Menokreatikkul; Saturday Stitches - Men Part 1

I am fortunate to have a well-balanced readership in terms of gender. I have mentioned that men are every bit as proficient in the knitting and crochet craft as women - if, as in cooking, they decide it's worth their effort.

It is an unfortunate fact that the craft is often perceived as purely a woman's domain. Admittedly, the roles of each in society have tended to afford women the space to create, but the reality is that men have just as much time. They simply have opted to use it differently.

The men who do take up hooks and needles, though, often excel at it. They become captivated by the challenge of what amounts to engineering a finished product. Patterns are akin to chemical formulae! Design requires technical and mathematical skill. Execution requires dexterity, precision, determination, and focus. The process of crafting with yarn is calming, centring, and balancing. More and more men are appreciating the benefits of working the craft and enjoying the results, whether they wear them themselves or gift their products to loved ones. 

In response to David's comment about not seeing any choices for men in my selection last week, the answer to that is simple: apart from my brother, I no longer have any male connections for whom I would make anything more than a beanie. I have made jumpers and cardigans for ex-boyfriends, my father and brother, and a friend's husband. There are some fantastic patterns for men. I just have no incentive at the moment.

Now, you might want examples of male yarnies, right? I am sure that in a much earlier post, I would have introduced you to Juan the Yarn Addict. I love his channel because he does really good assessments of the yarns themselves. Admittedly, he mainly focuses on acrylic and other non-wool fibres, but it is still very useful and he's entertaining with it. His work, along with tutorials, is clear and easy to follow for beginners as well as inspirational for old hacks like myself.

There are some famous names in yarn crafting. The late Kurt Cobain loved to crochet. Ryan Gosling took up knitting during the filming of Lars and the Real Girl and found it a relaxing hobby. He was introduced to the craft by the elderly knitting women on set and has said that his perfect day would involve knitting, which he occasionally does for enjoyment. 

It is also often said that Russell Crowe is a knitter. 

The mythology grew from the shot on the left, which he is on record as saying happened some 30 years ago, when he was getting bored during a photoshoot. He knew he was holding the needles all wrong, but still it gets used over and over to prove he is a knitter. He did learn to knit from his mother and, as a young man, continued to knit, but no longer does so (although the internet would have you believe otherwise). For the purposes of this post, though, it is worth noting that the skill lies there!

Another actor who enjoys knitting is Ewan McGregor, and I love this snatch from one of his bike adventures in South America, when he gets excited to be with a bunch of kids who are knitting...

Sweet! On a much more down-to-earth level, I came across this article about a group from the US who have made a pilgrimage to Shetland for a knitting boost. The therapeutic quality of knitting and crochet is mentioned, as well as the enjoyment of discovering that there are really rather a lot of men who like to work with wool!

I'll finish this first post about men and the yarn crafts with a mention of Tom Daley, Olympic Diving Medalist and now world-famous knitter and crocheter. He has become so involved in the yarn-craft scene that he has even been developing his own product. Now, here in the UK, he is hosting a newly minted show called Game of Wool............... oh dear. On that, more next week.