2018 Geek-A-Long: Totoro

Technically, rooknevermore nominated Hayao Miyazaki, the co-founder of Studio Ghibli, and the critically acclaimed, animated fantasy film My Neighbor Totoro. But I’d like to believe that Mr. Miyazaki would prefer to have one of his beloved creations immortalized in yarn instead of his own face.

Speaking of faces, you can snag No-Face from the 2014 Geek-A-Long here.

I nominate – Hayao Miyazaki

How many of us fell in love with his movies, with their magic and strange, gentle grandeur? His legacy is a lifetime of movies that profoundly influenced both the medium in which they were created and the hearts and minds of those who watched them.

Among those movies are;

My Neighbor Totoro
Kiki’s Delivery Service
Howl’s Moving Castle
Princess Mononoke
Ponyo
Nausicaa: Valley of the Wind
Spirited Away

I agree with rooknevermore, Miyazaki’s films do have a sort of gentle grandeur. The themes in his work center upon love, family, environmentalism, feminism, and what my husband loving to refers to as, “Whimsical Fuckery.” His stories also feature anti-war themes. Porco Rosso can be summed up in the simple line, “I’d rather be a pig than a fascist.” In the 1997 movie Princess Mononoke, Ashitaka spends the entire film just trying to convince everyone to get along. Instead of seeking revenge for what’s happened to him, he goes on a mission to ambassador peace.

“Many of my movies have strong female leads – brave, self-sufficient girls that don’t think twice about fighting for what they believe in with all their heart. They’ll need a friend, or a supporter, but never a savior. Any woman is just as capable of being a hero as any man.” – Hayao Miyazaki

If you’ve never watched one of Miyazaki’s films before, start with Spirited Away. Every time someone makes a top 20 list of animated movies, Spirited Away is on there. It is my absolute favorite. My number two Miyazaki film is Howl’s Moving Castle. The movie and the book (of the same name) are very different and also the same. It’s the only time I’ve been 100% on board with a movie adaptation.

My Neighbor Totoro tells the story of two girls and their interactions with friendly wood spirits after their father moves them out to the countryside to be closer to the hospital where their mother is recovering from a long-term illness.

I’m going to be honest, if I had to rate the Miyazaki’s films, My Neighbor Totoro would probably be towards the bottom of that list. Of course, it’s still a good movie, but I think I love the idea of Totoro more than the actual movie. At this point, Totoro is a cultural icon up there Mickey Mouse, and it’s easy to understand why just looking at his cute face.

Whether you’re knitting, crocheting, or cross stitching this square, you can download the Totoro pattern here. Instructions and charts for both knit and crochet are listed in the pattern. When you’re finished making it, don’t forget to Instagram your squares at us @lattesandllamasyarn with the hashtag #geekalong!

If you’re having trouble with double-sided knitting, we have a how-to video here and a tutorial on crochet here. Want to hang out with other people making the blanket? You can find moral support in the Geek-A-Long group on Ravelry here.

~ Jac

Tatsuo Kusakabe from My Neighbor Totoro: “Trees and people used to be good friends. I saw that tree and decided to buy the house. Hope Mom likes it too. Okay, let’s pay our respects then get home for lunch.”

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