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Cockeysville (United States) (AFP) – Knitting has surged in popularity once again in the United States in this age of pandemics and self-care.
But on a sunny March afternoon just outside the nation's capital, one club of enthusiasts sets itself apart: the 10 or so people clicking their needles are men.
DC Men Knit meets twice a month in the Washington area to knit or crochet scarves, hats and blankets. The goal? Relaxation, friendship and reclaiming a pastime historically enjoyed by men and women.
The group's coordinator Gene Throwe says he hopes to "provide a safe space for men to knit together and trade our skills with one another, to help each other out, because knitting has for quite a while been viewed as a female vocation."
The 51-year-old Throwe, an office manager for a national association of nursing schools, puts some finishing touches on a brown sweater with a subtle golden pattern that he's been making on and off for years.
Like many of his fellow knitters, Throwe grew up watching his grandmother work magic with her needles. That feeling of nostalgia turned to regret as he watched the hobby fall by the wayside, in favor of more modern pursuits.
One day, he realized he could do something to revive it.
"Why do I have to expect the women to do it -- I can do it too!" he recalled.
The members of DC Men Knit tend to spark a degree of fascination when they meet in public places -- but no hostility or discrimination.
"It's always some grandmotherly type person that... stares at us, like we just landed from Mars," Throwe says with a laugh.
"And then they'll just start asking us questions FINISH READING HERE
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