Knit to This
The Traitors

Most of my Knit to Thises lean to the middle- or high-brow.
But sometimes the world is simply too much. Sometimes, what the heart most needs is listening to Alan Cumming make an entire meal out of the word “loch.” And, this, my friends, delivers that, if nothing else.
Sure, sure, sure, there’s a whole game going on in the series. The U.S. version features reality stars (most of whom I couldn’t pick out of a line-up even when wearing name tags) attempting to figure out which of their number is working against the team. They can win money via challenges. There is subterfuge.
Whatever.
That is not why I’m here. The balm for my soul (and my knitting) is AC, his voice, and, of course, his outfits, each more fabulous than the last.

Thank you for your service, Mr. Cumming. Your work has not gone unnoticed.
I will never watch that show, but I’m totally with you on Alan Cummings. That voice is the best! If you haven’t already, listen to him reading his memoir he wrote a few years back (Not My Fathers Son). I can highly recommend it, I came out with such respect for the man.
Yes! Loved listening to him read that moving memoir, so engrossing.
His memoir is one of the most moving I’ve listened to. It’s like he’s in the room with you, telling his life story.
Dear Adrienne… have you seen Alan Cumming’s Paradise Homes on Britbox?? Must see television, if ever there was!
It’s on my list! At some point, I’ll subscribe to BritBox again and just binge.
respectrully
no thank you
no explanation needed
i mean . . . respectfully
Respectfully
no thank you
I found this last season (the first season, I think) and honestly, I watched the whole thing. Like Adrienne said, it was just what I needed to check out of the real world for a while.
Great trailer, I’m totally intrigued now. Thanks for this rec!
Totally love AC!! Make sure you watch Lost in Scotland with AC and Miriam Margolyes. It was fun, poignant and more fun!
I am so insanely crazy about The Traitors that I’ve watched all the seasons of Traitors US, have finished The Traitors UK and halfway through The Traitors Australia. The other countries don’t have Alan but still just fabulous! Knit on and don’t get murrrrrddddddddderrrrrred!
I have yet to watch the US version of the Traitors, but have just finished bingeing all three of the UK seasons and they are perfect knitting viewing. Although, it has to be said, that if you don’t look at the screen you do sometimes miss some amazing facial expressions, not least from the host, Claudia Winkleman (a national treasure here in the UK). So it’s best to pick some easy project that you don’t need to look at. In the UK version the cast are not celebrities, and often have amazing back stories. I would definitely recommend…
Alan Cumming forever, though I will state frankly that this show is not for me. However, my household has just begun to watch The Good Wife (neither of us had ever seen the series before), and we were surprised and delighted to find Mr. Cumming taking up a continuing role a few episodes in. Legal thriller/soap opera with Alan Cumming as a suave but ruthless political operator? Yes, please!
Yup, the world is at the moment “too much.” But not paying attention gives those who require your acquiescence even more power to tear everything down. They just dumped water out of reservoirs meant for summer farming! Don’t complain when produce gets scarce and even more expensive this year. On top of all the pickers being deported. People not paying attention in the first place is why the Mad King is trashing everything now. Maybe we should be knitting and planning our moves instead of numbing our minds.
We can plan and protest and give our brains a moment to rest, otherwise we will burn out quickly. This is a long battle.
Yes to both GardenPoet and Adrienne… good ideas shared, because this madness.
Thank you both
Check out the first season of Miriam and Alan: Lost in Scotland on PBS. It’s Alan Cumming at his most impish. Plus they design their own Tartan and have it woven.
I was an appointed housing commissioner in my small town for a short while, filling in the latter part of a term that was vacated. The drama was fierce and when the gop was elected back on the city council I was dismissed. I wonder now, older and bolder, if they were allowed to do that or just figured no one would question. Our housing was among the highest rated in the country according to HUD evaluations . I wonder how it is faring now.
Ps thanks for the show recommendation. I love Alan Cummings and will definitely watch.
Pps the above message was in response to the about the author blurb. And public office.
Got it!
Holding a local elected office right now — and for the past five years, really — has been fascinating and horrifying and rewarding. And for what it’s worth, what happens at the local and state levels is just as important as the federal level. We have to pay attention to all of it, ya know?
Haha! I am NOT a reality TV fan at all but this one sucked me right in!! AC is truly fabulous. The outfits! The word play! A fun little escape from the ick of the world
I enjoy Alan Cumming’s work. He’s also a knitter 🙂
If you can get hold of it, the Traitors UK host (the very stylish and funny Claudia Winkelman) has fabulous outfits too.
GREAT SHOW! The theatrics are so delicious.
This season, he wore some amazing Siobhan Mackenzie designs, as did a couple of the contestants. It was so exciting to see her work on Alan!
I’ve not watched The Traitors, but <3 Alan Cumming!
A year or two ago, he had a two season show (probably only 8 episodes in total if my memory is correct) shown on PBS with Miriam Margolyes: "Miriam and Alan: Lost in Scotland" (https://www.pbs.org/show/miriam-and-alan-lost-scotland/). It was a riot! I recall one episode where they created their own tartan fabric somewhere in Scotland, and another episode of joining a gay men's knitting group in Palm Springs.
I read an interview where he said his accent is “Alan Cumming doing Moira Rose doing Alan Cumming.”