what would The Doctor knit?

This year is the 50th anniversary of the first broadcast of Doctor Who. I mentioned in a previous blog post  that I am an old-school Doctor Who fan. I started watching the show on PBS as a kid back in the 80s, when Tom Baker was the Doctor. I do like the re-launched series, but I identify more with the older series. (If you have Netflix, you can watch the back catalog of old episodes - keep in mind they had a limited budget for the series at the time, nothing like what the re-launched series has now, so the original series has a charming, amusing, sometimes cringe-worthy make-do-and-mend air about it.)

I made The Scarf-themed socks early last year out of Knit Picks Felici yarn in the Time Traveler colorway:

These socks have worn well. No thinning, no holes, no color fading, no pilling. It's great yarn that is hard-wearing, soft, and has lovely stitch definition and fun color combinations. I'm about to start another pair using this yarn in the Minty colorway.

In solidarity with the 50th anniversary, I think it would be a kick to knit a few more theme-related things.

No, I'm not knitting The Scarf. I did that already. In somewhat related colors. In thicker yarn. It's a lot of garter stitch. I'm not joking. Twelve feet is not joking. And that's the shorter version. Some people make it double that length. I may have gone temporarily mad while knitting it. Never again.

I salute those who attempt it, though. I hope yours turns out better than mine did.

I think I will make the Bigger on the Inside Shawl. Sci fi and lace knitting is fun combination, don't you think?

I have this dark blue fingering weight yarn that I got at the Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival last year that would be great for it:

There may be enough yarn left over to make the Tilting Tardis Cowl. I've had this in my ravelry queue for awhile now. I think it's time to make it, although I might turn the pattern vertically and add more repeats so I can knit it entirely in the round and not bother with the buttons. Then again, Seal of Rassilon-looking buttons could be fun.

I realize I don't have to make these projects in blue, but I have the right amount of yarn in the proper weight, and it happens to be blue.

A search on Ravelry for "Doctor Who" will give you 247 patterns. Dolls, red bow ties, Dalek plushie toys/baby dresses/egg cozies/dog sweaters, doilies of Rassilon, TARDIS tissue box covers, fez toilet roll covers, Ood crocheted ski masks, knitted and crocheted sonic screw drivers. I'm sure if you typed in a character name or an alien type, there would be even more patterns.

When I was a kid, no one I knew watched PBS. Now, everyone does, which is good. It seems to be one of the last refuges of won't-turn-your-brain-to-mush TV, and finally, people get my PBS comedy/sci fi/mystery/period drama references. About bloody time.