Line #49 Main/NeedleworkIsForOldPeople


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4	[[quoteright:350:[[ComicBook/LuckyLuke https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/ma_dalton.png]]]]
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6	This trope is for when needlework (knitting, sewing, crochet, darning, etc) is associated with the elderly in fiction. When TextileWorkIsFeminine and this trope [[TheTalk love each other very much]], you get the idea that needlework is for "grannies" or "old ladies", so it's slightly more common among elderly women than men, but elders of both sexes are seen doing needlework and with this trope, younger women think it's for old people too.
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8	A younger fashion designer will often get away with sewing, but knitting, crochet, etc is still associated with the elderly. Often the old person who does needlework is either seen as a [[FriendToAllChildren popular-with-kids]] CoolOldLady or CoolOldGuy or a well-meaning but boring/embarrassing older family member. Both types will generally make clothes for their younger family members, which will either be liked or be seen as too ugly/itchy/boring, and the HomemadeSweaterFromHell is often knitted by an elderly relative (often a grandma, grandpa, or great-aunt).
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10	Old people who do needlework are usually [[AffablyEvil friendly]] no matter where they fall on the popularity spectrum, though some evil elders (like an elderly WickedWitch, for instance) may do needlework to exploit the stereotype of the friendly old lady/man.
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12	This trope is OlderThanRadio because many {{fairy tale}}s and {{nursery rhyme}}s mention "the little old woman sitting at her spinning wheel" or similar.
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14	Sometimes PlayedForLaughs by having someone magically turn elderly and be seen instantly doing needlework or showing someone doing needlework who's elderly but also not human, for instance a NearlyNormalAnimal, CivilizedAnimal, FunnyAnimal, mythical creature or [[AmusingAlien alien]].
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16	Common for a GrannyClassic. Contrast KnittingPregnancyAnnouncement because, with that trope, the woman is young enough to be fertile. TruthInTelevision for some, but not others. Compare GamesOfTheElderly.
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18	----
19	!!Examples:
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21	[[foldercontrol]]
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23	[[folder:Comic Books]]
24	* ''ComicBook/SunnySeries'': Teezy and Ethel, two old ladies at her Gramps retirement community, gift Sunny a crocheted toilet paper doll while she's visiting in Florida in ''Sunny Side Up''. [[ContinuityNod It's visible in her room]] in ''Swing It, Sunny!''
25	[[/folder]]
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27	[[folder:Films -- Live-Action]]
28	* In ''Film/TheWizardOfOz'', an elderly woman is briefly seen knitting in a chair inside the tornado.
29	[[/folder]]
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31	[[folder:Literature]]
32	* The grandmother of ''Literature/AdrianMole'' is frequently mentioned as knitting clothes for the family to wear.
33	* A subversion appears in some Creator/AgathaChristie novels set post-[=WW2=] where a middle-aged viewpoint character complains about ''young'' women knitting on the subway.
34	* It is mentioned in ''Literature/DannyTheChampionOfTheWorld'' that Danny's late mother (presumably young) knitted and sewed all Danny's father's clothes, most likely for reasons of economy.
35	* Many elderly ladies in ''Literature/TheFamousFive'' are knitting or sewing.
36	--> Still, the old lady did not look up. She pushed her needle in and out of her sewing, and seemed to hear and see nothing around her.
37	* In ''Literature/GangstaGranny'', the granny knits sweaters with puppies and kittens on, which Ben dislikes.
38	* In ''Literature/TheLastHero'', Vena the Raven-Haired (a deliberate take on Creator/LucyLawless) is encountered as a septagenarian barbarian heroine who is placidly embroidering a sampler. With the legend "Burn This House". It is also noted that she has slain several heavily-armed assailants with nothing more lethal than a pair of knitting needles.
39	* ''Literature/MillyMolly'': Aunt Maude is probably at least a bit old because her same-age friend Biddy Bid has gone grey. In "Milly, Molly, and Aunt Maude", she takes up knitting, but only because her leg is broken and she wants something to do. However, she keeps knitting even after it heals. This is a DownplayedTrope because she didn't start knitting of her own accord and none of the other elders do needlework.
40	* Exaggerated in ''Literature/TheOldNursesStockingBasket''. The titular Old Nurse is old enough to have been Hercules's nurse and the only hole she was unable to darn was a ''whirlpool''.
41	* In ''Literature/SleepingBeauty'', most versions involve the evil fairy disguising herself as an old woman spinning.
42	* Zigzagged in ''Literature/TheTailorOfGloucester''. The tailor himself is old, but mice of all ages also sew.
43	* In ''Thank You for My Yukky Present'', Charlie's grandmother knits him a jumper which he initially dislikes, but it turns out to be magical.
