'Knot' just for the ladies...

It takes balls to knit... balls of yarn and some needles.

So there seems to be a bit of a craze going on. Knitting is back in a big way, and boys are jumping on the wild woolen bandwagon. My roomie says that 'knitting is the new yoga', while the Debbie Stoller (author of Stitch n'Bitch and editor of the third wave feminist magazine BUST) has reclaimed knitting from being a genderedized subservient chore to being the new creative form of self expression.

I received a copy of Stitch n'Bitch for my Birthday in November, and it's been nothing but knittin'’ and purlin'’ ever since.



But I'm a bit concerned that all this hype with the woolen arts is trivializing my newfound textile hobby. Am I just another sheep in this wooly craze?

It turns out that dicks and sticks (translation: men and knitting) have a much longer history then I was aware. Knitting, like many an occupation, was a male-only trade, originating around the 14th century in Egypt. Then, like a smart little communicable virus, it was spread around the Mediterranean by Arabian sailors. Since then it has been the delight of many a Victorian lady, while the duty of young American women during times of war.

Most of us are familiar with the needles and yarn of our grandmothers. Perhaps you've even had to swallow your pride and wear that purple and brown, mis-shapened sweater that your great aunt knit you for Christmas. Well guess what? Next year you're going to get one from your uncle too...…

Yup, it's official. The boys are knittin'... and I don't think they'll be casting off any time soon.

So go get your knit on.

(Oh yeah... for all you boys out there, here's a place to get you started: http://www.menknit.net/main.html)