Knitting and crochet are timeless crafts that have been a part of our culture for centuries. Their appearance in movies and television shows serve as a reminder of their universal appeal. They remind us of the past, whilst at the same time, stretch into our future. No longer viewed as traditional, even outdated pastimes, they are hugely popular right now, and not limited by age, gender or background. The creative crafts have manged to hold their own in pop culture, making appearance in films and TV shows throughout the years. From US TV sitcom giants to 1950s cosy crime, and from action-packed thrillers to romantic comedies, knitting and crochet have had, and continue to have, memorable moments on the big and small screens.
In a memorable, touching scene from the 2004 romantic drama The Notebook, Allie (played by Rachel McAdams) knits a sweater for Noah (Ryan Gosling), symbolising both their shared history and her love for him. This is a personal moment between two people, but knitting can also be a communal activity in films, showing how people can be brought together in unexpected ways (think of the scene in Call the Midwife where the characters get together to “knit” a crocheted granny square blanket for Chummy- they should have consulted a crafter!).
The hugely popular Netflix drama from 2020 The Queen’s Gambit shows Anya Taylor-Joy as chess prodigy Beth Harmon knitting a scarf while she waits for her next chess match to begin. The knitting scene links Beth’s focus and determination in creating her scarf to the same qualities she displays in her mastery of chess. Beth’s knitting technique looks authentic in the scene, unlike some moments in other shows which could make a real-life crafter wince! Think of those scenes when a character stabs a knitting needle randomly at a piece of knitting (Marge Simpson anyone?!), whilst wrapping the yarn around their hand in a way that would more likely cut off their circulation than anything else! No wonder some people could never imagine that knitting can be pleasurable! Agatha Christie’s Miss Marple is a committed knitter in all of her many portrayals on the big and small screens, using her crafting time to both think and solve problems. In one scene, when she is seen pondering and another character asks her what she’s thinking, she replies ”I think…I’m going to need more wool”!
Knitting and crocheting not only appear in the entertainment when characters actually do the crafts, of course – there is plenty of evidence in many shows of knitting and crocheting having been done “behind the scenes”: you only have to think of the iconic, colourful, crocheted blankets hung on sofa backs in so many on-screen living rooms (Parks and Recreation, Mad Men, Breaking Bad, The Big Bang Theory), or Rory’s beautiful cabled sweater in Gilmore Girls. Is it true that the crocheted blankets in some shows were so coveted that they had to be stitched to the sofa back to prevent theft by the cast and crew? Who knows!
I’m going to leave the last word on the subject to Audrey Hepburn in Breakfast at Tiffany’s: as the character Holly Golightly in the film, Hepburn has rightly become an icon for the elegance of her little black dress and perfect poise, but in the film she also takes up knitting and can be seen, dressed casually, working on a bright red cardigan. She says she fears blueprints for a new house and her knitting instructions have been confused, and that she “may be knitting a ranch house”!