44	* In ''Literature/TheTroubleWithGran'', the Gran is seen knitting.
45	* Exploited in ''Literature/TheWitches''. The grandma knits and she uses her knitting to lower the boy (who'd been turned into a mouse) down to the Grand High Witch's balcony.
46	* In the children's book ''Wilbee the Bumblebee'', Wilbee doesn't have fur but rather a black and yellow jumper that was knitted by his grandma.
47	[[/folder]]
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49	[[folder:Live-Action TV]]
50	* In a ''Series/DoctorWho'' episode featuring possessed senior citizens, several balls of yarn can be seen in the old folks' home.
51	* ''Radio/OurMissBrooks'': Mrs. Davis' hobby is knitting ("Hobby Show"). However, she is also adept at sewing and dressmaking ("Madison Country Club"). A few episodes reference the fact Mrs. Davis is a member of a sewing circle ("The Stolen Wardrobe" and "Mr. Casey's Will").
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54	[[folder:Web Original]]
55	* In ''Website/{{Neopets}}'', elderly female Ogrins are seen with knitting wool.
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58	[[folder:Western Animation]]
59	* Played with in ''WesternAnimation/{{Arthur}}''. Grandma Thora knits a lot and so does her friend, Mrs. [=MacGrady=], who is also elderly, but in "Arthur Unravels", Arthur takes up knitting too, however, he [[EmbarrassmentPlot is embarrassed to admit it]] because he thinks it's kind of a "girly" hobby. In the end, Arthur discovers that his piano teacher (who's around the same age as Arthur's parents) runs a knitting club and offers Arthur the chance to join, admitting that the club could use more members anyway because aside from him, the only members are Mrs. [=MacGrady=], Oliver Frensky (who's middle-aged) and Rattles from the Tough Customers (who's only a year older than Arthur).
60	* Played with in ''WesternAnimation/BabyLooneyTunes'' where Granny never knitted before, and she repeatedly utters "knit one, purl two" in the process.
61	* PlayedForDrama in the ''WesternAnimation/CourageTheCowardlyDog'' episode "The Quilt Club". Courage's elderly owner Muriel is at a fabric shop when the shopkeepers, a pair of elderly ConjoinedTwins called the Stitch Sisters, tell her about their quilt club, encouraging Muriel to bring in quilts she's made so they can decide if she's worthy to join the club. Muriel makes [[SerialEscalation progressively bigger and more elaborate quilts]], and the Stitch Sisters keep rejecting them, causing Muriel to go through SanitySlippage as she tries harder and harder to impress them. They finally accept her into the club, and for the initiation, order her to stitch a cloth with a certain symbol into a giant quilt. [[spoiler:The quilt is actually magic, and when the symbol is stitched into it, Muriel is pulled into a pocket dimension in the quilt where she is stuck floating with the souls of other quilters. The Stitch Sisters have been doing this throughout time to prolong their lives. Courage eventually saves Muriel by stitching some of her old patches into the quilt, freeing her.]]
62	* Granny of ''WesternAnimation/LooneyTunes'' often knits to the point where she gets too focused on her work and doesn't see Sylvester trying to catch Tweety, and she sometimes hits him with the needle when she does.
63	* ''WesternAnimation/MillyMolly'': Just like in the books, "Aunt" Maude is at least borderline elderly since although her own hair hasn't turned white yet, her schoolmate Biddy Bid's hair is grey. She doesn't normally do needlework, but she does in "Aunt Maude", however, that was just a way to keep her entertained [[InjuredLimbEpisode while her leg healed]]. However, she still likes knitting even after it heals, but none of the other elders are seen knitting or doing any other needlework.
64	* In an episode of Disney's ''WesternAnimation/{{Recess}}'', the gang visit a retirement home, where Spinelli is paired up with an old woman knitting. She's really bored by this until the woman shows Spinelli that she's knitting the inner liner for a boxing glove.
65	* ''WesternAnimation/SpongeBobSquarePants'':
66	** [=SpongeBob's=] grandmother knits him and whoever else comes around sweaters "with love in the stitches".
67	** In "Goo Goo Gas", one of Plankton's attempts to turn Mr. Krabs and [=SpongeBob=] into babies so he can steal the Krabby Patty Formula instead turns them into seniors. When an elderly [=SpongeBob=] decides to take up knitting, this gives an equally-elderly Mr. Krabs the idea to join him so that together, they can knit a net to catch Plankton in. When they successfully knit the net and catch Plankton in it, they hang the net like a piñata, so the other seniors can beat Plankton up for calling them old.
68	[[/folder]]

Context Main / NeedleworkIsForOldPeople