Mister Rogers

This week, specifically on March 19, 2013, Fred Rogers would have been 85 years old.  Unfortunately for all of us he died at the age of 74 on February 27, 2003, just before his 75th birthday.  For those who might not remember, Fred Rogers was instrumental in shaping a certain generation or two of children's attitudes by demonstrating compassion, patience, and morality in his famous children's program Mister Rogers' Neighborhood.  He was instrumental in helping PBS secure federal monies to support children's programming in 1969.  And he had a Canadian connection; in 1963, opportunity took him to Toronto where he created a series of fifteen-minute children's shows called Mister Rogers. The program was set in a fantasy neighborhood full of puppets except for Mr. Rogers and a guest, and was the beginnings of Mister Rogers' Neighborhood.  In 1966 he acquired the rights for the show from the CBC and took it back to the U.S where at Pittsburgh's WQED television station he refined the program.  He directed and produced all his own shows.

Rogers reminded kids (and all of us) to use our imaginations, dream small dreams and that it is OK to be just the way you are.  One of his famous sayings:  "You make each day a special day by just being you."  His training as a Presbyterianism minister, one who could sing and compose, was evident in everything he did.  Who can forget the words to "Won't You Be My Neighbor?" the theme song for the show, one that, of course, Rogers wrote and sang at the start of each episode.

There is a knitting connection to Fred Rogers as well.  At the start of each show Mr. Rogers would enter his apartment, remove his "work outfit" which generally included a jacket and dress pair of shoes.  Rogers would then change into a zippered cardigan and sneakers.  He wore the sneakers because they were quiet on the set and the cardigans because they were made by his mother, Nancy Rogers, nee McFeely.

Apparently for the bulk of the 895 episodes taped from 1968 to 2001, Mr. Rogers wore handmade sweaters that were given to him each year as a Christmas gift from his mother.  He said:  "In fact, my mother, as long as I could remember, made at least one sweater every month. And at Christmas time, she… would give us each a hand-knit sweater … Until she died, those zipper sweaters that I wear on the Neighborhood were all made by my mother.”   Rogers said that act of putting on her sweaters at the start of each show was in fact an homage to her.  (Isn't that just what you'd expect of Mr. Rogers?)

If you want to see the variety of colours and patterns used check out this recent remix video.  Rogers was red/green colour blind so perhaps his mother used the vibrant colours to help him keep them separate or perhaps it was the subtle changes in stitch patterns she used that helped him keep them straight.  Rumor has it he had 28 handmade sweaters he used in the 33 seasons of his show.  That's a lot of sweaters by any knitting standard.

And should you feel the urge to knit up one of your own zippered cardigans for the Mr. Rogers in your life, check out the options by clicking here or here or here.