This is the Spock Monkey that was made for Lillian. He’s hanging out with us at Knit Nite.

Do you remember the Green Lantern baby blanket Maggie made at the beginning of the year? Here is the action shot with Baby Lantern… And the Nightwing Sock Monkey is his guardian while he naps… obviously.

Click for a slightly larger view.

This is the sketch that was referenced in Episode 66. Yes, she is knitting with her own entrails and the eagle-eyed ones will notice that there are extra digits dotting the “knitting.”

There won’t be much mention of the shooting in Newtown, Connecticut this past week on the podcast (for a variety of reasons, including not even being able to write this without crying!), but our hearts go out to everyone touched by this tragedy.

At the time we recorded, there wasn’t a lot of information about what people could help the students and families at Sandy Hook Elementary, but we’ve collected a number of resources on the Ravelry group that I’ll also list here.

If you want to help, please take a look through the links, and please let us know of other opportunities in the comments.

To help using your wallet:

The families in Newtown that lost loved ones on Friday still need financial help to pay for funerals as well as for everyday things during a time when they have to take time off work to deal with everything. John Tesh’s radio show has collected a number of links of organizations offering help in the community, as has ABC News.   These groups should be legitimate; if you come across others, please carefully check out any links to people or groups raising money after this or any other tragedy that you may find.  Unfortunately there are always a few scammers that crop up at times like these.

To help using your needles:

There are a number of drives that have started to make stuffed animals, blankets and other cozy, comforting things for those affected.  Please look for updated information on each blog or forum to see what the needs are and whether they have reached their goal, or what the status is (if they’re just gathering interest at the moment, whether they have a contact with someone in the community, whether they’re ready for people to send items, etc.).  They include:

–Knitters for Newtown from Three Irish Girls Yarns, also raising funds
–600 Monsters Strong 
–Stuffed Animals for Sandy Hook
–Comfort Shawls for Newtown

We came.

We saw.

We squealed.

And you’ll be able to hear us squealing about the episode when it’s uploaded in a couple days. Click on any of the pictures to see the bigger version.

…Or why we put the explicit tag on every episode.

This week we’re joined by our friend Lily who went with Karen and another member of our knitting group (hi, Kris!  Hope the elf-duties weren’t too horrible!) on a yarn crawl of a few of Toronto’s fine yarn stores.  There is much purchasing and enabling and geekiness, of course.  There are are also a couple important finished projects (finally!) and some new projects on the needles, as well as some new yarn that is appropriately named for a certain upcoming movie.

In Geek Squee, Maggie’s freaking out about the newest Harry Dresden book, a highly geeky Christmas tree, an alternate history/fantasy novel that’s getting the BBC treatment, and we have an actual synopsis for the next Star Trek movie!  There’s also the world’s biggest and most awesome LARP ever, all sorts of Hobbitty news (Colbert Report! The score streaming online!), Hunger Games movie updates as well as a hilarious parody video, an announcement from NASA, and to wrap up Movember, superheroes with moustashes.

In Cravings, Covets and Crushes, we have a solution for those of you that have been asked to knit a Dr. Who scarf but who feel like strangling yourself with your yarn at the thought of it, some Dalek-inspired mittens and and amazing dress using fabric printed with a map of Middle Earth.  WANT.

Any finally to wrap up, we have a package to squeal over (thank you, Awilda!) and some comments that will possibly destroy your childhood.  Sorry.

Time is running out for The Hobbit: A Long-Expected Knitalong!  There’s no required pattern or yarn, just the goal of completing a project of your choice before The Hobbit opens in theatres on December 14th (or when it opens in your country).  Feel free to post progress and pictures here on the blog, or chat about your projects in the thread over on the Ravelry group!

Want to share your thoughts on the movies/tv/science geekery we’ve discussed, or found something geeky to share? Comment here at the blog, email us at knit1geek2@gmail.com or participate in the thread on our Ravelry group!  Want to know when new episodes go live or see the occasional bit of news?  Check out our Twitter feed (@knit1geek2)!  And as always, we have merch in our Zazzle.com and Zazzle.ca stores. 

Show Notes

Indigodragonfly: http://indigodragonfly.wordpress.com/

Eweknit in Toronto: http://www.eweknit.ca/

Koigu: http://www.koigu.com/

Lettuce Knit: http://www.lettuceknit.com/

Socks that Rock, Heavyweight, Twilight: http://www.bluemoonfiberarts.com/newmoon/index.php?main_p…

Brass and Steam Kerchief: http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/the-age-of-brass-…

Romni: http://www.romniwools.com/

Cascade 220: http://www.cascadeyarns.com/cascade-220.asp

Tigerlily cowl: http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/tiger-lily-cowl

The Purple Purl: http://thepurplepurl.com/

Elvish leaves dish cloth: http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/elvish-leaves-dis…

Karen’s Lothlorien cape: http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/lothlorien-cape

Lakeshore shawl: http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/lakeshore-shawl

Maggie’s Battle Weary Dragon Shawl: http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/battle-weary-drag…

Daughter Heir socks: http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/the-daughter-heir

Two by Two Crazy Pie: http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/easy-ruffle-coat

Jaffrey hat: http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/jaffrey

CJKopec: http://www.etsy.com/shop/cjkopeccreations

Sock Monkey tutorial: http://www.craftpassion.com/2012/04/how-to-sew-sock-monke…

Hobbit Garden colorway: http://www.bluemoonfiberarts.com/newmoon/index.php?main_p…

Harry Dresden Cold Days: http://www.amazon.com/Cold-Days-Novel-Dresden-Files/dp/04…

Dalek Christmas tree: http://www.bbcamerica.com/anglophenia/2012/12/happy-wholi…

BBC is adapting Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell: http://www.themarysue.com/jonathan-strange-and-mr-norrell…

Synopsis!: http://www.themarysue.com/star-trek-into-darkness-gets-a-…

Present Day LARP in Sweden: http://io9.com/5964404/the-worlds-biggest-craziest-battle…

Episode 62: 50 Shades of Jingle [ 1:10:28 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

So while the stickers and my shirt shipped separately, the stickers shipping a day or two ahead of the shirt, guess which one actually arrived?

So yeah, sorry to anyone that’s coming to the Fair, we won’t have stickers to give out.  We’d still love to meet anyone that’s going, though, so come on up and say hello!