I wonder if the little boys who knitted for the war effort back in the 1940's could ever have visualised that their grandsons would be taking up knitting for relaxation purposes some 70 years later?
In today's Independent on Sunday, there is a report that knitting is basically the new meditation for men even as burly and macho as Laurence Fishbourne and Russell Crowe. Whether that is stretching the truth just a little, the article was not sure but all in all I loved reading this article and can only say good for them. Are we women coming just one step further into our own? The rage for women knitting seriously again started well over a decade ago now but it seems that some of our more "aware" of the male species have realised that the gentle repetition of the click clacking knitting needles does indeed offer them a quiet space to sit and reflect and quite simply relax.
Companies such as John Lewis and the handknitting company Rowan estimate that there has been a massive increase in the numbers of men buying up the yarn and needles and it is definitely becoming a new and thriving market! It was great to read that a very cool 50 year old David Wishingsky,who runs a tea room not far away from me in East Sussex, has actually started up a knitting group in his cafe. David has recognised the therapeutic effects of picking up his needles and there is a great photo of him sitting knitting next to his table laid out for tea, complete with teapot in a pink tea cosy! Brilliant stuff!
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