote for a garter stitch pic up tutorial and a list of favorite coffee brands and houses.

  13. Hmm, dorky? I don’t think it gets much dorkier than the animated series, “The Tick.” The live action show was also fun but the cartoon series is really quirky and clever.

  14. I’m not sure what this says about me other than I live in a house filled with testosterone, but…. I’ve gotten totally hooked on Deadliest Catch and Ice Road Truckers.

  15. I just checked the statistics for this pattern on Ravelry, and, by George, if the number of people who have queued this pattern didn’t spike on June 10th, the day Stephanie first posted about it.

  16. I 56th Firefly, though you have probably seen it, as it features fellow canadian and steamy hot manhunk, Nathan Fillion. Do you think your knitting celebrity status would be enough to get him to meet you? I wish I had some sort of possibility there! lol. Otherwise there is always Charmed, or a really great dorky movie, Rocketman with Harlan Williams

  17. I’m going to second the vote for Flight of the Conchords. Also for the picking-up-stitches tutorial.

  18. When I made the baby version of this blanket I somehow screwed up the picking up of stitches; thought it would be a no-brainer. So a brief disquisition of picking up in garter would be welcome.

  19. Something to add to the Addi vs. Knitpicks battle, there’s an Addi Turbo interchangeable needle set available now, but it’s $150.00… *Sigh* one can only hope (or dream, as the case may be) 🙂

  20. Well, of course Torchwood and Firefly. But the show no one else has suggested yet is a show called Avatar: The Last Airbender. Yeah, it’s animated, and it’s supposedly a kids’ show, but it’s fantastic. It will make you laugh and cry, and the art is stunning.

  21. TV series favorite–
    ER… on TNT at 10 and 11am EST.
    Fraser–(have the series on DVD). Find him clever and love the dry sense of humor.
    LAW & ORDER–Can find L&O on TV most times of the day.
    That’s it…….. don’t watch too much TV here.

  22. I know you’ve done Stargate, but have you done Stargate Atlantis?
    Only one season so far, but Dollhouse is by the same guy who did Firefly. Also, if you haven’t seen Dr. Horrible, it’s a must. It’s a 40-minute piece of internet genius.
    Another option is to revisit a classic. Apparently the entire Star Trek geekverse is available on YouTube.

  23. How about if I promise a tutorial on picking up stitches in garter stitch?
    Yes! This. Please! A tutorial from you would be really great. And since you’re going to be picking up a lot of stitches…
    As for dorky TV, I’m currently working my way through all the original Star Treks. Perfect knitting TV. You don’t really have to look at the TV if you’re doing something fussy. The fantastically cheesy music and sound effects will alert you to any dramatic moment you need to watch. (Also, Netflix, if you have it, has the whole first season on demand. Free TV and no waiting!)

  24. Hmmmm…dorky TV. I have to say I really enjoy Big Bang Theory carried on CBS here in the states. Basic premise: 4 CalTech experimental physicists, one big hearted aspiring actress — geeky hilarity ensues.
    And you can’t beat a good game of “Rock, paper, scissors, lizard, Spock” If you have the chance, Google the clip — very funny.

  25. So, what’s wrong with green mohair batwing sweaters?
    My faves for marathon TV viewing are the David Attenborough nature serieses– “Planet Earth,” “Blue Planet,” “Life in Cold Blood,” any of those. The difficulty is that I can’t knit with my glasses on, and I can’t see the TV well without them. That’s life. I can always stop the video and put my glasses on when a particularly flashy nudibranch comes into view.
    I can also watch “Top Gear” all day long.

  26. Although I have done a ton of garter stitch (can you say many, many dishcloths?) I really dislike it. Therefore I cannot imagine taking on a whole blanket of it, cool as it is obviously going to be. Uhhhh… enjoy the white.

  27. For REALLY dorky t.v., you could try old episodes of the Land of the Lost, on Hulu. My 4 year old and 8 year old just finished the whole first season, and loved it. I watched one episode and thought, “OMG, I wasted how many Saturday mornings on this?”

  28. yes, yes, do the tutorial on picking up stitches…oh and I am defintly promoting Torchwood, Firefly and NCIS.

  29. For t.v., I recommend Hatching, Matching and Dispatching; Corner Gas; Little Mosque on the Prairies or The Hour. George is a little dorky in his insistence on being cool. Also, if you can find it, the Get Smart t.v. series was hilarious.
    I loved the Get Smart movie too. Funny and a bit slapstick in a reasonable intelligent way.

  30. I always like “histories mysteries’ on the History channel. Intriguing and fun! My coworkers think I’m weird because I try to fashion my humor after you…health care workers just have too sick of a sense of humor.. (muwahhahhaha)

  31. I personally love to knit to Mystery Science Theater 3000 and Are You Being Served. I am excited to see what your side project is, and keep it coming with the color updates, I can’t wait until you get to charcoal (hardy har har).
    On another note, thanks for the review of Knit Picks Options. I have been seriously considering these and am trying to narrow down between the nickel or the harmony wood.

  32. Dorky? I’m not sure, but I love Dead Like Me, Pushing Daisies, and Northern Exposure. If you need a dose of little kid sweetness look for Sagwa the Chinese Siamese Cat (Amy Tan’s book made into a PBS TV series). I’m not sure if it is out on DVD/VHS, but wonderful animation.
    Just discovered Howl’s Moving Castle, an animated film by Hayao Miyazaki. It seems his movies are all about a girl being the hero, in this one is an adventure with a handsome wizard, including her rescuing the wizard and her new family with her strength, courage, and intelligence. Must see for a family with three girls. Any family, actually. I’m going to check out his other movies, too.

  33. Torchwood & Primeval are totally dorky but entertaining. Fringe is slightly less dorky. I actually consider Sci-Fi shows to be less dorky than reality TV though. Except for Deadliest Catch which is not dorky at all because it’s the best show ever. 🙂
    So funny that I started a log cabin just when you did. I was actually shocked that anyone else was doing one. 🙂 Mine is the soothing project that gets my kids through the transition from school to camp without me killing anyone. 🙂

  34. I think the series Anastasia was talking about was “Life After People.” It’s on the History Channel, and makes a subversive kind of SF look like an educational show. Yeah, I’ve done some knitting while it was on the air.

  35. I suggest Six Feet Under. Maybe that’s because my mini van is circling the drain.

  36. Primeval Primeval Primeval Primeval Primeval. I can not say enough positive things about this show! The air gets all shiny and dinosaurs travel through time to rampage through British shopping malls and amusement parks and mess up time and everyone is ridiculously good-looking for paleontologists (Sorry, actual paleontologists) and it is just the BEST BEST SUPERBEST. Seriously. Very dorky, very excellent.

  37. Dorky TV: Wonderfalls: I just got done watching it myself and while it’s just the 1 season, it’s a good watch.
    Red Dwarf: It’s always good to revisit the classics!
    Starwars The Clone Wars: A good animated series and it is lovingly sans Whiney Darth Vader.
    That’s all I can think of right now.
    I like the blanket, it’s a very post modern woolly look.

  38. Firefly – along with everyone else.
    OK I am sure you have seen it but typing it just makes me happy 🙂
    I may be going out on a really inappropriate limb here (cough sitcom cough), but the Big Bang Theory is oddly entertaining.
    Little Britain is diverting.
    And there’s always Father Ted – BBC oddness that can be both infantile and sick but in a delightful way.

  39. oooh dorky TV…..Medium is great – we rented all the previous seasons and had a marathon. A lot of fun. Until it was over. Still, a very cool show.
    I would love a tutorial on picking up the garter stitches for this blankie. Thinking of making one for one of the girl-babies that I know are due soon around my work place…

  40. DEFINITELY, a tutorial on picking up stitches in garter stitch! Pretty please with chocolate on it.

  41. I have to put in a plug for Burn Notice. It’s action-y and sometimes funny and the ex-spy gives you tips on how to be a better spy. Very useful.
    It’s available on DVD and the current (3rd) season is on Hulu.

  42. Here’s a question you could address: how do you design your blanket? How do you know how much to knit before starting a new block? I made one baby blanket this way, and it turned out okay, but I’m not sure how to tackle something bigger.
    We rewatched “Akeelah and the Bee” the other night – great movie! For once, it’s about kids working together, instead of kids competing. Another recent delight was “Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day.”

  43. “Star Trek, Next Generation” and “Boston Legal”. I know you’ve seen “Firefly” ’cause I got that one from you! Oh, and I second “Weeds” and “West Wing”. Can’t go wrong with any of these!

  44. I vote for your favorite cake recipe. The world needs more cake. Granted, the world also needs more comfy blankets, but cake is yummier.

  45. Hmmm – I don’t do SciFi, but I think Boston Legal has a high dork factor. You’ve got to love a show in which William Shatner doesn’t play the kookiest character.
    Love the blanket – love the colors – look forward to each exciting stitch!!

  46. Since you mentioned Doctor Who, you must like British TV shows. So here is my list, which may already have been devoured by you:
    1) Jeeves and Wooster – You just can NOT go wrong with early Hugh Laurie and Stephen Fry. The ultimate British comedy duo.
    2) Black Adder of course!
    3) I can’t stop laughing when I watch Fawlty Towers. Basil the Rat is the best.
    4) Red Dwarf for the ultimate geekness.
    5) Not necessarily geeky, unless you count Probie, but I recently was on bedrest and watched all the NCIS episodes. Why oh why didn’t I watch that when it began years ago???

  47. I second Buffy and have a slightly offbeat recco too, you should check out Greek from ABC Family. Yes, it is a show about fraternities. But seriously, it’s the funniest show on tv, and is still flying under the radar. Check it out. I won’t tell anyone you laughed hysterically at the “Fun Buddies” episode.
    And why yes, I’d love a tute on picking up sts in garter, thank you!

  48. I spent most of a year catching up with the Australian Sci Fi series Farscape, if you haven’t already seen it. You can order the discs thru Netflix. Our whole family also likes Eureka which is fun and not too heavy. I am inspired by all the Log Cabinny goodness.

  49. We’ve been enjoying the series “Psych” and “Arrested Development” recently.
    I made two of those blankets for my new twin nephews last year. They were extremely cute, but talk about a slog…

  50. If you haven’t watched “Firefly” and it’s subsequent movie “Serenity”, then get those into the DVD player immediately! Some of the best dialogue this geeky English major has ever, ever heard.
    I also vote “Torchwood”, with the uber-hunky, omni-sexual Capt. Jack (John Barrowman). It’s darker than DW, but very good.
    I also like “Eureka” — clever people, very interesting situations. Good dose of sci-fi as well.
    Someone else mentioned “Avatar: The Last Airbender.” My DH started this one and got me hooked. The entire series is on DVD so you can watch it start to finish. Nice story.
    And finally, I also enjoyed “The Dresden Files.” It started as a series of novels, then became a short-lived TV series on Sci-fi. It’s the tale of a professional wizard living in modern Chicago.
    Good luck with the blanket. I have set the 2 I’m working on aside for socks. Hope you have better will-power than me.

  51. Dorky and funny but older:
    Red Dwarf (possibly funniest scifi ever) and
    The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Universe (tv series)
    also
    Chef! and Posh Nosh if you’re at all into humorous cooking show series/farces.
    All from the BBC, but findable on Netflix.

  52. I vote for a garter stitch pic up tutorial I love a good tutorial:)We watch fringe and royal pains hoping the sarah conner chronicles will come back.The blanket is looking great:)Hugs Darcy

  53. I second “Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day.” There’s an absolutely delicious insight about sock design that’s a must-see for all sock designers.

  54. Dorky TV series: Young Riders. I loved that show when I was a kid. They only have Season 1 available on DVD though. That’s enough to get you through a good chunk of the blanket.
    As for the blanket, I won’t get bored if you include lots of pictures.
    PS: the colors you picked are nice. Have you seen the FO’s on Ravelry? Some of them are pretty…. ouch.

  55. So glad you have a new camera to play with!
    Not sure if it is considered dorky by true connoisseurs (heck, or even semi-connoisseurs), but how about Red Dwarf?
    I’d like to third/fourth/whatever we’re up to the picking up stitches in garter stitch tutorial. Ditto cake recipe.

  56. Oooh, suggestion: Photograph the blanket against riotous colors around you, to show the other color off better, or to show why neutral tones save our brains some days.

  57. TV show suggestion: The Tudors. It’s supposedly “historical fiction” but it’s such over-the-top melodrama that it borders on camp. The main plot point in each episode seems to be finding a way for lead actor Jonathon Rhys-Meyers to get out of his clothes. Not that I mind. 😀

  58. I second Torchwood and Firefly and also recommend the Adventures of Sarah Jane and the Big Bang Theory, all fun with varying levels of dorkiness ^_^

  59. I’d really appreciate the tutorial…
    If you don’t mind old dorky TV, things like Blake’s 7, The Prisoner and Sapphire and Steel are classics, though they can seem quite slow now. Brilliant though. Newer… Buffy and Angel are definites, especially if you like the writing and witty dialogue in Firefly.
    And have you watched The West Wing? Utterly utterly brilliant TV, full of people you really wish were running America (certainly in the previous eight years).

  60. If you ever miss the Doctor Who, you can always call me up, and I’ll sing you my Doctor Who song.
    It’s pretty amazing.

  61. my favorite dorky TV is Due South! Sometimes it’s so over the top that it’s almost painful, but it’s always funny, and, well, then there’s what my roommates call “THE Canadian hotness”.
    And I’d love to see a garter stitch pick me up lesson.

  62. i am perfectly satisfied with the content of this blog, but if it is getting to you maybe you could recruit a guest blogger (one of your children, joe… the cat?)

  63. Babylon 5! The first season is incredibly dorky (and the lead actor is kind of bad) but it gets amazing very quickly – Season 3 is one of the best plotted seasons of anything I’ve ever watched, up to and including Battlestar Galactica. I have incredible love for this show. Five seasons, many movies, and the first openly bisexual character on sci-fi television. SCORE.
    (Also, not a Joss Whedon production, in case you get tired of him with all the Buffy, Firefly, Dollhouse, etc.)

