boy's knitting

I should think there would be!!! I got ticked-off at my neighbor at one of my "Pysseldag" kids and crafts afternoons because she announced that "oh, boys lose interest in this stuff when they get big" IN FRONT OF several little guys. GGgggggrrrrr!!! Ever hear of a self- fullfilling prophecy?!

So, yeah (pardon my soapbox), I would think that a book geared towards boys would be a GREAT idea! It could have "macho" projects but also show pics of people like Kaffe Fassett sitting and knitting, etc.

Erin

"Erin" wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@b75g2000hsg.googlegroups.com:

both my brothers knit. one is 54 & one is 47. the older one doesn't knit much anymore though, but he has mental health issues, plus i think his eyesight is bad, but he won't admit it (or doesn't realize it). and there are people like Kaffe Fassett...

what kinds of things do the boys in your classes enjoy? i know scarves are 'easy', but they tend to be boring. Boo knits caps on the frame, so i think caps would be good. mittens? socks? slippers?

lee

I totally agree with Erin and your neighbour is wrong.

When they were young I taught both my boys to knit and crochet. My eldest now lives in Texas and while he was waiting for his work permit to arrive he bought wool, cotton and hooks.

He has made several blankets, cotton doileys and a beautiful evening shawl for his wife. Now he is in full time employment he doesn't have time for it but has taught his wife and she is getting proficient also.

Some may "grow out of it" - lots don't!

I meant to type: I totally agree with you Erin. (Sorry).

This is a GREAT idea. In addition to famous men like Kaffe Fassett, there are plenty of regular guys out there knitting. I know a male nurse who started crocheting when he was an EMT because he had so much time on his hands! His wife likes being able to give handmade afghans for gifts!

A book incorporating the history of knitting, especially with plenty about sailor's knitting (and maybe a few priates!) would be great! (Arrgh!! Handover your Denise interchangeables and your bamboo dpns or I'll make you walk the plank!) Madelaine

If you google "men knitting" you'll get 1.5 million hits, including at the top, two sites for men who knit:

book about men knitting: a ton of news articles about men who knit(along with numerous references to knitting for men).I recall hearing, a year of so ago, of young men taking up knitting as achick magnet, but I've lost the reference. Georgia

I LOVE this image!!! We haven't done knitting yet but the kids are on about me teaching them to crochet. Actually, I had to chase-down Gabby to get *MY* crochet hook and yarn back from him! :-)

We have made fabric "bowls" from felt I pre-cut and decorated little "handbags" and strung necklaces and stitched patches and beads to canvas (to make pictures). Last month some of them talked me into crocheting strips so that they could make their "bowls" into handbags by attaching the strips as handles.

Anyway, if anyone has any interesting FREE newbie type patterns, I would LOVE to see them!!! I do the craft days at my own expense, and, although a lot of the materials are free, I do purchase some things (like beads). I'm hoping to get some paid type employment doing this type of thing eventually. I don't want to charge the families at my apartment complex because there are a lot of low-income families living here (I am seriously under-employed myself so I know how that feels).

Erin

"Erin" wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@e65g2000hsc.googlegroups.com:

where are you located? i have over 200 kilos of beads, mostly Czech & French size 10/11. i'm starting to have enough vision problems that beading is more annoying than fun, so i'd be happy to spread the wealth a bit. the older Czech beads & all French beads are pretty uneven, nothing like the modern Japanese beads. i happen to like the unevenness of the old beads but if you're used to modern beads, especially the Delica/Antiques, these are going to look really odd. lee

Yes, I think there is a real need. It's a niche market right now, but it could grow. I forget where I heard the "boy's knitting instructions": "stab it, strangle it, dig it out, throw it away".

=Tamar

innews: snipped-for-privacy@e65g2000hsc.googlegroups.com:

Thanks for the offer but Ulricehamn is located in western Sweden. Even at economy rate, the postage would be fierce! :-( Or maybe I could swap you some Swedish fabric, etc. for your beads?

Erin

We teach all boys and girls to knit at school. The boys makes may be different designs than the girls (they do their own designs), but they have they have lots of interest to finish their projects! Last class I taught knitting were 11 y.olds. (I have shown these pictures earlier, but if you are inerested:

)They loved their finished hats, and some of them knittid hats as christmasgift to threir brothers or sisters "private" parallell to what they did at school. most of them are tough footballplayers, nothing spacial "soft" or "delicate" here,.. but they loved it! This year they designt bags and purses which they sew from fabric samples we have got from furniture shops and so on. Some of them makes football bags, but one of the toughest, makes his mother a party purse from blank velvet and matching jaquard fabric.

It takes time to make them believe that they can make their own designs, and to trust their choise of colores and fabrics, but that is no difference with the girls.

Aud in Norway ;-)

Aud, Is this a Waldorf School? We have a few in the US, (there is one in Pittsburgh, where I live) and I think it is so great that they learn really useful skills. They all learn knitting, woodworking, sewing, etc. in addition to all the usual academic subjects. I think this gives them a rare independence as well as some different cognitive skills from the usual learning from books, computers etc. I often wish I had gone to one. Madelaine

"Madelaine" skrev i melding news:eubl1f$sig$ snipped-for-privacy@usenet02.sei.cmu.edu...

No, this is "normal" primary school here in Norway!theyb also have woodworking etc. Aud ;-)

Yes, it's the same here in Sweden. There is a LOT more emphasis on "hands-on" practical applications of what you learn. Harri's not- quite-13 year old nephew has already had a one day internship with Uncle Harri at the electronics repair shop.

Erin

Try...

Jenn > does anyone know of a decent book for little boys that knit or

"Jenn" wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@p15g2000hsd.googlegroups.com:

i did. i went to the site & can get the index page, but the other pages come up 404 Not Found. i emailed them & it bounced. anyone know who the webguy is there? lee

My boy tend choose to knit toys - teddy bears, glove puppets, that kind of thing. One of my boys gave up on published patterns, and only knits things straight out of his head - he made a wonderful mask, which I wouldn#t even have thought of.

They seem quite happy with 'Kid Knits' by Sarah Bradberry, but she uses Australian terminology so that might not be as good.

Kirsten

I grew up in a blue-collar environment and watched my Dad work on cars, fell trees, pour concrete, etc. I used to help my neighbors with haying. But I still have to learn how to do things like put drapery hardware in plastered walls (we had wood walls in the house my Dad built). I think part of why knitting has become so popular with young girls in the US is that there is nothing like that concrete sense of accomplishment.

I guess the Waldorf schools are a lot like schools in Nordic countries. Madelaine