While We Were Knitting – Details, episodes & analysis

This was Monica and Nicole's last regular episode (still friends, our schedules are just getting busier). We were both captivated by the second season of Interview with The Vampire, enjoying the turns and the twists and the drama, even to the detriment of our knitting!

Nicole knit The Good, The Gilded, and The Goth by Heather Broadhurst and Monica knit Birdrock by Anne Ginger and a ribbed hat.

Opening and closing music by Chris Croarkin. 

This month, the penultimate regular podcast, Nicole and Monica watched Elemental, a Pixar movie about two young adults who fall in love in a fantasy city despite their massive differences.

Nicole spun and Monica knit Zweig by Caitlin Hunter.

Opening and closing music by Chris Croarkin. 

This month Nicole and Monica watched Centaurworld, a surprising animated series about found family, insane bits, PTSD, different animation styles, evil blobbiness, and some really great songs. Monica knit ⁠⁠Planetary Pullover⁠⁠ by ⁠⁠Skeinanigans⁠⁠ and Nicole knit ⁠⁠Wee Sherlock⁠⁠ by ⁠⁠Taiga Hilliard⁠⁠ and spun. We snuck it in just before password sharing expired, so this will be our last Netflix show.

Opening and closing music by Chris Croarkin.

This month Nicole and Monica watched the first season of Los Espookys, and had a lot of fun discussing the show that follows three best friends (and a little sister) as they set up a company that stages horror scenarios. It has a lot of casual queerness, subtitles, practical effects, no interest in subtly, and is a blast and a half. Nicole knit Two by Two by Anne Gagnon and Monica knit Planetary Pullover by Skeinanigans and a tube scarf.

Opening and closing music by Chris Croarkin.

This month Nicole and Monica watched Magic Mike XXL, a movie with a lot of heart and very little plot. It follows a group of male entertainers (read: strippers) as they travel from Miami to Myrtle Beach for a one last ride. If you haven't seen it you should go see it, because it's a true joy and delight. Nicole knit Fantastic Fingerless Mittens by STASH Lounge and Monica knit Brioshi by Carissa Browning and Reisi Shawl by Raina K.

Opening and closing music by Chris Croarkin.

This month Nicole and Monica watched the below episodes of Bluey, an Australian show about an anthropomorphic dog family. We talked about life lessons for six year olds and adults, parenting, how both of us got very emotional, the structure of the seven minute episodes, animation styles, our first view of yarn crafts on screen, and imaginative play. Nicole spun and knit Candy Stripe Shawl by Christina Werge and Monica knit Great Hall by Irina Anikeeva. 

• The Beach
• Pirates
• Bumpy and the Wise Old Wolfhound
• The Adventure
• Camping
• Hammerbarn
• Sleepytime
• The Show
• Escape
• Flat Pack
• Bus
• Piggyback 
• Granddad
• Octopus
• Baby Race
• Curry Quest
• Pavlova
• Pizza Girls
• Faceytalk

Opening and closing music by Chris Croarkin.

Please forgive some audio issues on Nicole's side. 

This month Nicole and Monica listened to Every Heart a Doorway, a novella written by Seanan McGuire and read by Cynthia Hopkins. It a murder mystery set at a school for teens who have returned to our world from portal worlds and desperately want to go back to them. We talked about fantasy novellas, content for and about teens, aesthetics and world building, and how much exposition and explanations should a story have. Nicole knit Candy Stripe Shawl by Christina Werge and Monica knit Snowflake by TinCanKnits.

Opening and closing music by Chris Croarkin.

This month Monica and Nicole watched Top Gun Maverick, the 2022 sequel to the 1986 movie. Both star Tom Cruise (who is insane), as a naval aviator at a special school for special pilots. The sequel manages to live up to the thrills of the first movie, with fancy flying, shirtlessness on a beach, men in their feelings, American military propaganda, wild stunts, and absolutely no subtly or exploration of things that the movie doesn't care about. We had a blast. Monica knit White Frost by Babette Ulmer and Nicole spun on a spindle.   

Also even if you don't have any plans to watch the movie, the Ringer article on Tom Cruise putting the new actors through a "flight training gauntlet" is extremely worth the read.  

Opening and closing music by Chris Croarkin.

This month Nicole and Monica watched Do Revenge, a 2022 high school movie that draws from Strangers on a Train, but takes it up to eleven on plot twists, fashion, emotions, and 90s references. Nicole also attempts to explain thirst tweeting. Nicole knit X-Ray by Marjukka Vuorisalo and Monica knit Rikke Hat by Sarah Young. 

New opening and closing music by Chris Croarkin. 

This month Nicole and Monica watched Puella Magi Madoka Magica, an anime with a darker take on magical girl tropes. We talked a lot about storytelling tropes and also feelings. This month Nicole knit Hely by Tiina Kuu and Houndstooth Check Mittens by Sarah H Arnold and Monica knit Honey Cowl by Antonia Shankland.

Crazy (instrumental) by SilentCrafter

https://soundcloud.com/silentcrafterofficial

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