Weird and Embarassing Question.

[Doc]

How many folks here like to crochet and knit?

Er, men too. Don't be shy.

I have recently been getting back in to the habit. Knitted a bit, crocheted a bit, and somebody right now is trying to get me hooked (sorry about the pun) on knitting boards and round knitting looms. I rather like the knitting looms as it speeds up the process greatly from having to do base stitching from knitting needles.

A very long long long time ago... Wow, it really was a long time ago... I think Carter was in office, I was even part of a knitting-crocheting circle... The ladies were really very suprised that a man would join them. They made me a lot of cookies and cakes and such and we would sit around and stitch and it was really rather pleasant. We would make hats for the poor and homeless. Mittens too. Sweaters. I miss those times. If I think about it hard enough, I am pretty sure I can fool my self in to thinking life was simpler back then.

And then all those times spent in a hospital bed recovering from injuries... I think I would have gone mad with out books, crochet hooks, and yarn.

I don't even know why I picked it up again, but I have.

Any Lurkers out there share a love of yarn?

[ShadowHM]

Any Lurkers out there share a love of yarn?
[right][snapback]98518[/snapback][/right]

Only the sort that is already made into a sweater for me. :P

I recently asked my dear old Mum to make me a sweater set just like the ones she made for me as a child, and she laughed at me. <_<

(Shadow, who is always cold and likes to wear sweaters)

[Rhydderch Hael]

*stops sharpening sword and does a double-take at monitor screen*

[Doc]

It's ok.

Some men are not secure enough in their masculinity to do things like wear kilts... Or knit or crochet.

Women are far more appreciative of the men that do.

[Jeunemaitre]

It's ok.

Some men are not secure enough in their masculinity to do things like wear kilts... Or knit or crochet.

Women are far more appreciative of the men that do.
[right][snapback]98571[/snapback][/right]

I actually learned a little knit-pearl a few years ago, but haven't done anything with it in years. My grandmother, on the other hand, is a crochet fiend. She has 6 children, 14 or 16 grandchildren, 25+ great-grandchildren (not including the one that my wife will be carying for three more months yet) and 5 or so great-great-grandchildren. Each one of them, over the many years, has had a hand made blanket from Memaw to begin life with. I think my mother is trying to compete (she's working on a knitted sweater), but she won't have near as many kids to create for.

[jahcs]

My sister likes to make lace doilies, other than that all the crafty types around me like to quilt. One of my grandmas used to make afghans but switched to quilting also, easier for her hands nowdays.

[Doc]

Many ancient warrior cultures had their warriors knit or crochet to relieve the stress and tension of battle. It kept them sane. It was a way of dealing with post traumatic stress disorder before the world even understood what PTSD was. Better to keep the big guy knitting and content than have him wig out and start killing people.

Many Asian cultures promote crocheting or knitting as a means to aid meditation.

In military culture, like in the Napoleonic era, it was important for soldiers to know how to knit, crochet, and darn. They had to make their own socks, mend and repair their own clothing, and it was a good way to relax and pass the time after a hard battle. (See above.) And it was important to be good at it. A well made pair of socks is warm and will protect your feet. And they are comfortable. Poorly made socks are not so warm and feel like you are walking on pebbles from all the odd shaped knots. Poorly made socks also cause some severe blisters, and ask anybody on a march... Blisters are bad mmmkay?

A Japanese Shogan, I do not rememember which one, but I read about him in a book. He was assassinated with knitting needles. A warrior sent to parley with him was allowed to keep his prized knitting needles poked through the bun of his hair as decoration. As a long standing impliment of peace, I doubt that anybody suspected they could be used in war. This clever warrior proceded to kill the Shogun, who was armed with swords, probably taking him by suprise.

Oh, and Rhyd, if you would like, I could knit you a cosey for your sword. Would you like it trimmed with a crocheted doiley lace?

[Dako-ta]

Hi, Doc,

It's ok.

Some men are not secure enough in their masculinity to do things like wear kilts... Or knit or crochet.
[right][snapback]98571[/snapback][/right]

Isn't it interesting that even after all of the boundary-bending changes in gender roles 'Western' civilization has gone through over the past 50+ years, some things haven't changed much, if at all?

It still makes the news if some football player admits to taking a home ec course or knowing how to knit. [ -- smart kid, I wish I had taken a "home ec" class; I also wish I had taken "Shop" class, but - hey, I was going to college! Why would I need 'shop' skills? Stupid, stupid, stupid!). At least I was perceptive enough to take typing, which my dad (very atypically, actually) thought would be a waste of time.

