The Shining Purl

Haunted houses and ghosts generally go hand-in-hand in horror movies. When there is a reference to a place being evil or haunted, it's usually because there is a ghost doing the haunting. But in Stanley Kubrick's 1980 adaption of Stephen King's The Shining, this haunted house hotel isn't just hosting a dead man's party; it seems to be a living entity in itself, both containing and fed by malicious ghosts that linger from vile acts perpetrated in the hotel's past. It's next meal? The Torrance family.

Jack Torrance accepts a position to be the winter watchman for The Overlook Hotel, an impossibly remote retreat set in the snowy mountains of Colorado. Along with his wife, Wendy and his son, Danny, Jack will spend the next several months taking care of the hotel while he writes his novel. Five-year-old Danny is reluctant to go to the hotel because his imaginary friend, Tony, warns him about the dangers there.

When they arrive, Wendy and Danny are taken on a tour of the kitchen by the head chef, Dick Hallorann, who recognizes something special about Danny. During a moment alone, Dick talks to Danny about the 'shining', a kind of telepathy or second sight, which can allow people who have it to know or see things they might otherwise not, or to be able to communicate without speaking. He questions Danny about this special sensitivity they share and tells him that the hotel can be dangerous to those with the shining ability, because the hotel can "shine" too and has a lot of horrors in its past.

"You know some places are like people. Some shine and some don't.

I guess you could say the Overlook Hotel here has something about it that's like shining."

The Overlook is filled to the brim with ghosts. One notable specter is Mr. Grady, the previous caretaker, who went mad and killed his family, including his twin daughters who appear to Danny more than once in the film. Danny is also attacked by an old woman haunting room 237 and when he returns to Wendy, catatonic with his sweater ripped, Wendy accuses Jack of hurting Danny (as he has in the past) and the rift between husband and wife escalates rapidly from there.

Like the previous caretaker, Jack is driven mad by the hotel and becomes cruel and murderous toward his family. The book and movie differ in how this plays out, but by the end, everyone's seeing ghosts, some people lose their marbles, and some their lives.

Let's get to the knit.

Some of the earliest knit seen in the film is the late-70's-oh-so-chic cowl neck pullover worn by Wendy when they arrive at the hotel. She looks like she's ready to take on anything and is excited about staying in such a luxurious place.

Knit the look! Check out these paid and free patterns, in either knit and crochet:

Easton pullover by Amy Herzog (knit) ; Mere pullover by Berroco (knit, free pattern) ; Balsam pullover from Interweave (crochet); Side to Side Cowl Neck Sweater by Lion Brand Knits (crochet, free pattern)

Jack's knitwear is basic and classic throughout. At the beginning of the film, Jack interviews with his new boss and both are sporting crochet ties (common fashion for that time). Jack also wears a couple of basic pullovers including this raglan-style, ribbed turtleneck pullover. It looks well-loved as it's starting to pill a bit, which you can see if you look closely. Do you think they remembered to pack their fabric shaver along with their bludgeoning baseball bat?

A sweater like this is a great wardrobe staple for men and women alike. Perfect for running errands in the winter, enjoying your cup of coffee on a chilly morning in the lounge, or staring into the abyss while a ballroom full of malevolent ghosts convince you to axe-murder your family. So versatile!

Knit the look:

Santiam Canyon / Kay Hopkins (knit); Men' Ribbed Turtleneck / Karabella Yarns (knit); Of the Sea pullover / Drops Design (knit; free); Firenze pullover / Drops Design (knit; free)

Up next is probably the most famous piece of knitwear from the film, Danny's Apollo sweater, which looks to be knit using the intarsia method, with the lettering embroidered afterward.

Knit the look in a child or adult version:

Child: Apollo Sweater by Pipersgirls

Adult: Kubrick Apollo Sweater by Les Souter / Allcraftsles

Danny's Apollo sweater gets a bit ripped when the scary ghost lady from the famously evil room 237 tried to choke him. Rude! That was probably lovingly hand knit and will now need repair. Do you think Wendy knits? Can you imagine all the time you'd have to knit while staying in an evil hotel all season? Ok, maybe less than it would seem.

Whether or not Wendy knits herself, she certainly likes to wear it. She spends pretty much the last half of the movie in this ensemble, including a tan, ribbed turtleneck (which I suspect might be a dickey) and a woolly, fluffy looking colorwork cardigan in a variety of neutrals. While she doesn't look to happy about it, I think that's probably just the whole my-kid-is-crazy-and-my-abusive-husband-is-possessed stress getting to her.

