Five fave things (or reasons to be cheerful)

I'd been thinking of doing a post about bits and pieces that have entertained and interested me recently and then I saw The Flog ('Felicia Day's weekly vlog') and found an eminently nickable title from a segment of it. Yay!


1. Newreka! Eureka's back on British telly! Not sure what I made of the opening episode of season 5 to be honest, but as with all good programmes it's been cancelled so I'm determined to enjoy the last few episodes.

2. And talking of Eureka, this made me laugh and laugh -  Felicia Day and Colin Ferguson learn to crochet! The crochet bit starts at about 2.28 if you're impatient and want to skip to it. 'It's a shield' had me lol-ing - Colins are clearly all a bit the same then.

3. And more on the geek/crafting interface - nupps:

 I first saw this posted somewhere on Ravelry - I know there are so many variations on the 'One does not simply..' meme but this is my favourite by far. I've not tried nupps yet but I'm sure they'd be a bit of a nightmare. Generally speaking I have an objection to knitted bobbles of any type - not because of their perceived difficulty, rather it's an aesthetic thing. I just don't like the look of them and never have done. I remember wishing I could pick the bobbles off a jumper I had when I was a kid. But I've seen a couple of patterns with nupps that I've quite liked so maybe one day I will purl seven together. And stroll into Mordor.

the innards of a tulip

4. Monty Don's jumper. I've caught up on Gardeners' World now, but the only thing I've really taken away from it is the thought that Monty Don's grey funnel-neck jumper looks really really cosy. I think I need a cosy jumper. I used to have a lambswool roll-neck but it seems to have vanished. Usually I can't wear wool next to my skin but that one was just about bearable and very cosy. Can you tell that I'm cold? I was standing shivering in the school playground today, dropping Miss Mouse off, and wished I had my gloves with me. It is damply cool so feels about twice as cold as it actually is. I have planting out to do, but I'm a bit of a fair-weather gardener and don't want to get cold and wet.  Besides I've still got this sinussy cold - getting cold and wet wouldn't be advisable, would it?  No, clearly it is my duty to stay inside drinking mugs of coffee or hot ribena. Or hot toddies.

The plants will wait.

5.  Ah warmth! The finished hot-water bottle cover in all its cosiness - Miss Mouse loves it.

And so do I. I skipped the buttonholes on the reverse because when I tried them they looked untidy and really the garter-stitch has so much stretch it doesn't matter. I've never been able to do neat buttonholes. I should probably practice.

Oooh, ooh - second dreich sock cast on! I did most of the rib while watching Eureka and Big Bang Theory last night.