It's still news if some football coach has his players take ballet lessons to improve their agility and footwork.

And, in some people's minds, a man working with textiles is tantamount to admitting they're gay. :unsure:

Yet, men have dominated other fields requiring similar sorts of skills. In most cultures, most or all goldsmiths/jewelers have been men. Most machinists have been men. Diamond cutters (& diamond buyers for that matter) are, I think, still almost all men.

For that matter, "fine tailors" of men's clothes (suits, etc.) have been fellow men, mostly without that stigma.

Strange, strange. :huh:

Well, I don't knit or crochet, but I've thought about learning at least one specialized aspect of one of those - working with wire.

I don't think I've ever mentioned it on the LL (though I did allude to it on the back pages of a couple of DSF threads), but I have an interest in jewelry-making. It started with an interest in lapidary, after visiting an amethyst mine near Thunder Bay, Ontario back in '92. Over time, the interest broadened, and it turned out to be easier to get started silversmithing.

However... after a couple of years of playing around in my apartment, I put the hands-on aspect of the hobby on hold for what I thought would be a year or two. Well, for various reasons, that hiatus has stretched into about 10 years...

But one of these days I AM going to get my old work area (unsatisfactory as it was) cleared out and get back to playing around...

I've been a member of the local Lapidary and Mineral society for about 12 years now, and one of the senior members got into knitting wire with a spool a few years ago. I've seen him give a couple of demonstrations, and although I'm not sure I have the patience or a deft enough touch to be able to do a good job at this, it is tempting to try.


Hmmm, I thought I would do a search and show what I was talking about, but found very little like what I was thinking of. Puzzling. I found a few pieces made using the technique, but integrating so many beads you can't see the wire pattern!


These are the closest I've found to plain, simple wire work:

http://jewelrymaking.about.combrary/weekly/aa072101.htm

http://www.wigjig.com/jewelry-tools/WJU/te...chains/pg03.htm (especially the top picture on "Page 4," and the bottom picture on "Page 5" - but imagine that made with plain silver wire).


You can use different numbers of pins on your spools, I think maybe the ones I've seen our club 'pro' make used more pins than the examples I found on-line, and thus the resultant chains are denser.


Although not quite what I was thinking of, here's some other kinds of things made of knitted wire:


http://www.wigjig.com/jewelry-tools/WJU/je...ists/index.html

http://www.beadextravaganza.com/html/spo..._wire.html

http://www.diynetwork.com/diy/na_knitting/...4177158,00.html

http://www.angelfire.com/home/avital/wireknitting.html

http://www.rosiesyarncellar.com/classes.htm


Again, although not what I was thinking of, here's some examples of what can be made by crocheting wire:

http://www.hgtv.com/hgtv/cr_accessories_je...4128917,00.html

http://www.seafore.com/wire/wireheart.html

http://www.jenanne.com/mt-static/archives/000444.html

http://members.aol.com/patmcaudel/2index.html


Back in 1975, Arline M. Fisch wrote "Textile Techniques in Metal" in which she surveyed ways to apply textile techniques such as weaving, knitting, knotting, braiding, basketry, etc., to metal. I've checked it out of my local university library, and although some of the techniques don't appeal to my personal sense of aesthetics, some do very much. I believe she came out with a new edition a few years back, updated with color photos and developments since the first book. You might be able to find it at Barnes & Noble, etc. Worth browsing through at least, if you're at all interested in the subject.

Aah, here's a brief review of the new edition, with a couple of pix:

http://www.needleartsbookshop.com/needlear...s_in_Metal.html


I am also interested in trying some of the traditional hand-made chain techniques, and maybe jewelry made with chain-link techniques.

Now that I think of it, considering your comments on wire-jewelry a few months back, maybe you've already done this kind of work? Seems like it would be a natural...

Regards,

Dako-ta


"The instruction we find in books is like fire. We fetch it from our neighbours, kindle it at home, communicate it to others, and it becomes the property of all."

-- Voltaire

[Doc]

Living in utter destitute poverty, well, at least when I was a kid, you learned certain things. Knitting and crocheting was one of them. You didn't just go down to the store and buy a nice warm blanket. Hell no. Only the people that had money did that. If you wanted something warm, you got off your ass and made it your self, or you just went cold. Poor folk made a lot of their own stuff. Clothing, quilts, blankets, hats, gloves, socks, pretty much everything.

Now, the folk that had money... They went to the store. And they bought all of the finery they could afford. And when they wanted that handmade scarf and hat set, they talked to the poor folk... Maybe their cook or one of their maids, or maybe the gardener, somebody was bound to know, and they would get their scarf made and give it out as a gift, making sure they told everybody that they had made it themselves.