  64. I second (third? Fourth?) the Torchwood recommendation–excellent show! You have inspired me to make that very blanket (or some knock-off variety). Just need to finish two rugs I’m working on….perpetually working on.

  65. Monk is really addictive if it happens to grab you…my daughter and I are on season 4 (although I have to admit my husband SO doesn’t get our devotion!)

  66. I’ll third (or fourth or twelfth) Red Dwarf, too. And possibly Blackadder, if you’re a Rowan Atkinson fan (I am). And Sour Cherry cake (although it’s just a bit early for that I think?) And more pictures in the garden. I see some lovely hostas hiding behind Natalie, there.

  67. Sci-Fi channel is coming out with a new show starting in July. It is called “Warehouse Thirteen.”
    I plan to give it a try.
    Also, guilty pleasure– Nicktoons–The Avatar,Last of the Airbenders. For kids, but full of philosophy, and silliness.
    Love the blankie! Finishing my second Swallowtail, hope I have enough yarn. Catch the Dr. when ever I can. Carol

  68. Love the Eco wool (& other natural sheepy or alpacay yarns as well). There is just something so soothing about knitting with something so close to its’ natural state. If you like Addis but also like sharp points, I can heartily recommend the Addi Lace needles. They only come in sizes 0-9 ( I think – maybe they start at 00) but they have nice sharp points with just a wee bit of finish to help keep the stitches on the needle (they don’t feel at all sticky). I just treated myself to the sizes from 3.25 mm (US 3 to the 5.5 mm (US 9). I already had the 2.5 & 3.0 mm for socks. Previously, I wasn’t so crazy about the Addi’s because of the blunt points but these Addi Lace are perfect IMHO. If I can manage it, they are all I will ever knit with from now on.

  69. I made my brother one of those when he moved away for the first time. It sits on his couch in his new apartment. I figured it would be something of “home” t o remind him of his wonderful sister. I did it in the eco wool and it has a lovely hand.
    What needle size are you using? I have a bit of a loose tension to my knits so I used a US10 and it was quite nice.
    My daughter was sad to see it go in my mothers suitcase when she visited him. She slept with it for a week to make sure it had “madeleine smells” in it.

  70. Have you seen “The I.T. Crowd”? The very insane and hysterical hijinks of the workers in an English I.T. department and their non-tech-savvy female boss. You want dorky, you got it.

  71. I recommend Big Bang Theory to people all the time. I have trouble knitting while watching it, though. I find myself laughing so hard I tend to drop stitches. I am knitting lace right now though. Garter stitch would probably be o.k.

  72. I like to watch Bones as my geeky tv. It’s not SciFi by any means but there’s science and cool crime scene stuff. One reason I prefer it over some others (NCIS or Criminal Minds–though I do watch those too) is the violence is off camera, there’s not the “foreboding sense of evil with music” in every show. That stuff gives me nightmares.

  73. I’ve never de-lurked before, but you have to check out “Big Bang Theory” It is just dorky enough and funny – but worst of all is I knew guys like that when I was studying engineering. You should write an episode where they try to take up knitting …. it would be so funny.

  74. YES! Tutorial on picking up stitches in garter. For some reason, I can never, EVER get it right, and that could be because I learn best by having someone show me, and there is NO ONE else I know that knits!!
    TUTORIAL PLEASE!!! THANK YOU X INFINITY!!

  75. I would recommend geeky sci-fi tv, but when I started doing shows I sort of stopped keeping current with any of the series I used to watch. Now I watch what I call food pr0n, or the food network. It’s way better looking than most of the food I make myself!

  76. Some of your devotees feel like old lady knitters reading about dorky TV recommendations! I’ll second Big Bang, but I LOVE sitcoms, even really dorky ones.
    Is that a tutorial promise? Can we hold you to it? I’ll wait until I see a lace cowl pattern, but not very long. Also, add the cake recipe to this list.
    I absolutely love, love, love the ecological wool (probably because it is boring and has such natural, sheepy colors). Did you know that I love sheep, too? Because of their yarn, and their faces. What is it about their faces?
    Also, knew you’d get a camera. Happy Birthday!

  77. Dorky TV:
    Sportsnight (get it thru Netflix). An Aaron Sorkin series.
    Islands at War – a 3-CD British TV series about when the Nazis occupied the Channel Islands (who knew?).

  78. Man, all of my dorky-TV recommendations have been made already… except Sports Night, which, despite the title, is not really about sports at all. Forty-some episodes, and the whole series is avilable on DVD.
    Or, if you want to go vintage, there’s always The Man from UNCLE.

  79. Dorky TV: You have to get some Flight of the Conchords DVDs. (They’re on re-runs on HBO too.) Dorky, adorable, hilarious guys from New Zealand living in New York and trying to make it as a band. There is even a character who knits in one episode and a couple of wonderful crochet blankets in many scenes. I can watch them all again and again.
    Heather R.
    UCFknitGirl

  80. Has no one mentioned The Wire? It ran for 5 seasons on HBO (2001 to 2006, if I remember correctly). Season 3 may literally be the best season of TV ever aired. If you decide to start, clear your calendar because you’ll end up watching all of them in short order.

  81. Has no one mentioned The Wire? It ran for 5 seasons on HBO (2001 to 2006, if I remember correctly). Season 3 may literally be the best season of TV ever aired. If you decide to start, clear your calendar because you’ll end up watching all of them in short order.

  82. I am also recommending Firefly.
    The stitch pick up in garter would be lovely. So yes please that is.

  83. Hi.
    I didn’t have time to read all the comments, so sorry if I am repeating someone, but I recommend The Big Bang Theory. Hilarious and geeky, all at once. It’s on Monday nights, same channel as “How I Met Your Mother” and “Two and A Half Men”. It’s on repeats right now, for the summer, so you can get caught up and be on track for when it starts new in the fall.
    Nice blanket.

  84. Yeah, I’m going to chime in with the chorus on the Firefly and tutorial front. Firefly is awesome, and I’d love a tutorial on picking up stitches in garter stitch.

  85. people already mentioned all the others, but FARSCAPE. oh yeah Competently dorky and Very sci-fi. But it has Ben Browler(Sp?) and Claudi(Sp?) Black. Both of which are also in Stargate.

  86. If quirky british comedy is what you’re after, “A Bit of Fry and Laurie” is pretty great. The Laurie=Dr. House.
    I second “Pushing Daisies” and “Dead Like Me”. One of the best things about them is most of the actors are from broadway. Nothing dorkier (or better than) musical theater.

  87. Dorky Sci Fi? How about Sliders.
    Don’t you love how many TV recommendations you’ve gotten?

  88. Thank you for answering my question. I’ve tried few metal needles, so am looking for reviews before investing in a good set.
    As for tv shows, Tourchwood and Firefly have already been mentioned. Babylon 5 seasons 1-4 are a must. Also try TrueBlood from HBO. It’s definately for adults but charming. Boston Legal is excellent too in a wacky off-beat sort of way.

  89. Saving Grace and The Closer…great shows..and I think you should throw in one square of a bright color just to make it pop….lovin it so far..

  90. Not sure if some of these fit in the dorky line of TV shows, but I am kind of dorky and I like them:
    Rome, seasons 1 & 2 – lots of good actors and well it’s about Rome
    True Blood – you have to see what happens when a vmapire gets staked through the heart
    Big Love – modern day polygamy! Chloe Sevigny plays a character you love and hate at the same time
    United State of Tara – Toni Collette with multiple entertaining personalities!

  91. Spaced!!! You should check out “Spaced,” a BBC series with Simon Pegg and Jessica Hynes. It only lasted two season (1999 and 2000), but it’s hilarious, a sort of anti-‘Friends’ with great characters. And I second the animated series “The Tick.” And “Cowboy Bebop” is entertaining, if you like that sort of thing.

  92. I also recommend “Six Feet Under”, if you haven’t already seen it. I hear “Weeds” is pretty good, but haven’t watched any of it myself. And if you like vampires, then “True Blood” (Season 1 is out, Season 2 just started last week) is good, too…but probably not appropriate for young children. It’s no “Twilight” – it’s much more gory and raunchy, but goes well with a nice red wine.

  93. Great blankie! I vote for picking up stitch tutorial because we (my knitterly friends and I) have been noticing how perfect your pickup rows are. What does the other side look like? Do you pick up half a stitch, or a whole stitch? Do you leave a slip stitch edge to make life easy? And so on…

  94. I have loved watching “The Vicar of Dibley” (sadly, too few episodes IMHO), and “3rd Rock from the Sun” is LOL slapstick-y goodness on a plate.

  95. I’m not reading the comments – so don’t know what has been suggested on dvd tv – but check out Dead Like Me – there aren’t many episodes but it is great and you can’t beat the small town angst of Friday Night Lights. Oh, and Medium. Love the mom that doesn’t weigh 95 pounds and have a perfect wardrobe, the husband who isn’t a caricature of a man.

  96. Most definitely Firefly unless you’ve already seen it of course. My son, (who is 26) has requested a Jayne hat which I began knitting just this morning. It’s amost done and dang if it doesn’t look just like Ma Cobb’s!

  97. Dorky t.v. recommendations? I’ve got one, but it’ll do ya for three seasons with a fourth coming out in the fall: ‘Supernatural’–the writing’s sharp, the action’s hot, and oh-golly-gee-whilikers, the young mens are PURTY!

  98. A few I didn’t see mentioned:
    Freaks & Geeks – Just had one season but was amazing
    Coupling – BBC show, its really more of a sitcom, but Jeff is awesome and the creator will be taking over the next series of Doctor Who.
    Also awesome is Dexter but it does get a bit graphic at times.

  99. Thanks for throwing the TV question out there. My Netflix queue just doubled from all these suggestions!

  100. I love –
    Buffy the vampire slayer
    Angel
    Weeds
    House
    NCIS
    Dead Like Me
    Dollhouse
    Burn Notice
    In Plain Sight

  101. You gotta watch “Reaper”. Great fun TV. The story involves a guy who on his 21st birthday finds out his soul was sold to the devil at birth by his parents. He is told he is to be a bounty hunter for the devil. He has to find escaped souls from hell and return them. He has friends who help out and a girlfriend who struggles with the whole mess. Every single actor/ress in the series is fantastic. It is very well written and quite funny. I guess as long as you are not to serious about religion. But it is still a good vs evil story that is really entertaining. Then of course there is always “Dexter” the story of a sociopath who takes “care” of sociopaths when they escape justice thru normal means. Also funny, suspenseful and well written

  102. My dad LOVES getting TV series out from the library and watching them. To date, favorites are Numb3rs (don’t worry, the math guy just waves his hands and says “logarithmic algorithms” and everything comes out all right), The Closer (cop show), Babylon 5, Monk, 24 (a counterterrorist show), A Touch of Frost (British mystery), Remington Steele (80’s detective show with Pierce Brosnan), and Crossing Jordan (cops and doctors).
    My brother has nearly the entire 50-odd episodes of Inu-Yasha, which is an animated Japanese time travel/fantasy series. These should take you a good ways through the blanket.

  103. Love the blankie, not bored at all. Can’t recommend sci-fi as that is the hubby’s domain. I prefer to watch a cozy murder to relax. Nothing like watching murder and sexual deviance in a quaint english village to take the edge off of your day.
    To spice it up, how about some really good vegetarian dinner recipes. They aren’t easy to find and I don’t think eggplant is “meaty”. What are your favorites.

  104. Hippo Birdie Two Ewe!! Sorry it’s a bit late.
    The blankie looks great and will be so welcome up there where it’s cold and damp for so much of the year.
    About ‘dorky’ TV? Have you tried ‘Primeval’? There are a dozen or so episodes from last season (2 mini-seasons as aired in the UK), plus the new season is in mid-gallop. You really should try to watch them in sequence, otherwise the spoilers will, uh, spoil things. 😉 And then there’s ‘Torchwood’, the 3rd season of which will be starting in about a month. Fun just listening to John Barrowman’s voice.

  105. OK. Not as dorky – but as a lover of dorky TV, I will also suggest these series that I’ve been enjoying lately. Mentalist and Castle. (If you liked Firefly, Nathan Fillion is the lead on Castle.)

  106. Sorry, had to mention another reason to love pushing daisies:
    One of the main characters (the dectective) knits when he is stressed. He knit himself gun cozies! One time, his knitting needles saved his friends lives (as they are wont to do).

  107. Babylon 5 – all 5 series available on DVD these days. Sapphire and Steel yes I would second that suggestion. Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip was brilliant, shame they only did one series. NCIS – oh yes, definitely. Rome too if you didn’t catch it before. Spooks, a spy thing from the BBC is rubbish, but entertaining and has some good looking guys in it.If you can find it on your TV Water Rats, and australian police series is very worth watching. Period drama is not dorky (well sometimes it is ) but generally stars good looking young things of both genders.
    Thanks for the words of wisdom about the needles as I am currently struggling with old cheap circulars and was wondering what to replace them with on hte offchance that I could actually start to enjoy knitting in the round.

  108. if you want to go a little more serious on the tv show, watch the wire. best tv show i’ve ever seen hands down. and good for nice easy garter stitch because you’ll want to pay attention.

