(Mostly) Gross Knitwear from Movies

Speaking of knitting as it relates to popular culture, I recently came across this slideshow from Vulture called “Great Moments in Dystopian Knitwear.” Because every post-apocalyptic movie (and probably the TV shows, too, though we haven’t seen a lot of winter in “The Walking Dead”) seems to have characters decked out in ratty, torn, dirty knits of one kind or another.

As the writer, Margaret Lyons, says, “knit hats will be the most treasured of all hats when the decay begins.” Indeed. Better start knitting, just in case.

By the way, one of the knits mentioned is of course the funky cowl thing Katniss wears in “The Hunger Games.” You can knit your own with patterns from Lion Brand (free registration required), Woolf’s Clothing ($5), Lolly Knits and Red Heart, no doubt among others.

Do you watch the knitwear as much as you watch the movie? I know I do!

[Photo courtesy of Lionsgate, via Vulture.]

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In the interest of full disclosure, I’ve never watched Gilmore Girls. I know I probably should, but I feel like I wasn’t quite the right age for it when it came out and I’ve never gone back to watch it. That said, fans of the show are sure to enjoy these knit homages to the beloved characters from Stars Hollow in Gilmore Girls: The Official Knitting Book.

Edited by Tanis Gray, the book includes 29 projects for hats, cowls, scarves, socks, mitts, garments and home decor designed by a variety of stitchers.

Six of the projects are rated easy, 17 intermediate and six for advanced knitters.

The projects are sometimes literally inspired by the show, such as the tam Rory wore when she went golfing with her grandfather, while others incorporate icons, quotes (like “I smell snow”) and logos (Luke’s Diner) from the show.

There’s a hat made to look like newsprint as a nod to Rory’s journalistic aspirations, mitts and gloves for supporting the teams at Stars Hollow High, a beaded lace scarf inspired by Rory’s adventure with the Life and Death Brigade, and a cardigan designed to show Paris’s love of macaroni and cheese.

Some of the patterns are less obviously related to the show, like a cowl with falling leaves or an argyle vest.

Each pattern comes with a quote from the show and a little back story about the cast, different storylines or the inspiration behind the design. The book is scattered with photos from the show and other fun facts about its production.

In the back of the book you’ll find a glossary of techniques (words but no pictures), and the book has a ribbon bookmark to hold your place on the pattern you’re working on.

This book would be a fun gift for a knitter who is a Gilmore Girls fan, or use it to stitch something up for someone who watches this show as their comfort show almost 25 years later.

About the book: 200 pages, hardcover, 29 patterns. Published 2024 by Insight Editions, suggested retail price $34.99

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