The partial history of male knitting...

A Gallery of men knitting

1. Men don't knit.

2. Knitting is a woman's hobby.

3. Knitting has always been associated with women.

1. False 2. False 3. False

A look at many of the current popular books on knitting would lead you to believe that all three statements above are true.

For example, a look at Debbie Stoller's popular Stitch and Bitch book, while a passable guide to knitting, reveals a false history of knitting.

There is a great history of men who knit. In fact most historians agree that knitting probably began with men. The thinking goes that knitting grew out of the knitting of fishing nets.

According to The Complete Encyclopedia of Stitchery by Mildred Graves Ryan, most historians agree that knitting was probably spread by Arabian sailors and merchants who traveled throughout the Mediterranean. These were most likely male sailors. In fact there are a number of knit patterns that date back to these Arabian forebears.

According to Wikipedia, the online dictionary:

"Originally a male-only occupation, the first knitting trade guild was started in Paris in 1527. Knitting became a household occupation with the growing popularity of knitted stockings and by the end of the 1600s, one to two million pairs of stockings were exported from Britain to other parts of Europe."

An excellent book on the history of handknitting was written by Richard Rutt who was the Bishop of Leicester. His book, A History of Hand Knitting was reissued in 2003. Rutt learned to knit from his grandfather, who had learned to knit as a boy in the 1800s.

There is also the history of men knitting during World War II. There is a marvelous article titled "When Knitting Was A Manly Art" at the Christian Science Monitor about it. Men who came back from the war took part in an active drive to knit clothing for the war effort. The story is beautifully written and gives some first hand accounts of this chapter in history.

Horst Schultz learned knit as a child in a Danish refugee camp after World War II. In Berlin he taught knitting classes and perfected a new form of knitting in modules. Schultz is credited as the inventor of "modular knitting."

Of course the knitting traditions of many non-Western societies include males in knitting culture. The idea of it being limited to one sex is ridiculous in these societies.

A really great children's book tells the story about male knitters.
Its called Boys Don't Knit and tells the story of male knitters.

In the book Marvin accidently unravels half the sweater that his grandmother had knit him, and it was the very day that she was coming to visit! What should he do? His friend's grandfather had been a sailor and had learned to knit at sea. He repaired the sweater for Marvin just in time! Before long, Marvin learned to knit too.

Now in the twenty-first century men's knitting groups are springing up all over the place.

Explore the wonderful world of knitting!

Be sure to check out our Gallery of men knitting pictures.

If you can think of something to add to this history page let us know.

Our logo and roving artwork on the MenKnit website is based on the work of Grafton Fibers.
We invite you to visit their website to see their amazing fiberwork and needles
at www.graftonfibers.com