  109. FARSCAPE. Seriously. If you like Firefly, BSG, Stargate, and anything whacky/thoughtful, you will like Farscape – you may have to give it an episode or two to get over the fact that Cameron Mitchell and Vala mal Doran are the leads and everyone else is played by Henson puppets – but once you’re past that, really, trust me and the (like, one) other person who’s recommended it, it’s excellent. It’s about an earthling who gets sucked through a wormhole to a distant galaxy and lands on a ship of escaped alien political prisoners who are all trying to find their way home. They have really seriously whacky adventures. There are aliens which look like aliens and not people + putty makeup. There is Claudia Black playing Aeryn Sun A.K.A. THE MOST AMAZING CHARACTER EVER – do you like Starbuck? If you like Starbuck I can absolutely guarantee you will like Aeryn, she is a lot like Starbuck except she has a much more fully realised and realisti character and storyarc. I could capslock on about this show so much. I really want you to be intrigued. So much goodness!
    Due South is great (and Canadian!) In fact it’s my knitting of choice at the moment.
    7 seasons of Buffy will keep your blanket interesting for a while.
    Seconding: Freaks & Geeks, Dead Like Me (and if you like that try Wonderfalls).

  110. Totally agreeing on Dead Like Me.
    And for a really great movie…I’d never heard of it and it really stuck with me because it was so much fun…see if you can’t find Priscilla, Queen of the Desert. Great quirky fun.

  111. Fringe is great, though not as dorky as some. Love the old Star Trek. You don’t have to watch – just listen to the musical cues. No one’s mentioned Michael Palin’s travel documentaries – not dorky, but very interesting watching him travel the world. Down to earth.

  112. My current favorite geeky show is “Waking The Dead”. If you want a cheesy show try “Hotel Babylon”.
    My favorite cool show is “MI-5”.
    The blanket is lovely.

  113. Favorite recipe would be great ….I need a desert for a company picnic next week 😉

  114. ….cake recipe…. (yummy!)
    To paraphrase the game Portal’s computer personality GLaDOS, The cake is a lie!
    I love the progress you’ve made on the blanket so far. It is beautiful!

  115. Hi Stephanie,
    I agree with the recommendations for “The Big Bang Theory.” The show is literally geeky. And funny. It’s not the best television in the world, but I find myself looking for it every Monday night and chuckling over the jokes.
    My sort of geekiness is in a show like “Arrested Development.” My husband and I just finished watching all three seasons and we laughed the entire way through it. The acting is superb, the writing is sharp and the humor is smart and irreverent. I’d recommend just watching this one because there are things the actors do or camera angles showing things that don’t have a correlating audio that really add layers to the story/moment that you’ll otherwise miss.
    I think “The Wire” is probably the best thing that was on tv in a long, long time. I’m not sure I’d qualify it as being geeky but it sure is very good television. There is a bit of violence and it’s quite gritty but worth sitting through.
    “Freaks and Geeks” had (sadly) only one season. It’s drama and fine storytelling but again, not sure if I’d call it “geeky.”
    And has anyone recommended the original British series of “The Office?” Very very good.

  116. Another vote for beloved Firefly, and the newer Pushing Daisies. Too funny.
    With garter stitch you could even watch foreign films with subtitles like Pan’s Labyrinth.

  117. Actually, a tutorial on picking up stitches in garter stitch would be lovely. I love tutorials!

  118. I’m with you on the Addi’s being more comfortable over Options. I think it’s the length of the needle before it narrows. The end curve fits just right in my hand, the Options narrows outside the palm and dig in a bit. They’re OK for briefer knitting but make my hands hurt after about an hour.

  119. Although I’ve never commented before, I’ve been reading and enjoying your blog for a long time. But when you requested “dorky tv”, I, in the same vein of Chekov in the new Star Trek movie, said, “I can do that! I can do that!” Why yes, I am a huge dork.
    1. This has been said already by a few other people, but I highly recommend Due South, not only for its Canadian factor, but because it is awesome and enjoyable in every way possible.
    2. My other rec is going to be something that no one else has said, because I am a special and unique snowflake, but the show Merlin, from the bbc. It starts airing on NBC, if you get American channels, this Sunday at 8 pm, and is out on DVD in England. It’s a reimagining of Arthurian legend, all the characters are likable and played by actors who are a lot of fun, and King Uther is played by Anthony Stewart Head, aka Giles. What’s there not to like?

  120. Recipe *and* tutorial please. Gotta go back for the original star trek after loving the new one
    Beeeeeautiful blanket. Serene, yes

  121. Dorky dvds? Brisco County Jr. Sci-fi western. Bruce Campbell. Doesn’t get much better then that. Pushing Daises. There’s knitting in it! Torchwood, Arrested Development, Wonderfalls, Primeval, Roswell, buffy, angel are all good dorky dvds.

  122. Me, I’ve been thinking I need some plain garter stitch for my ‘relax before bedtime’ knitting:)
    As for tv:
    Dead Like Me – such a great show that when Showtime cancelled it (Even though they admitted it had good ratings!) we dropped Showtime like a hot rock. Bastiges.
    Eureka – Overall very funny and smart
    Scrubs – Yeah, half an hour medical sitcom. 8 seasons worth. Disturbingly, my doctor friends all agree that it’s the most accurate medical show out there. Main character is a HUGE dork. <3 the show.
    Sports Night – only really had one season, it’s also on dvd. I enjoyed it a lot.

  123. I don’t know what it says about me but I don’t find garter stitch boring. I’ve done the moderne baby blanket and have the yarn to do the full size one in the silky wool. I’ve done about 8 log cabins and will start another in a few days as a wedding gift for end of August. Nothing is more soothing than garter and perfect for watching TV or DVDs or reading while you knit. I usually have more color change than that going for me though. Now endless stockingette…that’s boring.

  124. Ok. I cave in the comments. you asked for tv. I do tv.
    Supernatural-dorky dorky dorky but the actors are hot.
    I second (or third) Dead like me. too bad they cancelled.
    Ghost whisperer. Again, the guy that plays her husband is hot.
    Dexter. Might be much for some folk, not for the under 18 crowd, but definately addictive.
    The American version of the office. I sat and watched 4 seasons straight. It might help that one of the characters is hot.
    I am starting to notice a trend that is suspicious to me about me watching shows with hot guys. Not that there’s anything wrong with that.

  125. Well since you watch Dr. Who I’m certain you found Torchwood. And everyone is suggesting it. But it is good. Firefly is awfully good too. Dead like Me was good. Also, you might not like shows like Dirty Jobs and Deadliest Catch but I like them because I can focus on other things.

  126. Have you heard of Being Human? It’s a BBC4? show. It’s available on Surfthechannel.com – just search for it. Great show about a vampire, werewolf and ghost living normal lives, well, normalish at least, what with being not human and all.
    your blanket is inspiring me to knit my own.

  127. For a dorky tv suggestion (although it’s so cool it’s hard to think of it as dorky) try the Buffy the Vampire and Angel series. Given your tastes you may have already watched, but if not they are delicious!

  128. It’s probably obvious by now, but anything you write about is well-received here. Honestly, you could tell us about having to pick lint out of your toenails and it would be hilarious.
    And I for one would love to hear all the delicious things you ate on your birthday, including cake details!

  129. I am currently really loving Bones, other great options are House, Charmed, Angel. What meals did you get for your birthday?

  130. Burn Notice is pretty fun. Of course, it could just be the sum of the eye candy on the show.

  131. I LOVE Avatar! I was so bummed when it ended. I even have a clay Appa (the giant, 6 legged, flying bison) by DS made for me.

  132. Hi, as i’m British I have to stick with the Brit programs some have already been mentioned
    Primeval Good Saturday evening fun
    Blackadder ( a classic which will having you knitting codpieces & reciting catchphrases)
    Spaced(the most funny thing ever)
    Black Books(amazing 2nd funniest thing ever)
    Torchwood (a must watch as my friend plays a part in one episode & it as Spike out of Buffy)
    but there’s also
    Green Wing(strange, strange, strange)
    and Almost Human (little known but awesome)
    i think i can see a whole movement on this TV watching blanket, think a Flickr group maybe in order to document everyones efforts.

  133. I had forgotten all about Chef and Red Dwarf, but they are both hilarious. Garreth Blackstock is the ultimate ass, and so funny!
    Also, I’d love a good recipe for white or yellow cake… never have really found a great one. If you’re looking for a kickass SERIOUSLY kickass chocolate one, go to food network, and check out a show called “Ultimate Recipe Showdown” and try the episode about cakes. This cake recipe won $25,000 and is the best I’ve ever tried.
    Good luck with the blanket. I just finished a baby blanket (it was a big one) for my third son (oh god…. three boys) who is just 2 weeks old, and even though I tried to find an interesting one, with a bit of lacework, it was still the most mind numbing experience ever.

  134. Glad you got a new camera. The blanket is coming along. Just think of all the new neuro-pathways you’re creating doing the garter stitch. The colors are very soothing.

  135. Hey new camera! Sweet! I also just got a new one after mine bit the dust a few years ago. I got a canon elph sd790 – super nice for macro yarn shots!

  136. I think it’s a great time for a beer comparison spreadsheet/table/chart/graph/piechart/something. No consuming in public of course, due to that recent warning of external (hah- my subconscious just typed external damnation, which is what it was, instead of eternal damnation – love that subconscious brain) damnation, but certainly a spreadsheet comparing beers in all the places you’ve traveled would not be seen as hedonistic? And it would help add some color to the neutral blanket conversation, right?

  137. i would definately recommend “Big Bang Theory”. The ultimate dorky….. Though I have found I spend more time laughing than knitting.

  138. My dorky TV recommendations: Eureka, Pushing Daisies, Torchwood…I don’t remember whether you’ve watched Babylon 5.
    The blanket looks wonderful and very snuggly.

  139. My favorite Dorky TV at the moment is Eureka. Any Mel Brooks movie would do the trick too.
    You’re not going to give up the Kinnearing Camera just because you now have a fully functional one, are you? In addition to travel pics with sock, you could have guest Kinnearing photos. 🙂

  140. I’m all for a tutorial on picking up stitches in garter stitch. I’m sure I’ve done it, but without a clear memory, it will be great to read about it from (one who will surely become) a pro.
    As for good TV knitting, I like Bones and Burn Notice, both on Hulu and DVD. For a great series, check out Horatio Hornblower at your local library.

  141. Hulu! Tons of stuff to watch for free — All those old 70s and 80s shows you forgot you loved! I’m watching Buck Rogers right now.

  142. My current favourite dorky TV shows are Leverage (kinda like The A-Team, updated, with hot boys and girls and awesome action and characters) and Merlin (BBC series, reimagining of the Arthurian legend, with Arthur and Merlin as teenagers, and Anthony Stewart Head as Uther).

  143. Favorite shows:
    Leverage
    Burn Notice
    The Closer
    In Plain Sight
    Royal Pains
    The West Wing
    All Star Trek Series except Enterprise

  144. congrats on your birthday camera, the blanket looks like it will be very warm and snuggly (i live in blue mountains in nsw australia and its winter which equals sleet, rain, misery and very bloody cold for an aussie!)

  145. Oh my friend–please check out The Wire. Great characters. Great story.
    Omar is the best bad guy in TV history.

  146. Ditto on Torchwood, Firefly, and Flight of the Conchords.
    Sure, I like cake recipes, and could really use some more vegetarian recipes for dinners and lunches for that matter.
    I like the blanket news just fine, and even if that wasn’t good enough, I could always read your archives if I need a fix (or, I don’t know, work on my own knitting while I wait for new posts).

  147. Dorky TV? Fringe (just finished season 1 on fox, back in the fall), Dollhouse (same), The 4400 (on DVD. Four seasons), Big Bang Theory (just finished season 2 on CBS), Arrested Development (3 seasons on DVD), Psych is good, but not really “dorky” per se…
    The blanket is looking lovely, by the way. I find that I don’t generally have the willpower to make something like an afghan. I lose interest too quickly, so it’s socks and accessories for me. Even scarves are pushing it on my attention span.

  148. Stephanie, I join the call for calulating # of stitches to pick up for garter stithc log cabins. I have one supremely soft bath rug which is a (geometry alert!) trapezoid and one multiyarn log cabin in progress, frozen in place due to picking up too few stiches – again with the trapezoid.

  149. Dorky TV is a specialty of mine! I recommend Pushing Daisies, BBC’s Merlin, ditto Primeval, and for nostalgia purposes Quantum Leap. I still have a ridiculous crush on Scott Bakula that time has not faded.
    Best of luck with the whole knitting monogamy thing.

  150. Wow, you have lots of awesome geeks reading your blog. I agree with the recs for Farscape, Babylon 5, and Dollhouse. I also second or fifth or whatever the UK version of The Office. Two seasons, very funny and satisfying. Dark Angel was great, and ended too soon. And if you haven’t seen the old Dr. Who eps (like from the very first one), they are definitely improved with knitting.
    If you want to branch into anime, try Trigun (only 26 half hour eps), or movies like My Neighbor Totoro or Princess Mononoke.
    And there’s tons of classic BBC stuff to watch, if you’re into it (Red Dwarf, Black Adder, Monarch of the Glen, Faulty Towers, Monty Python, etc.)
    This is making me want to watch TV. What a wonderful world we live in!

  151. How wonderful! I’ve been looking for a blanket pattern that won’t make me crazy for some time, and this is it. I may do something other than garter stitch in some of the blocks, but that’s just my ADHD influencing me. I can’t wait to see where you knit on next –

  152. ok, i never thought my favourite show was dorky… but apparently i may be in the minority in this belief. but i LOOOOOOOOOOVVVVVVVVVVVVEEE
    Coronation Street. mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm
    try it! you’ll like it!

  153. I’d love a tutorial on picking up stitches in garter stitch, as it’s one of my weak points (and there’s this pattern I’d like to do if I could only figure out how to pick up without making crater-sized holes).
    I see people already suggested some of my faves, so let’s see what else I can come up with. Hot men? Have you watched the series Highlander yet? Gotta love MacLeod and Methos. If you like dramas, have you checked out Criminal Minds? Go back to the 80’s/90’s with the vampires of Forever Knight, although the end of season 3 is a downer. Oh! Poltergeist: The Legacy, and for ultimate campy but scary, I see seasons 1 and 2 of Friday the Thirteenth: The Series are out on DVD!

  154. I’d been looking for an afghan to knit for “Soldiers’ Angels”, and this has inspired me. I’d also like to say yours looks so good – the pick-ups seem so “seamless” – ha ha.

