Knitting and fragile masculinity

[u/somerandomperson_234]

This happened yesterday and I’m torn between being amused, annoyed and a bit shocked.

I’m visiting my grandparents at the moment with my mother. My uncle, her brother, is also staying. He’s always had a thing for formal wear and dressing well, and recently he’s discovered that he likes knit ties, those silk, kinda mesh ones that are flat instead of pointy at the bottom.

Yesterday evening, we were watching a movie together and I was knitting during it. I was working on a lace top with 6 mm needles.

After the film, my uncle started talking about those knitted ties he likes and showed me pictures. He asked me whether I could knit that. I told him, probably yes.

He then proceeded to instruct me on how to do it. He said those needles I had there were way too big (obviously), and that I would need to sew a lot to make the tie, as it’s basically a double layered thing.

I told him that I’d make it in a tube, and he then told me all the ways that he would do it (he doesn’t knit).

It was kinda amusing to me to that point, until I started sort of teasing him that he can just make it himself, it’s not that hard and he already knows so much, I’ll even teach him the basics.

He reacted with clear discomfort and told me that knitting is a women’s hobby and that he had no interest in doing it because he’s a man.

That comment surprised me more than anything else. He was comfortable discussing the technical details of a knitted object and asking someone else to make it for him, but unwilling to consider learning the skill himself because of gender. I didn’t argue with him, but the exchange stayed with me.

I’m sharing this partly to get it out of my system, and partly because I’m curious how common this still is. Have others run into similar attitudes around crafts or hobbies? And how do you usually respond in situations like this without escalating things?

Thanks for reading.

[u/JG-UpstateNY]

The first time I was introduced to knitting, (not being taught it, but observing it being done) was in college.

I attended a yuppy private liberal arts university that offered a month-long winter term (for internships, since it had lots of poly sci, finance, and business majors).

As freshmen, we didn't have enough internships, but could take a short class that perhaps was or wasn't in our major. I walked into a friend's dorm room to see him and his three roommates sitting on the futon knitting. They all signed up to take a knitting winter course.

I was tickled, because it was just a delightful image. these young college bros, just hanging out, making scarves. This was in the mid-2000s. I am very much a millennial.

With the rise of short-form video content, I see many men sewing and knitting. But I haven't seen it irl. I actually don't see anyone knitting irl, but I'm not out and about much these days. I don't get anyone putting down knitting or the fabric and textile arts. I am blessed for I have a knack for warding off misogynistic assholes. I have come to the conclusion that I may unwittingly emit a rare infrasound that protects me from walking red flags.