Miss Marple Knits

It seems appropriate to end this little series of knitting in the movies and television with Miss Marple, Agatha Christie's famous amateur sleuth, one of whose main characteristics is that she is often to be found knitting, and it seems that in the half-dozen-plus films and series featuring Miss Marple over the years, the knitting part has come more and more into play.

I admit that I haven't seen any of Margaret Rutherford's 1960s Miss Marple outings in full, and so I don't really know whether she actually knits much in the films, but I could find only the one image to use in this post.  She isn't actually knitting in the second one, obviously, but she is wearing a wonderfully dumpy cardigan as well as a knitted hat, with characteristically Rutherford pompom of course.  (Apparently, she insisted in wearing her own clothes to portray Miss Marple!)

Angela Lansbury played Miss Marple in a single outing in 1980, so perhaps there was not much time for knitting.  I don't see a single image of Helen Hayes as Miss Marple actually knitting, which is a shame -- I don't remember her two films, though I must have seen them, so I will certainly make the effort to do so again.

Joan Hickson played Miss Marple in the late 1980s and early 90s for the first television series, one that remains firmly in the consciousness of many viewers as the definitive Marple.

The production values and attention to detail for Geraldine McEwan's tenure as Miss Marple in "Agatha Christie's Marple" were high enough that she was often shown knitting, although I will not be the first to say, nor the last I'm sure, that for a series called "Agatha Christie's Marple" it strayed rather far from the original at times.  I am still hoping that McEwan was simply doing what the director asked for.

Julia McKenzie took over from McEwan after the latter's retirement, and I must say that she fits my mental image of Miss Marple rather more (I won't say "better" because I admire McEwan tremendously) -- and of course I love the fact that pictures of her knitting in the series abound!

Bonus -- slightly out of order, but how could I not end with this? --

Miss Marple herself wearing a classic keyhole scarf.  Free patterns are available for Skiff's Miss Marple Scarf here, and another one here by SusanneS-vV, and an actual 1948 one here from The Sunny Stitcher.  Just for fun, here's a faux-fox version.  I knitted mine up -- in two days! -- in some of the late and much-lamented Jaeger Extrafine Merino left over from my Pearl Buck Swing Jacket, in the beautiful elderberry shade 944 (about 80g).

Comments

[Toffeeapple]

I have never seen any Miss Marple, film or TV, but I do recall knitting those scarves; I must have been about seven or eight years old at the time. I think I have always had needles in my hands.

[Susan D]

Oh goodness,I just came across this lovely knitting in the movies series this morning, while gobbling down breakfast before packing for my trip to B.C.(which always takes all day) so I don't have time to make all kinds of knitty responses. Perhaps later.

:^)

[Mary Lou]

I have an old knitting pamphlet with that scarf in it. I will get to it one of these days. I didn't care for Margaret Rutherford's Marple. She seemed a bit to gung ho and horsey-set. I think I like Julia McKenzie best. Great series of posts.

[Denise Salsbury]

Agatha Christie herself chose Joan Dixon to portray Miss Marple. I have watched all versions on movies and television. MS Dixon will always be the PERFECT actor as Miss Marple to me!

[Susan Clark]

Please help, I am looking for the list of all the things Miss Marple knit in the shows. I know there is one where she is knitting something pink where she describes who it is for and what it is...
Thank you for your help.
S

[Jane - for Dame Rutherford]

So sorry to have come across this blog and comments, whilst seeking reference to Dame Margaret Rutherford's scarves worn in her indomitable role as Miss Jane Marple.

To write about her without viewing her fine movies, portrayal, and knitting, is akin to writing about tea without ever having tasted it.

And to Mary Lou who "didn't care for Margaret Rutherford's Marple. She seemed a bit to gung ho and horsey-set." An appalling comment, akin to a scarf completely made of slipped stiches.

[Jeanne]

Dear Jane,

I am a little surprised that you condemn not only my post but my whole blog for writing about Dame Margaret as Miss Marple, when I freely admitted that I haven’t seen her Marple roles and therefore could make no editorial comments about her performance, only about the few knitting-related photos I could find on the internet. Would you rather that I had simply made something up?

As for Mary Lou’s comment, she HAS in fact seen the Rutherford Marples and not cared for them, and expressed her opinion in a calm and gentle manner. I see no reason for you to be unkind. À chacun son goût, as the French say.

[Anna Nikipirowicz]

I’m a huge fan of Miss Marple and was very luck to knit some of the her knitting. My sleeves in burgundy can be seen in ‘Greenshaw Folly’ episode with Julie McKenzie

[Ana Popotnig]

Margareth Rutherford does knit in Miss Marple - I distinctly remember the scene quite at the beginning of Murder Most Foul where she knits while being on the jury in a murder case

[Linda krisologo]

Love the pink bed shawl , Joan Hicks did it was so lovely, Joan was my favorite miss. Marble, loved watching her knit

[Theresa]

What happened to all the things that were knitted by all the actresses who played Miss Marple? I'm curious to know. Thank you.

[Jeanne]

Theresa, I suppose they kept them, or perhaps gave them to a member of the crew?!