Oh, Possum! A Knitting Playlist

I’m back with another playlist for your knitting, this time covering North America’s favorite marsupial, the opossum. It’s got just enough content to get you through most of my momma possum pattern or a full knitting kit of baby possums.

A Preview of Things to Come

Possum by Night - The Mountain Goats

My favorite band has a song about my favorite animal and it’s important that you get to hear it

The Rise and Fall of Billy Possum - Plodding Through the Presidents

A detailed overview of the teddy bear’s failed successor, William Howard Taft’s Billy Possum. This is the most thorough overview I’ve found over Taft’s connections to possums, but TW: there’s a lot of talk about eating possums, the hosts aren’t fans of possums (laaaaame), and some of the things they say about possums are factually inaccurate. Their historical research on Taft an Billy, however, is correct and fascinating.

El Tlacuache - Monstras

The opossum, or el tlacuahce, has a deep history in indigenous Mexican folklore. I learned about this when I visited Oaxaca on a mezcal tasting trip! The opossum is responsible for bringing fire, tobacco, and mezcal to mankind. Explore that and other legends with Brenda and Orquieda.

The Return of Billy Possum - Plodding through the Presidents

While I’m very familiar with Taft’s possum, this story of Herbert Hoover, a high school baseball team, and a wild opossum was new to me.

The Wild Robot with Chris Sanders - Script Apart

It’s rare to see possums on film, but there’s a whole family of them in the 2024 film The Wild Robot. Director Chris Sanders discusses the film with show host Al Horner. There are definitely some spoilers if you haven’t yet watched the film.

Possum - Phish

I can’t say I’ve listened to Phish much, but I had a coworker who was a big fan and who was thrilled to share this song that combined both of our interests.

So what are you waiting for? Grab your needles and your pattern and head to Spotify to listen.