  155. I second (or third or fourth or whatever) the suggestion of Eureka. Also The Big Bang Theory is hilarious. I think the first season is now out on DVD.

  156. You have forty kazillion comments and I can’t read them all at work. Just wanted to chime in and recommed the dorky supreme tv show that you will be sad whent he dvds are over: Firefly.
    🙂

  157. It’s not particularly dorky, but I’ve fallen hard for Weeds. It’s on Netflix instant play if you’re into that kind of thing.

  158. You said:
    How about if I promise a tutorial on picking up stitches in garter stitch?
    Not a bad idea at all. I’ve been making the same blanket for years now, and there is a long delay at each color change–It’s such a pain to pick up stitches along the side of the work and the picked up stitches all look really bad.

  159. I vote either Arrested Development or Breaking Bad. Arrested Development only had two seasons, but they’re hilarious. And dorky! Hurray!

  160. Andromeda. Love it. Six main characters, and 3 of them women. One is actually a battleship, one is a starship captain, and one is an odd alien with abilities to see into the future. Kind of. No helpless women in high heels as far as the eye can see. And as for the men? Nice eye candy, I’m telling you. And it’s SciFi, of course. Got “dorky” written all over it. As do I *haha*.

  161. first season of “Big Bang Theory” I pinky swear its the funniest thing on tv these days… =)

  162. Have to agree with the suggestion to watch Eureka. They also have podcasts with various members of the cast providing commentary on the episode. And Colin Ferguson is a hottie.

  163. Have you considered capping your knitpicks cables instead of binding off? I saw that hint on ravelry (of course when I was in the final lap of my blanket), and it worked great, saved all that time binding off and picking up stitches… you could get done faster!

  164. Favorites of mine, and I assume they’ve all been listed but here goes anyway:
    –Gilmore Girls: dorky fun and a half!
    –Six Feet Under: bizarre, compelling, funny, you name it
    –Alias (Or as we call it, Wah-Hoo-Kunk! with lots of karate chops): lots of action that will make you knit like a fiend!
    –Heroes: see above

  165. Northern Exposure? Or, of course, really old X-Files.
    Love those colors. I don’t think you’ll regret this one nearly so much as the lime-green mohair.
    For variety, you could do a series on Beers That I Have Loved 😉

  166. Yep, yep: FireFly and Jeeves & Wooster. I also just finished Freaks & Geeks and loved it.
    AND NOW I WANT TO KNIT THIS BLANKET IN SILKY WOOL. Thanks for the idea.

  167. Well since you didn’t say what dorky TV you’ve already watched, and since everyone and their mother is suggesting Firefly, you can try out Dollhouse if you don’t have any compunction about seeking things out illegally online, and if you do, well, there’s always Buffy. And also Angel, which is better in some ways but which I have heard from Reliable Sources makes much more sense if you watch it after/concurrently with Buffy.
    And I don’t have a television, so everything I’ve ever watched ever was on DVD or online, and I’ve started very few shows that were still on the air, and that is why my discovery process is such that all I have to offer is Joss Whedon. Plus I know you’ve already watched BSG, which is what I’m currently embroiled in.

  168. YES, please a tutorial on picking up stitches in garter. I was thinking how very even yours look in the picture and wondering how you do that. Mine never seem to come out right.

  169. Dorky TV suggestion – Buffy The Vampire Slayer. It’s fantastic, and all 7 seasons are on DVD. After you finish that you can get started on Angel, a Buffy spin-off!

  170. I did a log cabin blanket using lot’s of Ecological wool, and it was a delightful knit, despite the endless garter stitch (I did use some regular cascade to vary the colors, so it wasn’t quite so mindless). I put it into the County Fair though, and I really missed it last night to snuggle under.

  171. Oh, you HAVE to watch Chuck! First season is currently playing at the WB.com. It would make me feel so much less dorky if I knew that you, too, went around with the theme song stuck in your head, wishing that Chuck and Sarah could just have a normal relationship *sigh*.

  172. What? Nobody’s mentioned the single most dorky animated show ever? Futurama gets my vote! The writing is terrific, there are tons of science/physics/math jokes, and it’s got a wonderful blend of lowbrow and smart jokes thrown together. Plus it’s been revived recently, so if you get through all the dvds and the dvd movies, you’ll have but a short wait until you get brand new ones!
    Eureka also gets my vote though. Hilarious.

  173. I also suggest Firefly and Buffy. They are a little dorky, plus the first 3 seasons of Buffy are available for free on http://www.hulu.com
    Also I think that the blanket is sophisticated and classic. You cant really go wrong with natural fibers in natural shades.

  174. It’s not dorky, but I love it: “The Tudors.” You can watch King Henry screw up his life, assorted ladies-in-and-out-of-waiting, and the enitre British Empire in convenient, well timed segments! What fun!

  175. I think you are crazy for being so apologetic, because the blanket is gorgeous and I enjoy seeing the updates.

  176. Stephanie,
    Happy belated Birthday. Lovely blanket and “yes please” on the tutorial, I am very intimidated by picking up stitches, it makes me nervous. So that would be very much appreciated.
    Enjoy the simplicity of the garter stitch!
    (“Smallville” is my dorky TV escape)
    Rebecca

  177. Maybe not so dorky, but the first season of Trueblood is available on dvd. – Alan Ball of Six feet under fame’s latest. Yes, yes, another vampire thingee, but done well. And the music for the series is outstanding!

  178. Yes please on the picking up stitches tutorial, and I also vote for a figure 8 cast on tute! TV suggestions: West Wing, Astro Boy (embrace the inner child!), and the Australian Thank God You’re Here is very funny, but I don’t know how well Australian humour translates to the rest of the world – could be worth a try though!

  179. The blanket looks wonderfully snuggly. Hang modern and sophisticated – come cold weather, all someone’s going to care about is squishy warmness. (Maybe that’s just me). But… the Dr? Dorky? I don’t think so. Ham acting, the assumption that all alien life forms are humanoid, general Doctor Hotness? Nerdy, definitely. Too much genius for dorky… :p

  180. hgtv perhaps carson can plant your garden
    david can color splash your house
    cindi loves basements just for joe
    home made ice cream

  181. How about if you start to daydream about all the projects you will start after you finish the blanket? You could tantalize us with all the cool stuff you will be doing soon, like “Today, I’m thinking about another lace shawl, perhaps ‘Luminaria’. I have just the perfect (insert yarn here) in my stash…” Just a thought.
    Or, maybe a little free-association. “Switched to the dark grey today…it matches the sky…I love thunderstorms, except I probably shouldn’t be on the computer during a thunderstorm…if the power goes out I’ll be in trouble, AND I’ll have to knit by candlelight…wouldn’t that be fun? I could play ‘Little House on the Prairie’…” You get the idea. Enjoy!

  182. McLeod’s Daughters – Definitely the most addictive show ever. Women running their own sheep and cattle ranch and the extremely hot men who love them…

  183. It was only on for one season, but it’s on DVD, and it was hilarious and cute and totally dorky: Greg the Bunny.

  184. Eureka gets my vote too. Love it to pieces. And I’m voting for Smallville and Buffy too.

  185. Yup, I third (or whatever) the vote for Eureka. Last time I checked the entire first season was available for free viewing on hulu.com…and I got the rest from Netflix (do they have Netflix in .ca? hmm.) Anyway, best of luck with the blankie!

  186. ‘hmmm? If you need to liven up that garter stitch in a little while, try a few blocks of intarsia squares here and there in those rows.

  187. A tutorial would be grand – the front of my log cabin looks (mostly) fine, the back is quite frankensteiny. I would prefer to not have it be that way, and hope a tutorial would help

  188. Have you seen Fringe? Chuck? Both very good! Also the first season of Heroes, though the second and third are not as fun (for me).

  189. What a fabulous group of comments!!! What do knitters like to watch?! Great stuff!!! I have to say, nay IMPLORE… please watch Buffy the Vampire Slayer and then the spinoff Angel and blog about it!!!!!!!!!!!! Charmed is also good! Enjoy!

  190. If you like language, anything by Aaron Sorkin– West Wing, especially the first 5 seasons (which he wrote) or Studio 60 (available on http://www.hulu.com). Nathan Fillion is in a new series, Castle (available on the ABC website)

  191. Is the lab robe what you wear to perform a spit stitch (I’m afraid visions of a clean-catch cup…no, surely a Petri dish?)

  192. Am I the only one who doesn’t bind off the Log Cabin sections? I use four long circs and only have to pick up the sts on the ends. I run the needle through the “knobs”, knit those stitches and continue on with the waiting sts. I do use point protectors on the needles I’m not using at the moment. Love Log Cabins!!

  193. Yes: Firefly, Flight of the Conchords, MST3K, Rifftracks.
    Don’t forget Doctor Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog! Beautifully, sweetly dorky.

  194. Isn’t there some sort of knitting blog law rule, that when all else fails, post pictures of your cat?

  195. While “Firefly” is good, it’s also short (I believe 13 episodes total), so you could also watch the Firefly movie “Serenity” to add a couple hours.
    My hubby enjoys “Torchwood” and “Buffy” (he’s the sci-fi man of the household.) He also enjoys the BBC show “Coupling,” which is hi-larious.
    Personally, I enjoy “Heroes” and “Dollhouse” to go along with the sci-fi/fantasy TV. I would also suggest “Numb3rs,” “The Mentalist,” and “NCIS.” “The West Wing” is also a good one, although I didn’t see many episodes after Aaron Sorkin left, but I have seen the final season which is excellent.

  196. Actually, I would really like a tutorial on picking up stitches. I sort of can do it, but I sort of worked it out all by myself, and I am undoubtedly doing it all wonky . . . . and photos of the blanket are nice, because it helps me to judge how incredibly fast you can knit. And then I crawl off in a corner and cry.

  197. Dorky t.v.: Smallville; non-dorky: House
    I wish I had your “stick-to-it-tivness”. I can’t even stick with a pair of socks and finish them before some pretty skein calls to me. The blanket will be beautiful!

  198. glad to see you’ve got a new camera. a tutorial of picking up stitched is aways fun. or if you have advice on what to do when you hand is out of commission for knitting I would love to know.

  199. I go along with all the recommendations of Pushing Daisies, it is a crazy wonderful show. And the detective is a knitter! Who knits himself gun holsters!
    I didn’t see this one listed, but one of my favorite shows of all time is Good Neighbors, a British comedy from the 70s I believe. In Britain it ran as The Good Life. I think you would love it!

  200. Numb3rs is brilliantly geeky, even if you don’t always get the math, the explanations themselves are awesome. It is coupled with FBI and crimescene stuff though. It is a geeky indulgence, however. Mythbusters is also a geeky one, though a different sort.

  201. Dorky shows: not sure if this counts but I really enjoy Stargate SG-1, Col Jack O’Neill has some great one liners. I think my favorite episode is the Groundhog Day one. Another show that I thoroughly enjoed was Highlander, there are movies and shows. Another would be Golden Girls the discussion of taking the bull by the horns caused me to drop some stitches.

  202. Second The Tudors. Incredible fabric porn and jewel porn, and actually the actors make it pretty watchable. Um yes and of course the storyline. Even though you know what’s going down, it doesn’t *feel* as though you do. Like this is the alternative, Henry as a rock star universe.
    Did I mention the costumes? And production values. Lush countryside, gardens, and furniture. And horses. And stones. And rain. And lots and lots of candles, if you like candles. I like candles.

  203. Dorky Tv.. the first week or so of July, Warehouse 13 on Sci Fi starts up… previews seem pretty dorky (in a fabulous way) to me.
    And about that same time, Eureka is coming back (yay!)
    Diana. I loves me some scifi..
    and if you get desperate, there are some stations running the old star trek, remastered to look great, even in HD.

  204. I for one think the blanket is stunning! The palette of naturals is right up my alley, so don’t leave it unattended when it’s finished 🙂 Tutorials are always wanted, also. I’m famously entertained, no matter what.

  205. Garter stitch blanket? Yikes!
    OK, so tough times call for tough measures. If you’re going to be monogamous and swear thyself true to only ONE project, then you must rent and view the entire original Star Trek TV series.
    At some point I wonder if you’ll prefer to watch paint dry. I haven’t forgotten the green afghan you wrote about for the wedding. The rather large 20+ skeins of green afghan. The one that made your brain hurt.
    Yup, that afghan.
    In the meantime, I look forward to hearing about going vegan and your upcoming cookbook. (You’ll have to trot out a new writing project to compensate at some point.)
    Good luck!

  206. if you want a neat / dorky show… try “Chuck” its pretty cool, about a computer dude turned spy. Lots of adventures (oh and he’s pretty hot too!)
    enjoy your knitting! Garter is the Bomb Right?

  207. I second what Ellen-May says! Dr. Horrible is not only dorky you will be asking yourself “how did I miss this?” Fantastic soundtrack as well.

  208. I love —
    Big Bang Theory
    How I Met Your Mother
    Psych
    Chuck
    Dollhouse
    Eureka
    True Blood
    Legend of the Seeker
    My Boys
    West Wing
    30 Rock
    Mythbusters
    Good Eats

  209. Perhaps odd, but South Park, if you ignore the language (although I don’t!), is probably the most addicting thing EVER.

  210. dorky tv suggestions:
    Firefly
    Xfiles
    Wonderfalls
    Dead Like Me
    and
    BBC’s The Office
    enjoy! i do so love the eco wool. so soft and snuggly. excellent choice for the blanket! 🙂

  211. In your tutorial about picking up stitches, could you please address how to make the log cabin end up nice and square instead of rounded? Half the log cabins on Ravelry end up sort of bowed out. Does blocking take care of that, or is it a matter of the right ratio of picked-up stitches to garter ridges? I believe Kay tells us (in her blog, if not her book) what her ratio is–is that the same one you’re using?