As for metal working, yes, I do some wire wrapping. You should drop whatever it is you are doing and go do it. Don't make excuses and just do it. Stop making excuses and avoiding it. You would be much happier if you did. It is part of human nature to craft things, to make things with our own two hands, to create and revel in our creation.

I have been crocheting almost all day. It's about 2 AM and I finished a big fat rasta jellyfish tam. Hunter green and royal blue. Seven ounce worsted wool yarn. It will hold a LOT of dreadlocks, and it has vent holes to allow heat to escape so your head will feel cooler and breath a little. The top also opens up wide to let all of your locks out, but still keep them out of your face. Pull the draw string, and it closes back up and hides your locks away. I barely had it properly blocked, stretched, and fit finished when out of the blue my wife moseys through the room from out of the kitchen, snatches it up, examines it, mumbles "Awesome! what a funky hat! Thanks!" and then puts it on her head and headed outside to go stargazing.

I am seriously considering mugging some of my goats for their hair... I have clippers and I know how to use them... And I know I could spin it in to yarn.

[Shriek]

Wire wrapping seems to have really taken off in recent years--I've not gotten into it myself, and I haven't yet learned to knit or crochet, but at ~15 I did find a hybrid that I really enjoyed--maille. What surprised me was several years later when my wife said, "if you have the patience for that, you might like cross-stitch." Which then led to blackwork, other embroidery, and sewing in general. The gender association with such crafts is really unfortunate.

Oh, and I like my swords, too, but my friends wouldn't appreciate it much if I sharpened them... :lol:

[Walkiry]

Er, men too. Don't be shy.
[right][snapback]98518[/snapback][/right]

Well, as some other things in life, I know how to crochet and knit. I also know how to make junco baskets, and how to make clay pots with a turntable. I just don't have the patience to do it on a regular basis.

On a similar note, and funnily related, in a conversation with some friends the idea of being stranded in a desert island came around, and I realized that it'd probably be a good idea to know how to do stuff with coconut fiber (since the usual thing in this scenario is a deserted but big enough island with plenty of palm trees). Clothes and ropes and all that stuff. I'll probably look for info and practice a bit until I learn how :)

Never been a fan of wire wrapping myself, as I don't hold any particular interest in jewelry and similar body decorations.

[Doc]

Well, as some other things in life, I know how to crochet and knit. I also know how to make junco baskets, and how to make clay pots with a turntable. I just don't have the patience to do it on a regular basis.

On a similar note, and funnily related, in a conversation with some friends the idea of being stranded in a desert island came around, and I realized that it'd probably be a good idea to know how to do stuff with coconut fiber (since the usual thing in this scenario is a deserted but big enough island with plenty of palm trees). Clothes and ropes and all that stuff. I'll probably look for info and practice a bit until I learn how :)

Never been a fan of wire wrapping myself, as I don't hold any particular interest in jewelry and similar body decorations.
[right][snapback]99311[/snapback][/right]

Somebody that went on vacation brought me back a basket hat made out of coconut fibres. I have to keep it conditioned with coconut oil of all things once ever so often or it dries out and becomes brittle.

The hat is actually quite comfortable. It looks like somebody took a couple of strands of fibre, twisted them in to a section of twine, took several cords and did a four knot weave, and then wove the resulting spiral cord in to a basket.

I like to wear it while out gardening. Airflow is nice and it is so light and airy. Meh, it may have been tourist junk, but I really do love the hat.

If you were out on some island, it shouldn't be to hard to do the same thing your self, if you knew how. Make a simple skirt to cover your bum... You DO NOT want a sunburned wiener and buns. And then make a hat to keep you from getting sun stroke.

Your clothing, such as your pants and your shirt have better uses in survival than you wearing them.

Also, crocheting monofiliment wire is not at all easy. But the resulting fabric if one could call it that is even better than regular chainmail. Stronger, with more flexibility and give. With a double, triple, or even a quadruple weave, you can make an incredibly strong coat of mail. Also, it is considerably lighter than chainmail. This process can also take longer than looping links to make regular mail. So it's not entirely practical. However, if you are in the SCA or some such thing, and you did make a crocheted mail shirt from monofiliment wire, you would be the envy of every soul at the gathering.

Back in the day, we used fireplace mesh for armor. Yikes.

[jahcs]

Just don't forget that layer of quilted/felted padding underneath. ;)

[Walkiry]

If you were out on some island, it shouldn't be to hard to do the same thing your self, if you knew how. Make a simple skirt to cover your bum... You DO NOT want a sunburned wiener and buns. And then make a hat to keep you from getting sun stroke.

