I was three years old when Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood premiered. I was entranced by the gentle, always-affirming man in the cardigan and loved his Land of Make-Believe. I don’t know if you can credit a tv show with helping to make you the person you are but if you can, Mister Rogers was a formative influence on me.
When I saw that there was an official knitting book dedicated to patterns inspired by Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood, I one-clicked that baby as fast as I could. I’m pleased to report that it’s a charming book with all the fun, nostaglia and warm-fuzzies that you would expect.
When I was researching Knitting Ephemera, I learned that Mr. Rogers’ mother handknit his zip-up cardigans. (You might like this article in Smithsonian Magazine about how the crew sought to replace the sweaters once they began to wear out.) Happily, you’ll find a chapter full of cardigans, including the classic red one that I personally always picture Mister Rogers wearing.
Check out the Generosity Cardigan, modeled on one that featured a body knit in reverse stockinette.
I LOVE that there are photos of the actual Mister Rogers wearing the original inspiration for these. There’s a green cardigan with cables running alongside the zipper, as well as a sunny yellow one with allover cables.
Sizes run from 34.5 to 60 inches in circumference, a range which should fit most of the folks in the family. Don’t worry — you’ll find versions for the young ‘uns in the house (a toddler version as well as baby ones).
The Puppets chapter is the one that had me squealing with nostalgic joy! Oh brilliant Nicky Epstein, thank you for creating Daniel the Tiger, King Friday the Thirteenth (and Queen Sara, natch), and X the Owl puppets that perfectly capture the spirit of the originals!
The toy chapter is also full of wonderful memories, including knitted Trolley (I can hear the piano music right now),
the living room Stoplight, even a little knitted “shaker” to feed the fish.
There are so many more imaginative patterns that will have you singing “Would you be my neighbor?” Baby sneakers like the Keds Mister Rogers wore, Mr. McFeely’s Speedy Delivery cap (fun fact: McFeely was Mister Rogers’ mother’s born name), a Mister Rogers doll (hilarious in its level of detail) and a baby blanket with Trolley zipping around the hood.
LOVE, LOVE, LOVE.
The practical stuff: this is a hardback book (no dust cover), all color, with 24 patterns. MSRP is $24.99 (you can find it at the affiliate link above for $22.49 at the time of this writing. If you purchase through the link, I may get a very small commission at no extra cost to you.) Sixth & Spring Books make lovely books; you’ll find schematics, photos showing front and back of some patterns, and others with some photos showing intermediate steps to construct the items. While a lot of contemporary patterns feature out-of-focus shots or are styled so that you can’t see the whole garment, I’m happy to say that’s not the case here — clear, close-upphotos, many taken in the original Mister Rogers studio. I’d say most of the yarns are worsted or dk, with a chunky or a fingering weight thrown in here or there. True Neighborhood fans will squee at the fun factoids and quotes sprinkled throughout the pages.
This unpredictable, often hostile, sometimes incomprehensisble world is much with us these days. We all could use a dose of Mister Rogers’ patience, humility, gentleness, and unconditional love on our needles.
“The greatest gift you ever give is your honest self.” — Fred Rogers