  212. I just thought of a couple more shows you should be able to get on DVD.
    *How I Met Your Mother: HILARIOUS!! Becoming one of my favorite shows, plus Neil Patrick Harris.
    *Leverage.
    *Going along with “Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog.” Another Neil P.H. by Joss Whedon, and it’s just beautiful.
    Also if you’re up at night and get US late night, I love Conan O’Brien and Craig Ferguson.

  213. To answer only your last question, since I typed out what I think are very nice answers to your other ones on my blog, YES, YES, YES!!! I’d love a garter st tute! I never know which is the right side to pick up! Yay!

  214. We all get special dispensation for our fashion crimes in the 80s. I’m the same age as you are. I once did a blog post displaying my 80s handknits. Dear Lord. My husband laughed so hard I was compelled to pull out that high school prom picture of him in 1975, complete with mutton chops, mustache, and orange suede blazer with lapels wide enough to serve as a airplane wings. I also remind him of that picture every time he cringes at a pair of pants showing six inches of boxer shorts. Every generation has its own fashion woes.

  215. Hi! Good progress on the blanket. Maybe we could all make up creative cheers to keep you going. Maybe you have a guest blogger who could step in for a post or two? Do you still have any karmic balancing gifts to bestow?
    If nothing else, just revel in the thought that we are all being soothed by all that garter stitch goodness.

  216. DVDs: Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz
    Freakishly tongue-in-cheek, awfully entertaining.
    Haven’t seen the TV series with the same fellows, but it’s probably quite good: Spaced.
    Garter On!

  217. As long as you’re looking for topics, how about we talk about Knitters Without Borders a bit? I’d love an update (not so much about the money as all the other jazz).

  218. I couldn’t read all the comments (I’m at work and will get busted 😉 but I back up all the others in begging for a picking up stitches tutorial. I just did it in Glampyre’s circular shrug and it looks like poo. How do you have time to read all these comments? No wonder you’re so busy! First time commenting, but I love your blog.

  219. Just think… it was only a few years ago that we weren’t able to see what our pictures would look like BEFORE getting them developed at the photo place. The miles we’ve come… 😉 Happy to hear of your new camera and I am loving the blanket. I made one out of Knit Picks Shine as a baby shower gift. The garter stitche is endlessly boring but it’s such a cool blanket.

  220. Torchwood. Then start over and watch Dr. Who again because it is magnificent. I heart David Tennant.
    Not dorky but laugh-out-loud funny: Arrested Development. Watch it again. Pick up all the foreshadowing (ummm…hand chair, anyone?)

  221. Have you tried the Doctor Who audio plays from Big Finish Productions? New adventures with the old doctors, different stories with the new doctors, several different continuities, companion adventures. Fun.
    Also, Dark Shadows.

  222. “I figure (cue ominous music and sense of foreboding) it’s a bunch of rectangles. What can go wrong?”…..um, have you read Ann and Kay’s blog recently at all?????

  223. I’m not sure if this has been recommended, but The Dresden Files was a very nice, all be it, short lived TV series. Hulu rocks for finding shows too. Quantum Leap and Remington Steele? My weeks are booked solid!

  224. I’m obviously oblivious (and not the faithful reader I should be) but when I saw the coolness that this blanket will be (it’s nothing like mint-green bat-wing mohair sweaters from an era when everyone’s tastes were in their mouths), I had to read what kind of wool you are using (because I’m buying some, baby).
    But then, I saw the bit about Dr. Who (and just about wet myself because, you know, we’ve got “stuff” in common) and wanted to point out this very intriguing object (that a friend actually owns because she has UK buddies who brought her one from across the pond).
    http://www.starstore.com/acatalog/Starstore_Catalogue_DR_WHO___Inflatable_Daleks_2485.html
    Oh, and anything by Joss Whedon. Firefly. Buffy. All good.

  225. Another vote for Wonderfalls!!!
    I have a 2nd copy of this strictly for lending out to people, something I’d only done for books before. I love this show, and it should totally get bonus points for having some interesting knitwear (of an entrelac hat/scarf set & a top w/sleeves made from a re-purposed scarf) Also, Lee Pace. ‘Nuff said.
    My dad just got me hooked on Corner Gas (and Veronica Mars, strangely enough). I’m guessing you know about the former (: so I’m going to put in a plug for the latter…
    Also:
    Arrested Development (which is on my desert island list)
    and
    Clatterford (my love of britcoms is pretty dorky, I could give you a much longer list, but this is my most recent fave…I was actually kind of surprised by how much I enjoyed this, even though I love French & Saunders)
    Love the blanket so far…it looks perfect for tv knitting!

  226. If you can find it, I recommend Tin Man. It is a nice sci-fish rendition of the Wizard of Oz. Honestly, it is so different but the same! That will give you at least 6 hours of entertainment.
    But if the mood hits you for romantic comedy, look for The Princess Bride. Older movie but I love it!
    I have a blanket going as well. Been working on it for a little less than a year now and it is only halfway done. So my dvd collection and show knowledge has increased. I just need to figure out how to read and knit at the same time now! College classes are reading intensive.

  227. Dork TV – Seasons 1 through 7 of Buffy the Vampire Slayer – you might be done with the blanket by then. Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha! Also if you like vampires, I am loving True Blood. Season 1 is out on DVD and Season 2 just started. But there are gratuitous sex scenes in that one.

  228. Ditto on Torchwood. Hands down. I have season one and two out from our library right now! Also, because I like a nice staid mystery series, I also enjoy the Cadfael series and BBC Sherlock Holmes for diversion as I knit. Poirot is fun with David Suchet and Midsummer Murders is quaint. All are just great. Then there is Hetty Wainthorp series, and Keeping up Appearances – a little light comedy when you need a change of pace. Perfect for knitting.

  229. A tutorial on picking up in garter stitch would be GREAT! Last year I made a little blanket for a friend’s baby and I ended up knitting a Baby February Sweater throught three crazy nights right before the delivery…because the blanket looks like an ancient sea-Turtle’s shell what’s been tossed around by the ocean a few years too long. When laid flat, the blanket forms a BUMP in the middle, that is. So somewhere, somehow, I messed up and picked up too many (or too few?) stitches and made a giant hill of batbarf instead of a blankie. It’s in the closet now. I tell myself I will rip it out and save the (costly and nice) wool. BUt it may just lie there until I have a kid of my own, who is not going to mind crappy knitting and half-finished clothes, since he/she will be dressed in them their entire lives!

  230. Have you watched Deadwood? True Blood? The Tudors?
    What is your traveling project? You surely aren’t taking that on the bus with you.

  231. Actually, I would like to know how you pick up stitches in garter. They always look really messy when I do it, and yours look so nice and neat!
    Geeky TV shows. . . well, I really only watch House M.D. and HGTV right now. I really like Clean House. The saucy black lady from Reno 911 goes to people’s houses, tells them to “stop all this foolishness!!” and then helps them clean. More fun then it sounds.

  232. Why not post some photos of what your darling daughters are currently working on, or have in a bag but have started. It would provide some color and you can always tell them you are “testing” how well the new camera captures their work.

  233. I love the colors of the blanket! I think they’re lovely. Doing a blanket can be frustrating at times. I’m working on the Mitered Square Blanket from Mason-Dixon Knitting and it feels like my life is nothing but endless squares. Thankfully I have until Christmas to finish the thing.
    As far as DVDs are concerned, I’ve been watching The Riches a lot as well as some good documentaries. I liked Gorilla Murders (though it’s sad) and Autism: The Musical! Keep up the great work!

  234. Well, let’s see – I got “Firefly” on YOUR recommendation, so you know about that, but frankly I LOVE watching that while I knit even if I have seen it before. I really think the mostest funnest thing I’ve EVER watched while knitting — is your very own Canadian “Corner Gas”. I have the loan of Season One and am about to return it for another season. Perfect for garter stitch so you can actually watch, and it’s about as much fun as you can have….vertically. (Did *I* say that? I’m 66 years old!!)

  235. My dorky choices are MacGyver and Mamma Mia, Pierce Brosnan singing makes it all worthwhile.
    I love the large squares! Good luck to you.

  236. If you have not seen “Six Feet Under,” start watching it immediately. Five seasons of some of the best television I’ve ever seen.
    I don’t think there’s a way to get it anywhere else but Netflix, but I also loved the short-lived (two seasons!) Showtime series “Dead Like Me.”
    Then again, I just powered through the first two seasons of “Gossip Girl” while finishing my Swallowtail … quality television there.

  237. How about a tutorial about weaving in ends in garter stitch? I always have them show in a project like this and would love to hear your opinion on this.

  238. Knitting I’m new at… but dorky TV I can definately help!
    Many have been said before, but:
    Torchwood
    Flight of the Conchords
    Black Books
    The Office (both the UK and US versions are good, but watch the UK one first I think if planning to watch both)
    Arrested Development
    Battlestar Galactica
    For vintage dorky TV try:
    Blake’s 7
    Battlestar Galactica

  239. As far as TV shows, I love Burn Notice. It’s about a spy who was fired and is stuck in Miami. It’s a USA Network show and super fun. Plus, the main actor, Jeffrey Donovan = hot. Running around Miami with a muscle car and occasionally sans shirt. It’s worth watching just for him (the the acting and writing are good. And there are dorky prop/spy things). There are two seasons (second one comes out soon), and they’ve started the third season.
    Pushing Daisies is good (there’s a knitter) and House is always fun.
    happy blanket knitting!

  240. Well, if anyone can make this blanket interesting over numberous posts, you can! I’m thinking though, how fun would it be to see how many different people you can have take a picture with the blanket at various stages! Fun for us at least! Seriously, cute fireman holding the blanket, adorable baby with the blanket, postman with the blanket, double points for celebrities being kinneared with the blanket….
    Sound good?!

  241. good TV shows for knitting:
    Burn Notice – About a spy that was fired and is stuck in Miami. Great writing and acting, plus the leading man is SO sexy.
    House M.D. – the first three seasons are the best. Season 4 just gets silly.
    Pushing Daisies – Great show, only had 2 seasons. Great writing, acting and production value. Very clever.
    Fourtysomething – British show staring Hugh Laurie. One season from a few years ago, but it’s good.
    Oh, and Absolutely Fabulous is always fun (the first episode, Fashion, is my all time favorite)
    Hope those help, and happy blanket knitting!
    p.s.
    The Fall is a great film. Perfect for garter stitch cause you need to pay attention to what’s going on in the movie. Visually stunning.

  242. I know I have seen all of these already mentioned, but I am putting in another vote for all of them.
    Torchwood!!
    Dexter
    Burn Notice
    Legend of the Seeker
    Royal Pains is new, and only has two episodes out
    Rome
    Tudors (Both HBO, so be ready!)
    Pshyc
    Monk
    Slider (Old Show, but good stories)
    Xena (yes I am that old and crazy!)
    How its made
    Dirty Jobs
    Whale Wars
    Deadliest Catch
    Clean Sweep (Good Inspiration)
    How Clean is your house
    Hope some of this helps, and please let us know what you enjoy so we can recommend more along those lines!!

  243. Gilmore Girls – it’s not that dorky though. However, it is sassy, quick funny dialogue, lots of pop culture references, and great to watch whilst knitting. There is even a knitting episode.
    I love this show so much (and am that sad) that I watch it on rolling rotation now it’s finished.

  244. For stuff that is currently on the air pretty much the only network TV we watch are –
    Deadliest Catch
    Legend of the Seeker
    and
    Torchwood – but be forewarned that it’s darker than Dr. Who.
    Not to be missed –
    Avatar – the last Airbender – not only my house, but my 2 sisters houses were glued to Nickelodeon for the finale of this one. 3 seasons, available on DVD or some of it through iTunes.
    Due South (yell if you want me to send you the DVD set, I got it for myself last Xmas and have ogled Paul Gross sufficiently for a bit….well, that and I always have Men with Brooms to back me up)
    Dr Horrible’s Sing-a-long blog
    Red Dwarf
    Anything with Ian MacShane in it, including Lovejoy or Deadwood.
    Possibly Monarch of the Glen, Taggart or Hamish MacBeth if you can find them (not that I’m fond of TV shows set in Scotland…no not me!?).

  245. Love the blanket. TV – try ‘Torchwood’ and ‘Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy’ – the TV series, not the film, and of course ‘Blackadder” All great to knit-along to!Oh and have you seen ‘Bonekickers’ – its so bad, its brilliant, if you see what I mean. And some of the actors are really quite cute.

  246. Really old, and really, really dorky?
    Space 1999 I wouldn’t have missed it when I was a kid, and really trying to find a way to watch it again..
    And other is the, -kind of- Sci Fi carttoon series with a heartbreakingly beautiful title song is Spartakus and the Sun beneath the sea…
    Other things I love to watch while knitting:
    The Gilmore Girls
    X files
    NCIS
    Life on Mars (love this one!)
    How Clean is your house
    The life Laundry
    Stargate
    Eureka
    As for the knitting. I would never be able to knit that blanket. All that garter stitch… Ugh.
    But I admire you for it, it is beautiful.

  247. Cake recipe and tutorial please. If you have to prioritise, just the cake recipe. I can undo cocked up picked up stitches, not so much with the cake ingredients. I am loving the blanket though. I have the attention span of a gnat at the moment so I am extra admiring of your monogamy and ability to tackle a large project.
    ps Dr Who isn’t dorky. And what do you think of the new Dr?

  248. I can’t believe no-one nominated “Life on Mars”, especially with the mention of 1980s fashion! Gene Hunt is the man!!!
    Also second “Flight of the Conchords”.
    Oh, and has anyone seen “Krod Mandoon and the Flaming Sword of Fire?”
    Oh and have you heard of “The League of Gentlemen?”
    (I’m worried this list says a little too much about me)
    Currently watching the DVD “Angels in America”. All six hours.

