Inspiration
Put a Gromit on It
When I heard there would be a new Wallace & Gromit movie, I knew it was time to dust off the pattern I bought on etsy.
I had a multitude of patterns to choose from but, naturally, Gromit knitting a scarf won out. Why wouldn’t I knit a dog knitting a scarf for his cheese-loving friend?
Gromit is one of the first characters I grew up with; and a knitter to boot. Plus, he just happens to be a boy—a good boy at that.
Before I knew of Kaffe Fassett and Josh Bennett, I had Gromit to look up to. His expressive eyes, endless patience, and knitting generosity captivated me. I knew the best way to honor this icon was to immortalize him forever on a sweater.
The pattern called for 16 colors in a DK. Thankfully, my local yarn shop, Yarn Bar, has Glencoul DK, a springy, wool-cotton blend. A friend helped me obtain the discontinued dark brown I needed for Gromit’s ears. (Thanks, Jen!)
I chose a lovely green for the background, nodding to Wallace’s classic sweater vest. I’ve assumed Gromit has knit every one of them. (Spoiler warning: there’s a scene in the new movie where Norbot the Gnome knits Wallace a Wallace Onesie; how insulting to Gromit.)
I quickly swatched and designed a sweater vest for myself with a scoop neckline. I wanted the vest to feel vintage 1970s with the colors I’m using.
I haven’t knit multi-color intarsia in a while, so I untangled bits and bobs with each color change. Yes, bobbins are useful; I thought I’d save time jumping in without them.
After some trial and error (and many stitch markers), Gromit and his knitting came to life. I ignored columns of only one stitch; I decided to duplicate stitch those later. I adjusted the knitting pattern to have Gromit knit wider stripes, and I added a wedge of cheese to the back of the vest for fun.
Thankfully, it all finally came together before Rhinebeck. It was the perfect place to wear it. Knitting fans recognized the iconic knitter. It was wonderful meeting Ann and Kay while wearing this piece of knitting iconography.
I had plenty of black yarn left over so a miniature Feathers McGraw had to happen. I found the plushie pattern online, modified it a bit to knit the individual pieces in the round instead of flat, improvised a rubber glove, and the rest was history.
The evilest supervillain came to life out of some simple yarn. I was ready to watch Wallace & Gromit with my vest, evil rooster, some cheese and crackers, and a strong cup of tea.
As for Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl, I thoroughly enjoyed it. I was home on holiday with my family. My mother taught me how to knit, so I was grateful to view it with her.
We knitted and laughed along to the hijinks that ensued as Wallace relied on his invention Norbot the Robot Gnomes instead of on his friend Gromit, to make tea, garden, and even knit the Wallace Onesie. (Naturally, Feathers McGraw, the iconic villain from The Wrong Trousers, made his return and used his computer hacking skills to control the Norbot gnomes for his own evildoing.)
As I knitted, I was reminded how special it is using my own two hands to create new objects. Wallace’s inventiveness comes from this place: making something special out of something ordinary.
While his inventions are meant to solve a problem, knitting creates opportunities for artistic expression, meditation, and thoughtfulness. Gromit represents Wallace’s groundedness in this regard. Gromit prefers using his trusty teapot over Wallace’s Tea-O-Matic.
Reflecting on Wallace’s over-reliance on technology in an age where AI is heralded as the future for business and artistic venture, I must ask: are we as a society dependent on invention when human innovation is what ultimately moves us forward? Wallace’s final invention saves the day—but it’s his ingenuity that averts chaos when his own inventions malfunction.
I’m grateful for tools to type this article, to organize my day, and to entertain my knitting sessions. But it’s the quiet, focused moments I hold dear: it’s where I feel the most creative and the most grounded.
In the end, taking a moment to reflect, think, and ask what I want for 2025 is much more helpful. Add some cheese and tea, and I’m ready for whatever inspiration strikes next.
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It’s great that you love our very English Wallace and Gromit! They are irresistible, with lots of ‘comments’ on British life in the sets. And the time it takes to make them is unbelievable. Carry on enjoying and designing.
Oh, this is wonderful, thank you Paul. Like many others, I love Wallace and Gromit – and that vest! Wow! Intarsia as it was meant to be! Many thanks.
Is it wrong that I have a Shaun the Sheep tattoo? (Don’t answer that.)
Brilliant!
Are you familiar with the Shawn the Sheep nuidbranch? It’s tiny little sea creature that when magnified looks like Shawn the Sheep. Finding and photographing them is a ‘thing’ in the SCUBA community (when you’re in the right part of the indo-pacifc area).
Wallace and Gromit? Thanks to you, I now know a little about these two. Beautiful vest!
Brilliant post! I recently watched the new Wallace & Gromit movie with my grandsons, and now you’ve inspired me to knit something related. I’m off to track down a pattern or two!
Can’t wait to see yours! Check out my Ko-Fi if you want to use my stripe version.
OMG! That vest is fantastic. I remember watching W&G with my kids who now have kids of their own. Love them so much. It’s a good time to reacquaint myself with this delightful pair. Thanks also for sharing your thoughts on creativity and innovation.
I love the vest but what I really want now is a jumpsuit like the one in that photo. I’ll have to work on that.
I also have a queer grandkid who I already made a green vest for but there may be a second in the making…… I love it and I think they would, too,
OMG! Saw the picture of your fab vest and broke into a mile wide smile! You made my day. Love your creativity and stick-to-it-ness. Hmmm, who does that remind one of? Can’t wait to see your next yarn adventure!
Love this!
Love Wallace and Gromit! Thanks for a fun post! I will never make the vest, but perhaps Feathers. I do have a stuffed Shawn the Sheep!
Thanks for making me smile! What a truly awesome vest!
Brilliant vest! I have the same pattern, but never thought to put the image on a different item. Hmmm… you’ve inspired me to think of other places where Gromit could be knitting. Maybe on a throw blanket for my son who adores those movies? Thank you!