Knitting to TV: 10 Shows, Ranked

 

  I’ve been knitting a lot lately and making my way through a bunch of shows that only have a few seasons. Some of them are perfect for knitting—you barely have to look up—but others are so fast-paced or visually important that I end up rewinding constantly. So, I decided to rank 10 recent shows based on how easy they are to follow while knitting, from the most effortless to the ones that might have you dropping stitches just to keep up.

1. The Floor

This show is perfect for knitting. It’s a game show, so you only need to look up when they’re playing. The majority of the show is downtime, contestant interviews and whatnot, so you don’t have to worry about missing key plot points or getting lost. You can mostly look at your knitting, unless you feel like looking up at Rob Lowe (absolutely criminal he’s never won Sexiest Man Alive). 

2. Shrinking

The beauty of Shrinking is its focus on character-driven dialogue. You’ll spend most of your time listening to conversations that are easy to follow without looking at the screen. While there are emotional moments that might tug at your attention, you can continue knitting without much risk of losing track. It’s engaging, but not visually demanding. 

3. Ted Lasso

Ted Lasso balances heartwarming humor and relatable storylines, and most of it is dialogue-based. You’ll need to glance up a little more often than Shrinking, especially during soccer games or moments of physical comedy, but overall, the show’s pacing makes it easy to follow along without much effort. You can stay engaged with the plot while knitting, though you might need to look up for a few key moments.

4. Abbott Elementary

This show is charming and easy to follow for the most part, with a focus on quick dialogue and situational humor. However, the fourth-wall breaking moments and visual gags might require you to pay attention a little bit more. You can easily follow the plot while knitting, but these extra visual elements require you to look at the screen a little bit more if you want the full effect of the humor.

5. Only Murders in the Building

Only Murders in the Building has an intriguing mix of mystery, comedy, and quirky characters. It’s mostly dialogue-driven—the story unfolds through conversations and their podcast—so you can follow the plot without constantly looking up. However, the show does have visual clues, flashbacks, and some stylized moments that add extra layers to the story. These require more attention, so while it’s engaging and mostly easy to follow, you’ll likely need to look up more often to catch those details.

6. The Flight Attendant

This show strikes a good balance, but the suspense, shifting timelines, and visual elements require a little more focus. You can knit while watching, but you’ll need to keep an eye on key visual details, as well as shifts in the narrative. There are twists that might leave you needing to pay closer attention, making it a little more challenging than the lighter sitcoms or character-driven shows.

7. Poker Face

Poker Face is easier to follow than more complex mystery shows, as each episode is an hour-long self-contained case with a clear resolution. Due to the show’s structure and puzzle-solving nature, this one is slightly harder to knit to than the ones mentioned before. You can knit while listening, but if you’re not paying attention to the visuals, you might miss key moments that are essential to solving the case

8. Russian Doll

Russian Doll has a nonlinear, fast-paced structure that makes it difficult to knit to. With twists and turns happening frequently, you’ll likely find yourself rewinding the show to catch everything. The visual elements and complex storytelling require more attention than other shows, so you’ll need to fully engage with the screen at times to keep with the narrative, making it one of the more difficult options to knit to.

9. Severance

This one is challenging for knitting due to its intricate plot, visual cues, and psychological drama. The layers of complexity in both the story and the characters require more focused attention, and missing a small detail could confuse your understanding of the show. There’s a lot happening visually that is integral to the plot, so you’ll need to be fully engaged with the screen, making it one of the most difficult shows to knit to.

10. White Lotus

With its abundance of visual storytelling, subtitles, and complex character interactions, White Lotus is the hardest show to knit to on this list. You need to stay focused to keep up with both the dialogue and the visual cues, and the subtitled portions demand additional attention. If you’re trying to knit through the episodes, just be prepared to rewind a bunch. 

    Regardless of how easy they were to knit to, all of these shows are great in their own right. Whether you want something low-effort to have on in the background or a show that keeps you fully hooked, there’s something here to check out. Happy watching, and happy knitting!