  249. Oooooh!!! Please oh please do a tutorial on making Butter Tarts, or at the very least post an authentic Canadian recipe for them. I love them and haven’t had them in years! Since I’ve only eaten them I can’t tell if a recipe is really good or not, and my waistline won’t tolerate me making 50 million different batches and trying them all out! As for dorky TV series that you might not have seen (and it seems that you like the same type of SciFi shows that my family and I do) – Babylon 5, The Dresden Files (only 12 episodes and on Hulu) Dead Like Me, Legend of the Seeker, Fringe, Cleopatra 2525 (with Gina Torres. It’s old, very geeky and on Hulu), and Krod Mandoon and the Flaming Sword of Fire.
    And the not so Geeky – NCIS, Bones, 30 Rock, Castle (I just love Nathan Fillion!) I hope you can find something to perk up your knitting pleasure. Great blankie by the way!

  250. Have you watched “Terminator–Sarah Conner Chronicles’?–sooo good, and so sad that Fox canceled it. You can get it on Hulu

  251. Firefly is good. Watch the movie Serenity if you want to get the overall “flavor” of the series. My hubby got me addicted to Star Trek: Enterprise. Pretty people in sci fi…can’t ask for more. He just purchased Season 1 of BSG, so I’m sure we’ll get hooked (and own) all of that, too. Dorky, fall off your seat laughing american TV? Big Bang Theory. Fabulous. Have fun watching!

  252. OK, so, I’m up late (or early I guess by now) with a newborn and channel-surfing, all the while thinking, “I need some suggestions for TV series on DVD to watch when I’m up half the night with this lovely wee bundle who insists on sleeping on a human being,” and, lo and behold, here you have an enormous list of suggestions! Thanks!
    I recommend The West Wing, as it happens. Best TV I’ve ever watched.
    Here’s the weird part: I’m watching HGTV and there’s this bar on Restaurant Makeover and the owner is Erin and she’s spending her son Hank’s college fund on the renovation. And I’m thinking, “that looks like Toronto” and then, “I only know (of) one kid named Hank and isn’t the Yarn Harlot’s sister named Erin?” And thank heavens for Google because I had my answer in about 3 seconds.
    So – please tell me the renovation was successful and Erin’s business is going fabulously now! The new mom hormones are making my heart ache with worry!!

  253. Any chance of getting the pattern for that lovely lacey cowl you made a few months ago?

  254. Dorky TV (my favorite)I think I’m repeating but here goes-Torchwood, Eureka, Fringe(season over don’t think DVD out)Dresden Files (only ran for one season DVD available-books are excellent-they came first) I’m thinking of checking out True Blood (HBO) I like the books(starts with “dead until dark”, Toronto Library has them) I’m finding that the whole “seniors moment” thing is working for me in that I’ve been re watching Deep Space Nine and find that although I know the thread of the show I don’t remember a lot of it so “bonus!” it’s like a whole new show . Super Dorky go to PBS and watch the science shows.

  255. The pictures from the new camera are great! I hope you enjoyed your day. I think the picking up garter stitches tutorial would be great, everyone needs to have a garter blanket on needles. Sometimes I still feel like knitting after that glass of wine and the little voice inside is telling me to ‘Step away from the lace’

  256. What’s that?
    a broken DVD player and only a short comment on that?
    This garter stitch blanket seem to have changed your mood already….
    Vera

  257. Oooh, cake! Yes please!
    Dorky TV? I dunno about dorky, but Six Feet Under was a highly entertaining series to watch on DVD (I didn’t watch it until it was all out on DVD). Alias is good too – plus you do get some nerdy in that one (JJ Abrams was the creator).

  258. Could we see the wrong side of the blanket? I started that once, and my WS was soooo very ugly, that I frogged it. Any tips?

  259. Dollhouse is some pretty good dorky TV.
    Have you seen or tried Addi Clicks? They look pretty spiffy, but I haven’t tried them yet.
    Also, picking up stitches in garter stitches sounds like a fun tutorial! Mine always look a little wonky when I do it.

  260. Am definitely about number 300 in the comments, but there you go…
    Dorky TV series (non-Sci-Fi unfortunately):
    House – 4 series
    Criminal Minds (really awesome!)- 3 series
    West Wing – 7 series (interesting insight into US government system and great characters who you find wishing could come over for coffee)

  261. Sometimes boring is good.. although that IS a lot of garter stitch- good move to switch to Addis.. less risk of poking your eyes out…I like the neutrals!

  262. Dorky TV: Jonathan Creek.
    Honestly, it’s amazingly good stuff. Brilliant but socially off-kilter magician’s assistant solves the closed-room mysteries he’s dragged into by his journallist lady-friend (with whom he struggles with perpetual on-again, off-again interest). It’s got wit and style and what could possibly be better than geeks leading adventure-filled lives showing the glamourous just what shams their glamourous lifestyles are.

  263. I would like to actually hear you talk about the blanket. It makes me want to start a big blanket before my daughter goes away to college to give to her (it would take me years to make).

  264. I, for one, would appreciate a tutorial on how to pick up stitches in garter stitch. I also want to know what method you use to assemble the shapes. And thanks for the inspiring blog, Stephanie! I learn, I laugh, I love it!!

  265. In our house the favorites are: Bones, West Wing, Joan of Arcadia, 30 Rock, Freaks and Geeks and That 70s Show.
    Maybe not all dorky, but fun.
    (and NetFlix has Dark Shadows if you want to get seriously dorky)

  266. Have you watched Caprica yet? The prelude to the new series by the BSG guys? It features a tiny 11-year-old Bill Adama and some intriguing ideas about the start of the cylons.

  267. For great TV, I would go back to the classics- Hogan’s Heroes, M*A*S*H, or Northern Exposure. Or perhaps watch movies. My favorite movies to knit to are V for Vendetta and the Count of Monte Cristo.

  268. And while we’re talking tutorials, is it even possible to do a tutorial on something I saw you did a class on a while back? I think the title was something like, “Speed knitting”. I’d love to knit half as fast as you!!!!!!!!!!

  269. Dear Stephanie,
    I am not able to look up the original pattern for Moderne, so I might just be throwing a scare for no reason, but is the alignment of the rectangles correct? I am hoping Moderne indicates a twist on the original, because the position of the darkest rectangle would be opposite on a traditional log cabin. Please reassure me. I’d hate to think of you needing to frog.
    Sabine

  270. Someone recommended “Life on Mars” but neglected its follow-up “Ashes to Ashes”- the first season is available on Amazon. Also, can’t believe no-one’s mentioned the BSG prequel “Caprica.” And do you audiobook at all? Check out Lois Mcmaster Bujold’s “The Warrior’s Apprentice.” No-need to keep looking away from your knitting with audiobooks!

  271. I’ve got several suggestions for blankie knitting most of which have been mentioned so consider this post further votes 🙂
    Eureka: Funny and full of all sorts of Science stuff. DVD Seasons 1 and 2 are out 3.0 (first 8 shows) will be out June 30th (cross fingers) and 3.5 will start on Sci Fi Friday July 10 at 8CST
    Very good for making Knitting time
    Quantum Leap: Scott Bakula need I say more
    Farscape
    Stargate SG-1: Def good Knitting shows…Michael Shanks, Richard Dean Anderson, Ben Browder… Plenty of eye candy there 🙂
    All Star Trek Series as well as Movies
    M*A*S*H
    House
    ER
    Bones
    Burn Notice
    In Plain SIght
    Good Eats
    Iron Chef America
    Next Food Network Star (Should have first 4 seasons out 5th is on now if available on DVD that is)
    Garter Stitch pick up tutorial would be great as would some vegetarian recipes!!

  272. Hi, I just wanted to say how beautiful Canada is. I’ve just returned home to the uk from a bus trip around Toronto,Quebec, Ottawa and Montreal. I knitted socks all the way much to amazement of my fellow travellers. I hope people have stopped being nasty about ss09. And HAPPY BIRTHDAY.

  273. I’m having exactly the same problem with dorky TV. I just finished through season 4.0 of BSG and season 4.5 won’t be out on DVD until July. I shall stalk through the comments and see what else people recommend!

  274. Dorky TV: Big Bang Theory
    TV that’s better to listen-to than watch full time (except for when the hot guy is on screen): Bones

  275. The needles with add on cables, whatever brand, are great for doing the border. I did the edge using one long needle instead of the 4 sections. Mitre paired stitches in each corner made it all work and it keeps this a no sewing pattern.

  276. More recs for great and fairly dorky shows to watch:
    SciFi(ish) – Star Trek, of course; Farscape; Andromeda; Primeval (BBC); Fringe; Stargate and Stargate Atlantis; Jericho; Eureka – so funny and cool; Dead Like Me; Carnivale
    Mystery/Mainstream with a Witty Geek – Agatha Christie’s Marple (BBC) – the actress is excellent, the writing stellar (Christie FTW!) and the knitwear!; MI-5 (BBC) – not so dorky but great; Monk; Chuck; Bones

  277. First of all, Happy Birthday to our buddy Greg Kinnear. With that out of the way, NCIS season 6 is even on Instant on Netflix. There’s also Due South which is totally worth the DVD price. I dig the blanket, being on a similar project with knitted shells (will need about 60 of them). Good luck with that!

  278. I love the blankie! I had forgotten all about that pattern until you started it and realized that it would make a great Christmas gift for my husband – such is your power.
    As for TV – I would definitely recommend Burn Notice (a little bit spy, a little bit MacGuyver) and True Blood. I also love Deadliest Catch – find a Deadliest Catch marathon and you’re set to knit all day.

  279. Eureka is really amusing. A comedy sci-fi, how cool is that? 🙂 Jericho is also a good pick. I’m watching some of the classic Who on netflix at the moment whenever the kiddos are napping. Ever try listening to any of the audio dramas? If you have an mp3 player it might be worth a look. 🙂 Good luck with the blanket, I have to get back to the wedding quilt I’m ALMOST done with, then I can do some knitting… I miss knitting!

  280. you (and your readers) probably don’t want to hear this, but i actually do like the tutorial on picking up stitches on garter stitch. do you think you can sneak one in when no one is looking?

  281. Geeky TV– Eureka! I think the third (fourth?) season starts this summer. It would be perfect to watch while garter stitching.

  282. I would love a tutorial on picking up stitches in garter stitch. I’ve always wondered if I’m actually doing it right!
    Dorky TV: I second the Big Love suggestion. Not sci-fi, but one of the most engaging shows I’ve ever seen.

  283. For really good dorky TV, with a Canadian spin (filmed there, and a few funny references sprinkled through the season) how about “The Dresden Files”? It was only on for one season (a crime in my book), but was really, really good. I just started reading the books, and they’re great too, but the show has the advantage of Paul Blackthorne. You can rent the DVD’s.

  284. I do love the new “Doctor” but the wait between episodes is painful indeed. Only 4 episodes for 2009-10!!
    My current fave is True Blood. Oh the blood, oh the drama! Nothing like a good Vampire drama series.
    Freaks & Geeks I never tire of. It still holds up. Sometimes is can be a wee bit anachronistic but I forgive them. They speak the truth.

  285. Can’t really help you much with TV suggestions. I only watch Grey’s Anatomy and occasionally Survivor. I would love some cake recipes and vegetarian recipes if you’re in the mood to share!

  286. YES on the suggested tutorial for picking up stitches – mine never look as good as yours do!

  287. Oh, and suggested DVD – Arrested Development. Never fails to crack me up. Hate that it was so under-appreciated when it was on the air that it’s …. not now. 🙁

  288. I don’t usually comment, because I don’t want to read through all your comments first to see if anyone has already said what I’m going to say. This time just forgive me if someone has already recommended “The Big Bang Theory” to you. I think only 1 season on DVD so far, but hilarious. Enjoy the blanket!

  289. New series which will suck your free time away, while you are so blissfully involved, you don’t seem to care anymore:
    1. Burn Notice – About a spy who gets burned and dumped in Miami. So good. Already a couple of seasons, so no waiting.
    2. Weeds – About an uber urban mom (think Stepford wives) whose husband dies and leaves her with huge debt and two kids. She starts selling weed to get her through. Pee ya pants funny.
    3. Big Love – About modern day polygamists. Has Jeanne Tripplehorn and Bill Paxton. Need I say more?
    4. True Blood – I just started this one. Looks good. Has a modern day vampire theme.
    5. Wonderfalls – This one was canceled, but you can buy the box set. So very, very funny.
    Um, no nerdy ones, but really, they are all so good that I can almost promise you won’t get bored. And, as an added bonus, will almost get your mind off of the mindless, soul sucking garter stitch. 🙂

  290. Dorky TV suggestion. The Munsters.
    Although, on second thought, since that’s a black and white series, when watched while knitting in very stylish and sophisticated monotones of black, white, and shades of gray, it might be a downer. Especially since I’m guessing that Toronto’s weather lately has been much like central PA’s – lower than average temperatures and higher than average precipitation. Ugh. I had to put several windows DOWN in my upstairs today (in mid-freakin-June!) because it’s too cool and breezy to be comfortable, and because I’m a cheapskate who doesn’t want my furnace to run in June, for pity’s sake!

  291. Instead of a cake recipe, how about a couple of your favorite vegetarian main dish recipes??

  292. Dorky TV suggestion. Eureka…love it on DVD/Hulu and I love to knit with it in the background. Enjoy!

  293. Eureka, Big Bang Theory, and Psych. I just tried to watch X-Files. I made it to the middle of season 2 before abandoning it in a rather dramatic way. Scary aliens = entertainment. Scary humans = nightmares. There were too many episodes with scary men.

  294. TV Suggestions:
    Have you seen Castle yet? Nathan Fillion = YUMMY. I also really enjoyed Tim Roth in Lie to Me. Yes I realize neither of these is particularly dorky.
    For Dorky Supreme check out the Big Bang Theory with Johnny Galecki and Jim Parsons. It’s about socially inept scientists. Totally cute!