The cardigan looks like woolen-spun, animal fiber such as wool or alpaca, in a worsted or aran weight yarn. A woolen-spun yarn (as opposed to a worsted-spun yarn) is spun so that a lot of air is trapped in the fiber and the yarn made is very lofty, usually with a bit of a "halo" (it looks fuzzy).

Looking closely at the shoulders, there does not appear a shoulder seam. The stitches and pattern are continuous all around the yoke, which means it was probably knit in the round (knit as one big circle instead of back and forth like a flat piece that has to be joined with another flat piece to make a garment). To knit a cardigan in the round, a technique called "steeking" must be employed so you can have an opening down the front (otherwise it's called a pullover because to put it on you... well, you get it). Steeking is the process of cutting your knit without your entire project unraveling. It's a magical display of knit-chcraft talent!

Knit the look!

L to R: Throwback cardigan / Andrea Mowry (knit); Zig-zag cardigan / Bernat (knit, free); Mandelbrot / Irene Parigi (knit)

Snuggle up to watch all your spooky movies under the blanket that looks just like the Overlook hotel carpet in the hallway where Danny plays. The carpet in the Overlook hotel is iconic, and Joleen Kraft of Kraftling has designed a crochet blanket in the style of that carpet. Get the Shining carpet blanket pattern.

Further geeking:

The Shining Novel Synopsis and Analysis

The Shining: Mazes, Mirrors, Deception, and Denial

Book vs. Movie: The Shining

How The Shining Changed Horror Movies

Searching for Shelley Duval

Practical Magic. Knit-chcraft. Knit-witchery.

Practical Magic is a film from the late 90s that takes place in a small, New England town. A curse created by an ancestor dooms the family line to a life of heartbreak in love until it is broken with the power of sisterhood.

Awwww.

Yes, even with the witchcraft, murder, subsequent vengeful ghost, and possession, this film is far too sweet to be labeled as horror, but we’ll be venturing into the adorable here and there for horror-adjacent honorable mentions like this.

The Owens House

If you saw this film (how could you not!), then you lusted after this house, admit it. The actual house was built in Washington state with sets created in California. No, you can’t buy it and live here–wail and lament! But here and here are a couple of explorations of the layout that can take you back to that magical dream house.

Let’s get to the knit.

The knit and crochet seen in this film is simply too numerous to mention every item, so we’ll stick to some standouts. Every third extra must have been issued a cardigan or colorwork pullover and the two main characters, Sally and Gilly, are often wearing some kind of knitwear, as well as the two younger kids. The aunts, as they are affectionately (and accurately) called are the exception; they are more often seen in heavily embroidered and flowing, robe-like pieces, making them stand out more like the regal crones they are.

Those witchy sisters had ALL THE CARDIGANS.

Some were simple and utilitarian:

Some featured floral embroidery work:

Some were giant, luscious and comfy beasts to snuggle in:

How about that bobble-filled, oversized cardigan Gillian is wearing? Or the adorable red cardigan with blue and yellow flowers on young Sally? If you're into bobbles, flower appliqués, or large cardigans, check out these patterns:

L to R: Sirdar Textured Bobble Cardigan (knit); Alabaster Cardigan (knit, free); Bordeaux Bobble Cardigan (crochet); Bubbly Love Cardigan (knit); Haven Cardigan (crochet, free); Little Buckaroo Cardigan (knit); Country Cardigan (crochet); Rylan Big Kids Sweater (crochet, free); Classic Heathers 'Tammy' Coat (knit, free)

Bonus: crochet your own flower appliques with this free pattern from Kristine's Crochets!

When filming was underway on location in Coupeville, Washington, the town was transformed to make it ready for it’s close up, including painting much of it white. In contrast to some of the dark, moody paneling, much of the house is white and airy also, inside and out (and how about that gorgeous, bright white greenhouse – stop it!). So seeing Sally in that white, lacy crochet tank was the cherry on top of the belladonna sundae.

Love Sally's top? Here's some crochet patterns to inspire you:

L to R: Country Charm (crochet, free); Blushing Eyelet Tank (crochet); Malva Sleeveless Crochet Top (crochet)

This film makes me practically weep with nostalgia every time I see it. If you haven’t seen it, watch it – will transport you right back into the 90s and your favorite Doc Martens. I came of age in the 90s when pop-culture Wicca exploded. Someone hand me my broomstick skirt and my velvet choker!