Your clothing, such as your pants and your shirt have better uses in survival than you wearing them.
[right][snapback]99315[/snapback][/right]

Indeed, that's what we thought too. Not much need for clothing other than the undies and the hat (oh yes, sun's nasty in tropical places, I lived in Venezuela for a while). Possibly some simple top, as sunburn on the shoulders can be annoying too, but I guess the need for that will be lower as time passes. More weight was put on making ropes (infinitely useful on a desert island), possibly sacks (which are always useful when you have to gather foodstuffs), maybe a fishing net. I'm not too sold on the fishing net idea tho.

Coconut fibre clothing, in a more general non-desert-island way, is indeed very comfy and nice. I'm not surprised you like your hat ^_^ And by the way you describe it, I could probably make something like that if I had to, sounds like making a basket just as with junco; intriguing :)

&nbsp; Just don't forget that layer of quilted/felted padding underneath. wink.gif

Feh, your natural body hair padding should be enough for that. If you don't have enough hair, you're not manly enough :P :lol:

If you get processed coconut fiber clothes, tho, they'll likely be nice and soft. All you need to make them soft is to start with the green coconut white fibers, a little patience, and water :)

[Doc]

Clothing is such a fickle matter. Why wait till your on a desert island to be comfortable?

As of late, I have not worn pants now for over a year or more. Been wearing kilts and skirts of all kinds. I especially like the Macabi skirt for men. Also, I am prone to wearing sarongs, lavalavas, kikois, pretty much anything. I simply no longer give a #$%& about what other people think about how I look. Er, well, I never really cared much in the first place, but I wore pants I reckon because I was to stupid to know any better. I must say though... Nothing, and I mean nothing freaks people out like a dreadlocked, beardlocked, skirt wearing man.

Really. It's so much more practical. And more suitable to the male anatomy. After being free for over a year, I have come to realise just how unnatural it is to bunch your self up. It's like Chinese women binding their feet or something. It's demasculating and cruel to do to one's self. Wrong.

Hell, I bet a coconut fibre skirt would be wonderfully breezy in the HOT HOT HOT sweltering Southern summer heat. It may even be better than a fishnetted hemp weave turned in to a skirt.

[wakim]

I must say though... Nothing, and I mean nothing freaks people out like a dreadlocked, beardlocked, skirt wearing man. ... Really. It's so much more practical.&nbsp;
[right][snapback]99325[/snapback][/right]

"Now the kilt was only for day-to-day wear. In battle, we donned a full length ball gown covered in sequins! The idea was to blind your opponent with luxury!"

- Groundskeeper Willie

[Doc]

"Now the kilt was only for day-to-day wear. In battle, we donned a full length ball gown covered in sequins! The idea was to blind your opponent with luxury!"

&nbsp; &nbsp; - Groundskeeper Willie
[right][snapback]99337[/snapback][/right]

For battle, I present you with the tactical sporran.



Available at Stillwater Kilts.

When you suddenly whip a pistol out of nowhere people don't think the dress and skirt jokes are so funny any more.

See it in action here.

[Walkiry]

Really. It's so much more practical. And more suitable to the male anatomy. After being free for over a year, I have come to realise just how unnatural it is to bunch your self up. It's like Chinese women binding their feet or something. It's demasculating and cruel to do to one's self. Wrong.
[right][snapback]99325[/snapback][/right]

Hell, since we wandered into the "men, don't be shy" terrain as soon as you started the thread, why not.

I actually like wearing briefs. Not boxers, and I even prefer it over being completely naked. Not so much for the "prudist" side of it (which depending on the company is really not an issue), but because I like how they keep the dangly bits in place, but still fresh enough.

As far as kilts and similar go, I do like baggy pants, and I usually wear a poncho for protection against the cold weather :)

[jahcs]

...I must say though... Nothing, and I mean nothing freaks people out like a dreadlocked, beardlocked, skirt wearing man.
[right][snapback]99325[/snapback][/right]

A face that has been known to break cameras doesn't hurt either ;) :D


An oriental kimono or dishdash can be comfortable also.

[Doc]

A face that has been known to break cameras doesn't hurt either&nbsp; ;)&nbsp; :D
An oriental kimono or dishdash can be comfortable also.
[right][snapback]99341[/snapback][/right]

I have become quite fond of wearing a hakama when doing yoga and stretching. They were good enough for Samurai warriors. Awful lot of pleats in those skirts though, and they have to be folded a certain way when not worn otherwise they look atrocious when worn and do not flow properly. A well made one made from silk is like wearing flowing liquid.