  295. I wouldn’t waste my time on Weeds. I saw it for the first time last night and I have not seen so much rape, sex or bare bums in I don’tknowhowlong!
    For totally polyester – try Wonder Years. Very cute, very take you back to your childhood with all the love and angst that provided.

  296. Dorky TV: Firefly is very funny and Nathan Fillion is hella cute.
    Alias cause we love some butt-kicking chicks.
    X-files is the height of dorkdom and very good to boot.
    Vintage: Sliders. the first few seasons are awesome and silly.
    for marathon knitting, nothing beats TV series on DVD!! it’s like a movie that lasts the *whole week*!!

  297. Even though you are working on a fairly straight forward blanket that to anyone else could be somewhat of a challenge (like me, who tried this pattern and lost), you are still hilarious. (Just thought you should know).
    I recently watched the whole 1st season of The Legend of the Seeker on Hulu and really enjoyed it. The storyline was very interesting and I’m looking forward to season 2. This isn’t my typical TV show (much prefer House and the Closer) but this one was interesting. If you haven’t seen it, I’d give it a try. It is a fantasy/science fiction type of show. That’s my only suggestion.
    Toodles!

  298. Good TV? Hustle (about con men, not dancing), Mad Men, Viccer of Dibley, Ballykissangel, the early Monarch of the Glen, and Daniel Boone.
    I think I did ok on picking up garter stitch to switch directions but would love to see how you did it.

  299. Oh, oh, oh!
    CAKE. The perfectly funnest rainbow cake for summer and kids! It is super cool for adults too!
    omnomicon.blogspot.com/2009/01how-to-make-a-rainbow-cake.html
    Jody

  300. Dorky tv? The excellent and British Version of Life on Mars. Not the US version which was a dire travesty of the original!
    I think that I saw something that said it is released on DVD here (Canada) on about the 23rd July or so.

  301. My sister swears that Six Feet Under is the best show ever on television.
    Also, since I’m also working on a Modern Log Cabin blanket (among other things) I’m still interested in the blanket posts. I like the natural colors.

  302. I already commented on blog ideas, but I am re-watching “Jeeves and Wooster” at the moment – if you like period comedies, it’s fantastic. Hugh Laurie (20 years pre-House) and Steven Fry are the perfect team. Also pondering the uncanny resemblence of my dad and HL, which seems to be increasing as they age!

  303. Try “Bones”.
    Start at the beginning of the series.
    Gruesome, but inventive mystery and interesting characters.
    CT

  304. I’m not quite sure what dorky means but I do like to knit and watch Northern Exposure on DVD. It doesn’t make me laugh out loud but it definitely makes me smile!

  305. Dorky TV? My fiance was kind enough to sit next to me through all eight seasons of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and five seasons of Angel. They come in awesome boxed sets, are funny enough to just listen to when you need to keep an eye on things, and are wildly entertaining. Bonus, they lasted us about eight months. That was a lot of knitting, I must say. Gotta love Joss Whedon.
    Also, since the new Star Trek movie came out, he’s been bringing home the DVDs of the original series from the 60s and 70s, since I realized I had never actually sat through an entire episode in one go. A blast from the past is keeping me entertained throughout the Rogue I finally cast on.
    Happy knitting! Love the soothing colors of the blanket, btw.

  306. I second “Dr Horrible’s Sing-a-long blog”. You can buy it through iTunes now. Short but wonderful!

  307. The above commenters are right, you really have to try Pushing Daisies. Not only is it quirky and strange and delightful, but there are some fabulous knitting jokes. Mostly visual jokes, so a good time for plain ole garter stitch.

  308. Haven’t read through the comments, but for TV, have you tried “Torchwood”? It’s sort of a spin off of Dr. Who. If you remember, it is referred to in the Dr. Who shows.
    liz

  309. Torchwood is a definite must for dorky TV watching. I’m also a huge fan of Firefly. Its really unfortunate it only ran for less than a season. The up side is that there is a movie based on it too. Of course there is Big bang theory which is a riot and all the characters are on Twitter which is pretty funny too.

  310. Ooooooh,…what about throwing out some of your favorite recipes-cake or otherwise?

  311. When I reaslized you were answering questions about the blanket I got so excited…but didn’t find an answer to my question: Are you binding off and picking up between the blocks, or are you avoiding binding off the blocks/strips by leaving them on holders or spare circs until you work your way around to a given strip again (I only recently read about this on the masondixon blog)?

  312. I’ve just discovered that ‘Round the Twist’, an Australian kids’ show that used to be on CBBC is available on DVD… that’s dorky (and has a very bizarre theme tune!)

  313. No offense meant to Joe by refering to Paul Gross as “THE Canadian Hotness.” No slight was intended. 🙂

  314. Dorky TV:
    CSI:CSI
    CSI:Miami
    CSI:New York
    The Mentalist (Rocks!)
    Buffy TVS
    Rewatch (coz I know you’ve seen it) Babylon5
    Heck, Rewatch all of em!
    Star trek – you’ve got 3,7,7,7,3 seasons of the various incarnations and 11 movies! (or 6, if you only watch the good ones)
    Oh, I agree about the blanket being stylish, and I never thought batwing sweaters were…

  315. I’m sure you’ve already seen Due South, but we’ve been enjoying that one from Netflix.
    Have you checked out the Addi Click interchangable needle set? I vaguely remember seeing they came out, but I’ve not seen any buzz about them.

  316. Absolutely Northern Exposure (except the last season.)
    Best of all, though, “The Good Neighbors” (original title “The Good Life”) — subsistence living/farming in a posh London suburb. Richard Briers, Felicity Kendall, Paul Eddings, Penelope Keith. Two (three?) seasons of pure joy — and the best Christmas segment any TV show ever produced. (Those who disagree can step outside with me.)

  317. SS09 question: Will there be knitting books in the Marketplace? I hope, I hope
    I can’t wait until then to buy my Mason-Dixon, but I’m sure there are many others that would tempt me!

  318. This is a wonderful (a be it a little boring) pattern. I made this for my sister for Christmas last year. If it wouldn’t have been for the encouragement of my knitting group, I’m not sure I would have finished. I even named it George to give it a personal touch, which the group still talks about. My DH even called it George. It was hard to be faithful to George and I did cheat on him a few times with some washcloths. I kind of missed him when I gave him away. Good luck!!

  319. What? What! HOW did I miss that you are a Who fan? Okay, so who’s “your” Doctor? I’m Tom Baker (first Doctor I ever watched–thank you PBS!) Although I LOVE both 9 and 10–and not just because they’re pretty either.
    I’ll put in another vote for Torchwood. Big fun–pretty actors–cool aliens.

  320. I’m going to go with Castle as well – so much smarmy Nathan Filion, and also The Muppet Show. We have three seasons on DVD and it never fails to entertain.

  321. I would be pleased to see a tutorial on picking up stitches in garter stitch, or in any other stitch, for that matter. Fear of picking up stitches is a major player in my continuing sweater impairment.
    I used to really like Farscape, but I can’t stand Stargate. I do not know why. They have the same number of letters and vowel sounds, and they both involve weird can’t-tell-the-players-without-a-scorecard stuff in outer space. Since I know you and I knit differently, I’d say try ’em both if you haven’t already.

  322. We are currently watching Torchwood but I prefer Fringe or Stargate Atlantis. If you like dorky crime series: Midsummer Murder(s)? From the UK. Too funny and good to knit by!

  323. Cake recipes would be very fun, and I also love the idea about guest bloggers (above). The garter stitch blanket from the cat’s/husband’s/teenager’s perspective.
    I also love “House” for tv series.

  324. Don’t know if this counts for “dorky”, but I love “Eureka” on SciFi. Not sure if it’s shown in Canada, but you should look for it.

  325. As for DVDs, I wholeheartedly agree with everybody who said watch Firefly, plus the followup movie, Serenity. Great fun there, excellent eye candy, great cast.
    Also, if worse comes to worst, you could always rewatch Battlestar Galactica. I still wish Richard Hatch had played a good guy. I think his character got what he so richly deserved.

  326. Hey – I heard they are remaking V. Remember that series from the ’80’s? You might have watched it in spandex pants. I watched it with lots of hairspray.

  327. Just for the record, your new camera is great. The pictures are much better. As for the blanket, you get an A for endurance. I’m doing a baby blanket in a lattice stitch in cotton (@$%^& cotton!) and I’m just about ready to burn it in the backyard.

  328. Wait a minute. We all know what a speedy knitter you are and that’s all that’s done so far? You’re holding out on us. There must be something huge you’re hiding from us. Love the colors though and I too would like to know how you get such even joinings.

  329. Firefly is fantastic! I also really enjoyed Dollhouse, which is coming out on DVD soonm but can also be found on Hulu (along with Firefly!). Additionally, if you don’t already watch it, Lost 1-4 is currently on sale at amazon in the US and in Canada for $25 each.

  330. You could do what I did this last weekend and watch all of the old Batman movies. That was awesome. They are so bad and I love their guts.
    Also, I would highly recommend Gray’s Anatomy, Pushing Daisies, and Ugly Betty. Though they are all popular as far as I can tell, and probably not as dorky as some of the others people have recommended (don’t worry – I LOVE dorky shows). But I am so addicted to them all.
    I would say Firefly, but I am near positive that you have seen that already and if you haven’t, then, for shame. 🙂

  331. I read through the comments and realized that I am older than most of your readers. For a sustained blast of proto geek scifi you really can’t beat the old BBC series “The Prisoner.” Patrick McGoohan is “…not a number.” Giant weather balloons pick up anyone who tries to escape the village. Very well done. I think you may be just the girl for this classic look at sixties geekhood.

  332. My favorite dorky tv on dvd series include:
    La Femme Nikita
    Babylon 5
    Baa Baa Black Sheep
    The Pretender
    Star Trek DS9
    Alias
    24
    Lost

  333. Oooh, after the picking up stitches in garter tutorial, how about a photo tutorial on picking up gusset stitches on a sock? I always end up with a horrible lumpy gusset, and I can’t seem to figure it out from a written description!

  334. The Wire – best show ever on television. Period. Five whole seasons on DVD. You will skip bathing and sleep to watch “just one more episode” – word of advice, run the subtitles until you get the rhythm of the Baltimore street slang
    My So Called Life – teenage angst has never rung so true. Realistic dialogue and story lines.
    Arrested Development – smart, quick, irreverent, geeky humor

  335. Dorky TV recommendations:
    Flight of the Conchords – Fantastic
    Australian version of Kath & Kim
    Little Britain
    Don’t think about it, just get them, Netflix them however, get them, watch them, giggle yourself silly 🙂 Perfect log cabin knitting fodder.

  336. I have to add another vote for Pushing Daisies – totally brilliant, with extra bonus points for fast talking & Emerson Cod’s knitted gun cozies. Also Wonderfalls if you haven’t seen it (another short lived but amazing show), and another vote for Chuck.

  337. I would like to point out that you are clearly smarter than I am. I knit all the pieces. Then sew together. I assure you, the piles of rectangles in my closet will someday turn into a blanket.

  338. Just two quick things –
    1. Dorky TV suggestion – Numb3rs! love it!
    2. I would be indebted to you if you would post a tutorial for picking up stitches in garter stitch!

  339. Awesome suggestions! And perfect timing since just about everything is on hiatus now. 🙂 I’m psyched to start checking things out!
    A couple things I didn’t see:
    Heroes (modern sci-fi drama)
    Veronica Mars (modern Nancy Drew)
    The Lone Gunmen (comedy, X-Files spinoff)
    Queer as Folk (social drama, sex/nudity warning)
    Good Eats (geeky cooking show)
    Mythbusters (later seasons are definitely better on this)
    La Femme Nikita (soap-opera-y spy show based on a good French movie)
    Anime (try for subtitled if you can get it, the dubs don’t tend to be all that good):
    Death Note (series & 2 live action movies)
    Blood +
    Exceptions to the dubbing rule:
    Anything by Miyazaki (Howl’s Moving Castle, Spirited Away, Princess Mononoke, etc)
    Most of my favorites made it on here already, so I’d second these:
    Sci Fi:
    Farscape (I really can’t recommend it enough, the first season is on the cheesy side, but it’s well worth waiting out!),
    Torchwood, Eureka, Star Trek TNG, The X-Files,
    Serious Crime Drama:
    Criminal Minds, Numb3rs, Dexter, Crossing Jordan
    Other Drama:
    The West Wing, Carnivale, Six Feet Under
    Comedy:
    Freaks & Geeks, Psych, Burn Notice, Weeds, 30 Rock, Monk

  340. this blanket looks a lot like one I made a few years ago called “Ramblin Rows Afghan” by Cottage Creations”. Are you familiar with that one?

  341. Dorky tv show from Britain. “Green Wing” I have only seen it on U Tube. Very funny stuff. Cheers.

  342. This will probably be the 25th recommendation for Torchwood, but it’s worth it, ahhh Jack!

  343. Because I’m OCD and even if I weren’t I’d probably notice it.
    It ‘looks’ like you are doing log cabin.
    If that is actually the case, shouldn’t the black rectangle be on the opposite side, or am I missing something?
    I do like the colors, neutrality and all.

  344. TORCHWOOD! If you love Captain Jack AT ALL, you will watch Torchwood to squee just that much more. Primeval is good, too. Dinosaurs from the past and the future.
    I just picked up season 1 of Big Bang Theory. Talk about dorky t.v.! Leonard and Sheldon are theoretical physicists. They play marathons of Halo and Second Life. Their best friend Raj can’t talk to women unless he’s drunk, Wolowitz thinks he’s a player and womanizer when he’s only good at engineering. Sheldon and Leonard live across the hall from Penny, a beautiful girl and the object of Leonard’s dreams. I mean, Sheldon gets mad one morning because someone interupted his hour of Doctor Who on BBC America on a Saturday.
    Firefly! Firefly! Firefly! And um, Firefly! 😀

  345. tee hee… is it terrible how exciting it was to see my question picked for the blog??!! *grin*
    Its old school but I enjoyed watching Farscape on SciFi. I’m a big Jim Henson fan. I don’t think its on anymore tho. For DVD, a really funny one is Burn After Reading.
    Happy Belated Birthday wishes!

