The Innate Desire To Relate
I believe there is an innate desire to relate to others that shows up strongly in the knitting and fiber communities.
How Does Your Desire To Relate Show Up?
How many times have you heard people say things like:
- My name’s John O’Hara, of the New York City O’Haras.
- She’s Canadian too!
- I went to the same high school as her.
And Adam Sandler’s Chanukah Song always comes to mind, reminding us of all the famous Jews we might not have known were part of the Jewish community.
Similar, I find that knitters and crocheters are always looking for famous people who knit/crochet/needlepoint, etc. As a man who knits, I have heard about Rosey Grier, the former football player who made it less effeminate to do fiber-work.
I also loved seeing knitting books behind the MSNBC guest, Katie Benner.
She has Loopy Mango Knitting and Vogue Knitting sitting there all the time. Not sure what the Dalton book is.
And recently, Joyce Vance, who also appears on MSNBC a lot has also been describing how she’s a knitter. Check her out in her Substack, Civil Discourse with Joyce Vance.
Her September 5, 2023 Substack shared this picture. It’s a WIP KAL she’s working on.
Glad to claim them as my people.
Current Crochet
I was able to finish the second button-band and start on the sleeve for the crochet shirt.
Still a lot more to go, but I’m grateful for the progress.
I just saw this yesterday, in an article about Paul McCartney:
Paul is also considering taking up knitting as a way to release tension. He said, “I don’t knit, I imagine that would be quite cool, actually. Tom Daley knits and so does Michelle Obama, and I get why they do it; it must be a great release of tension.”
Love this…a number of years ago when I found out that Hugh Bonneville knit, I sent a note to his management office inviting him to a men’s knitting retreat. I don’t need the approval that comes with a famous person doing yarn-work, but I do enjoy it!
A testament to the relatability of knitters: wherever I knit in public, mostly at downtown Eugene, Oregon’s teashop, other knitters who I had not up to that moment met will make a point to come to my table to inquire about my project and to make an admiring remark. Yes, now and then there’s the “Omigod, a (gasp) man knitting!” reaction, but that has become increasingly rare. In those instances, I very much want to share what Franklin Habit once said in response to “When did you (a man) learn to knit?” His answer was a succinct, “I learned to knit in prison.” I never do say that, though. And, yes, dear community, I am aware that there are knitting classes for men in prison. His remark was an hilarious way to say, “Go away.” Like when non-knitters ask you questions while you are counting.
Wow, Joe, imagine the Lord of Downtown Abbey at your retreat. The photo opps!
Downton, not Downtown! That would be a totally different series! Perhaps not on PBS, though.