*Post not sponsored.*

The Woman in Black Knits

The Woman in Black is a ghost story set in the early 1900s, based off of the book of the same name by Susan Hill. Arthur Kipps (played by Daniel Radcliffe), a recent widower, reluctantly leaves his small son (played by Daniel's adorable real life nephew) to travel for work to a small village to sort out the legal papers of a woman who has just died there. The villagers seem to be hiding something and try to discourage him from staying, except one man, Sam Daily (played by the fantastic Ciarán Hinds). Working at the house, Arthur begins seeing a woman in black on the grounds and inside the house. He must discover how to appease the woman in black before she takes the lives of more children, including his own.

Arthur Kipps in front of Eel Marsh House

Although the setup is everything we might expect from a classic ghost story, the attention to detail makes this one special. The horror movie stereotypes are numerous, but in this film they feel like a proper homage to the classic ghostly story elements, not tired tropes. The long, candlelit hallway is full of dusty old rooms for ghosts to hide in (or emerge from), and ends in the room of a child, which we can deduce on account of all the creepy old wind up toys scattered around. Emaciated cobwebs cover the portraits that line the wall along the staircase and heavy drapes frame dark doorways.

the woman in black turns toward Arthur

There are certainly plenty of jump scares, and they make the mistake of getting us too much of a long look at the ghost so the scare factor goes down, but other elements make up for that. I love a good soundless scare--the opposite of a jump scare, where instead of something jumping out at you and the musical score spiking and shrieking suddenly, you just soundlessly notice something in the distance that should. not. be. there. One of the earliest sightings, if not the first sighting, of the woman in black is such a scare and it's delicious!

Of course, then they capitalize on your breathless tension by immediately throwing in a 'cat scare'--so named because you think you see a monster but really it's just a cat (or in this case, a faucet suddenly spouting mud from the pipes). Even this scare is a clue to the unfolding mystery, though, and not just a gimmick. I also love the attention paid to the shape of golden curtains at the opposite end of the hall--the negative space between the drapes is evocative of the woman in black's silhouette and is surely no accident.

Let's get to the knit.

The set itself is dressed beautifully. This is a very atmospheric movie--with muted tones of purple, gold, and a deep, rich turquoise that convey the moodiness of the house and the ones who lived (live?!) there. Some extravagant clothing shows up on Mrs. Daily in the form of lace, embroidered and brocade-type fabrics, but there isn't much knit at all in the movie. A couple of village women wear wraps in one scene, and a boy wears a plain cardigan in another brief scene. In a way, it's not terribly surprising--knitted colorwork pullovers or granny-square couch afghans typically evoke a cozy, nostalgic vibe, which isn't helpful in creating an atmosphere of unease or downright terror!

A shocked villager wearing a Sontag style wrap

One of the villager's wives wears a knit wrap in a style known as a Sontag, or "bosom friend." A Sontag generally crosses over the body and ties in back, although some variance in length and style seems permissible and still included in the category.

This one appears to be knit in a DK or worsted weight wool, knit almost entirely in ribbing with subtle shaping at the edging to give a slight ruffled look around what serves as the sleeves when worn.

The earliest published pattern of a Sontag shows up in in a ladies' 1860 magazine called Godey’s Lady’s Book and Magazine.

Like the look? Check out these patterns:

L to R: Tess D'Urberville's Shawl by Kay Meadors (knit, free pattern; photo credit dctangles );

Tess D'Urberville's Shawl by Kay Meadors (crochet, free pattern; photo credit dctangles);

To Eyre by Carol Sunday (knit; photo credit Carol Sunday)

The titular costuming belongs, of course, to the woman in black, and while her clothing is difficult to get a close look at, it does not seem to contain any significant knit elements. However, check out this pattern that is 100% evocative of the macabre moodiness of the film: the Widow's Web Shawl (knit) from Our Widow:

pattern & image copyright: April Carter / OurWidow.com

I am knitting one up right now and the wide open weave and fuzzy halo on the particular yarn I am using makes it look like spiderweb covered in dust. Perfect, no?

---

Some fun further reading:

The Woman in Black Book Analysis (if you really want to dig in)

The Woman in Black Slate Review

The History of Shawls

The story behind the Sontag and my Sontag frustrations

*Post not sponsored.*