  346. I noticed that Star Trek TNG was recommended above. At risk of repeating someone because I don’t have time to look at all of the comments, I would like to recommend ANY/ALL Star Trek (With the exception of Star Trek: Enterprise, which should only be watched in two situations.
    1) You know nothing about Star Trek and have never seen any of the other series.
    2) You don’t care for continuity at all and don’t care that a show that’s supposed to be 50 years before Captain Kirk (TOS) has technology that wasn’t officially invented until after Kirk.
    TREKKIE RANT OVER: The Original Series is especially recommended. Already saw it? Watch it again. Never too much Spock.

  347. How about “Spaced”? UK series featuring Simon Pegg. Or have you seen “Black Books” yet? Dylan Moran & Bill Bailey–hilarious. Simon Pegg has a cameo in that, too.

  348. Please do offer us the tutorial on picking up stitches in garter stitch. I have never yet seen one I could understand. Please use visuals! Pretty please? Best wishes with your garter stitch mission.

  349. So, to pass the time, how ’bout a knitting Q&A? Especially if people are struggling with one particular project/stitch, etc. Though you can’t necessarily *show* us how to fix it, as you will be doing all garter stitch all the time, maybe you can respond.
    Other suggestions:
    A list of other projects you wish you were knitting right now?
    Know any good knitting jokes?

  350. I’d love a tutorial on picking stitches! A Moderne Log Cabin Blanket may be my first step in re-doing my living room.

  351. Farscape is old school? I AM old!
    Primeval is pretty dorky
    Stargate SG1 and Stargate Atlantis – 10 seasons of SG1 and 4 or 5 of Atlantis
    Dorkiest of the dorky but great if you can get through the rather wooden acting of Season 1 – Babylon 5 – truly dorky!
    Have fun. Love the Log Cabin

  352. I’m returning to add my vote for the Avatar series. Our whole family liked this series a lot and this includes the teens.

  353. You must watch Life On Mars. The UK version. You may need a region 2 DVD player to do it though. They’re cheap on Amazon. Really. Joe can figure it out.

  354. Just had another idea – I’d love to hear how things are working out with the new car. Is that who the blanket is for?

  355. BBC’s Primeval is awesome in a dorky way. It’s showing up on Sci-Fi now, too, for those knitters who don’t have access to the BBC.

  356. Shouldn’t the black rectangle be on the opposite side? Aren’t you supposed to go around the center square? Just askin.

  357. I’d vote for Eureka. Great dorky TV.
    RE: suggestions for avoiding monotony in posts.
    Claim you are knitting the blanket while nude. (I said claim. You don’t have to post pictures.)
    Maybe philosophize on where you best like to knit. Whether you change your knitting style depending on size/weight of piece/boredom?
    I like the blanket.

  358. BTW, happy belated birthday.
    Like, is it meant? You and Kinnear have almost the same birthday. Synchronicity!

  359. The blanket isn’t overly exciting, but with all the traveling, writing and Sock Summit organizing you’ve been doing, the truth is, I’m glad you are getting some down time.

  360. Wow, great suggestions from everybody! I just ordered up a bunch of the first seasons from my library. Thanks to all.
    My favorite this season is The Big Bang Theory. I love those guys. So silly. And any old Star Trek will do for boring knitting time!

  361. How about showing your blanket with an interesting object in your house and telling us a story about it?
    (How in the world do you ever read all the comments? Yikes, there’s a lot!)

  362. I have a questin for you Stephanie,
    You are such a wonderful knitter – and an inspiration to us all – I was wondering what you use to keep your hands from being dry while knitting so much. I don’t want to put you on the spot to recommend a certain product but I would really like some help in this regard – I am always worried about getting lotions or lubricants on my knitting but my hands are in such a terrible dry state! Can you help?? Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

  363. because, you know, watching the sock break-outs- one green sock part after another- was absolutely scintillating in its variety.
    I have this really wretched feeling I’m watching a unicyclist juggling three cats wearing a bowler hat with an umbrella on top, asking what song to sing to the audience. And, yes, I’m in the audience, seated, happy, and eating popcorn.
    the star wars series has a set of dvds that are “all about” the series. That’s seriously geeky. I can’t watch more than five minutes, but the boys study that stuff. Might turn your geek crank. Mr Foyle’s War has knits set in world war two, on people speaking britishly.
    all the best,
    ari

  364. A stitch pick-up tutorial would be great–add my vote to that. Also, maybe tell us why you are doing it? (Or can’t you say?)
    Love the Eco Wool!

  365. Since Deadwood has already been suggested, I have to recommend that you stop by your local CostCo and pick up a threebox of Sharpe movies. Costumes, history-buff geekiness, and Sean Bean.

  366. TV Recc: Red Dwarf
    Funny, Smart, Geeky, British Humor. For my money, it just doesn’t get any better than that.
    Terry Pratchett audiobooks are a good bet too, though I’d wager with that much neutral-toned garter stitch something to look at would be welcome.

  367. TV Recc: Red Dwarf
    Funny, Smart, Geeky, British Humor. For my money, it just doesn’t get any better than that.
    Terry Pratchett audiobooks are a good bet too, though I’d wager with that much neutral-toned garter stitch something to look at would be welcome.
    (And ya know, if you were weaving a log-cabin blanket, you’d be done by now. Just sayin… ;> )

  368. Out of 450 posts, surely I’m not the first to mention it, but I’m not about to read them all to find out. So I’ll simply be adding emphasis to the suggestion:
    “Torchwood.” A Dr. Who spin-off. Quirky and fun. The perfect post-Who and waiting-for-more-Who series.
    Stargate SG-1, then Stargate: Atlantis. I’m actually assuming you’e seen these. It’s not within my ability to grasp a sci-fi enthusiast existing who hasn’t seen them yet. On the slightest off-chance you haven’t, though…
    Earth2. Cancelled, short-lived series. If BSG is a steak dinner, this is a one-cup popcorn snack. Still worth checking out, though.

  369. A tutorial -or maybe just commentary- on picking up stitches would be great. I did a small log cabin and really struggled added on new squares.
    And how about an update on the car? Do you still love it?

  370. Dorky TV? How about Dark Shadows? Available via Netflix in about 32 sets of 4 disks (if you start with “The Beginning set 1”), so it lasts FOREVER. I have to admit I LOVE this show, but then I watched it when it was originally on the air around 1970.

  371. Love the blanket…
    Dorky Tv rec has to be Chuck. It is dramatic and hilarious and full of dorks. I would also rec Bones, which is full of nerds and anthropologists. Plus, Chuck has 2 complete seasons and Bones has 4, so plenty to catch up with while you knit.

  372. Speaking as a fan of Battlestar Galactica, have you tried “Lost”? I was surprised at how dorky “Lost” is. I thought it was some kind of boring “Survivor” style thing with more of a script. But it’s not. There’s time-travel, polar-bears in the tropics, mysteries everywhere, bizarre effects of electro-magnetic energy… and maybe some supernatural beings. And if you liked the human drama of BSG, “Lost” is similarly well-written. You’ll be on the edge of your seat, because they aren’t afraid to kill off characters, and there is so much mystery to puzzle through. Did I mention one of the main writers also writes really good graphic novels? Dorkiness certified.

  373. Not going to wade through 400+ to see if my favorite dorky shows are on the list –
    Freaks & Geeks, House, CSI. Also the Hornblower movies.
    the knitting proceeds
    as the work spirals outward
    white will join to black

  374. Dorky TV . . . Chuck, Big Bang Theory, Firefly, & Pushing Daisies oh & Arrested Development – can you tell I have a thing for canceled or nearly canceled show.

  375. The blankie is very nice – Natalie is absolutely eye-candy.
    Now, I am going to make a master list of ‘dorky’ TV shows to study what I’ve been missing. I will say knitters are passionate about their viewing. …or, is it that they are just passionate!?!

  376. I love the idea of garter stitch pickup tutorial. Tv shows, hmm, I just started watching old MacGyver episodes. There is always the classic Dr. Who, I’ve only seen the new ones but I’ve been told I really should see the old ones too. I saw Chuck listed, that is a great show, Big Bang Theory, My Name is Earl.
    Probably MacGyver would be better, looks like there are 7 seasons, I think only a couple of seasons of the other shows, maybe 4 of Earl.
    Best of luck on the blanket.

  377. Vintage dork tv?
    Jeeves and Wooster.
    I was so excited to discover it last winter. I had read the books when still at my parents (does this make me a vintage reader?)
    I am so sad I’ve seen them all (txs ytb).
    Garder stitch excitment? Not much. But it seems to live you some space to catch up on the MSF mails… 😉 xo

  378. here’s what I love about knitting: what’s boring to one knitter is absolute soothing Zen to another. I love garter stitch, and I love the freedom to just cruise through the feeling of knitting without having to concentrate, negotiate a pattern, or even count. Often I don’t want my knitting to teach me something new, I just want the lovely touch of the needles and watching the thing grow. I am just recovering from repetitive stress injury (my thumb), where it was so intense I could barely tie my shoes or turn a doorknob. I’m able to knit again after 3 months off (!), and I’m starting a Log Cabin. It is sheer bliss to me. And because it’s just old garter stitch, no thinking involved, I can put it down at the first hint of pain and not feel any angst. I am just so thankful to be able to use my needles again. Right on, Garter Stitch! I salute you in your sameness and gorgeous simplicity!

  379. Don’t know if they count as dorky, but if you haven’t seen them, the complete (so far) serieses of Dexter and Weeds would get you through a fair amount of blanky. Love the colorway – very sophisticated.

  380. Now that I think about it, Weeds might be interesting, although it’s not exactly dorky. It’s actually pretty funny considering the content. But House is an all time favorite and Mental is new and pretty good.

  381. Good tv suggestions?
    Try:
    Dexter
    The Tudors
    Heroes
    Blackadder
    The United States of Tara
    All of those are really fun in their own ways.

  382. A must have blanket. Once you snuggle under this one, which you will by the time you get finished, you will not want to give it up.

  383. Ok, TV shows that may be seen as a bit dorky but are actually great and very enjoyable are; Firefly, Torchwood (yes, I know everyone else has mentioned them), Bones, the West Wing and the Lost Room. Go enjoy!

  384. naughty tv: It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia. I love that show.
    More begging from me for the cowl pattern. 🙂 Pretty please!?

  385. I will second Red (post #1) suggestion for both Torchwood and Firefly. Two of the best shows ever.

  386. OF COURSE Torchwood & Firefly, but you probably already saw those.
    TRY – PRIMEVAL on the BBC, but from Season 1.
    It is true dorky-ness TV.

  387. Best Dorky TV: Flight of the Conchords, Battlestar Galactica, Law and Order: Criminal Intent and Criminal Minds.
    I love the blankie. The colors ARE modern.

  388. I totally vote for picking up stitches in garter stitch (honestly, I have issues with this….).
    And I think the colour choice is good. It will go with anything, and it is kind of modern!

  389. Go to the Toronto Library and take out the first season of William and Mary She’s a midwife, he’s an undertaker who plays in a rock band. Love happens.
    excellent British show, adult, funny and engaging. If you like it join me in requesting they get season 2. Yes I’m trying to enlist troups I don’t want to have to figure out how to watch online

  390. I’m really jazzed that you decided to knit the Moderne Log Cabin in neutral colors (colours). When I first saw the MLC, I knew I had to make it someday, and I pictured it in exactly the gentle, soothing whites/grays/blacks you picked. Of course now, I’m even more compelled to run out and buy the wool for one immediately and cast on. The sweater that’s not yet 50% knitted can wait, right?
    Do you think it’s insane to knit a wool blanket when it’s 98 degrees?

  391. Definitely watch Flight of the Conchords – the only tv show I watch.

  392. Question on KnitPicks options needles–is there any trouble with yarn getting caught where the pieces hitch together? I own two sets of interchangeable needles (a really old screw-on sort, Boye maybe?) and a newer (that’s relative) turn-and-snap sort. The former catch my yarn at the screw-on point, and the latter come undone at very awkward times. So, I looked at the KnitPicks–and tried to decide between wood and steel. I’m generally a fan of the latter, as they knit much faster than wood. But I’m also an Addi addict.

  393. Oh, go all the way back to Monty Python. Relive the 70’s. All shows available on DVD, guaranteed at least one belly laugh in each show — and not only at the hair & clothes.

  394. Newest dorkfest for me: Sanctuary on Net Flix. A tv series about a 150 year old women who runs a sanctuary for monsters and ‘abnormals’. Try-it!

  395. I’d add my vote for:
    Top Gear (particularly the specials – just see what they do in Lillehammer recreating the winter olympics)
    Life on Mars and Ashes to Ashes (UK versions)
    Black Adder
    Red Dwarf
    Star Trek and Stargate franchises
    Flight of the Conchords (though this is so visually weird and arresting, I think it’ll stop your knitting in it’s tracks)
    And then some more suggestions…
    Supernova (weird little Australian/British comedy)
    Gavin & Stacey (it’s all about Welsh humour, you might need subtitles because of the accents though…)
    Hamish MacBeth (Robert Carlyle as a small town policeman in Scotland)
    The Good Life
    To the Manor Born
    McLeod’s Daughters
    The Chase
    And of course we’re all waiting for Caprica series to give us our next BSG fix.

  396. Dorky tv suggestions: Eureka and Heroes
    Not so dorky suggestions: The Tudors and True Blood. You may not wish to watch these with young children in the room, or your mom, etc.

  397. 30 Rock! Funniest thing I have seen in a long time. Hum. That could be because I don’t own a television.
    Its on the 3rd season so get yourself some DVDs from Netflix. The show is written by Tina Fey who wrote for Saturday Night Live the last 10 years and makes fun of the show biz industry. Need I say more??

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