Real Men Knit
There’s a new DVD out that asks and answers the rhetorical question:
If men can cook, garden and change diapers – why can’t they knit?
Real Men Knit might change your views on this ancient craft invented by men and will introduce you to a wide range of guys who knit – and are proud of it.
It’s hard to believe it was men that started the knitting craze! Real Men Knit will take you from the past to present, sharing lots of stories of “real” men across North America, who are proud to say they knit.
In addition to a 32-minute documentary, the video also includes a 20-minute knitting lesson (a knitted cap) and two 20-minute interviews with “famous” and “legendary” male knitwear designers.
Check out a brief preview here:
I’m a bit concerned that the tack taken tries too hard to “take back the knit” (my phrase, not theirs), claiming that knitting is actually a domain that rightly belongs to men (and even if it’s true that men invented knitting, it’s clearly women who have “started the knitting craze”), rather than just show that men are equally capable of knitting. I’d like to see more balance. I think the phrase “real men knit” is great, but if the content is really “knitting is really for men,” I think that’s as upsetting as it is foolish.
All that said, the DVD should be fun, even just for seeing young boys, grandfathers, and football players* all talking about knitting.
- Though the football fanatic in the preview clip protests too much. I really don’t want to be grouped with men who need to say things like, “I can still raise hell and shout at the screen during a Packers game and knit at the same time.” What kind of message is that? Real men knit, but real men also don’t need to overcompensate and prove that they’re “real men” by acting like juvenile boors.
Melissa, 
Blue Broctor, and 9 others are discussing. 
Brian Sawyer 
bezzie 11:29 am on November 7, 2006 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Interesting. I had read about this DVD in a different blog. I didn’t realize that it had a reclaimation spin on it.
One might argue that the divide is further perpetuated by the very notion of having to declare that “real men knit.” Any time you highlight the differences in a group of any interest/type, a divide is illustrated and brought to light.
But on the other hand, if you ignore the divide–does it go away and equality is attained? I don’t think that’s true either.
Quite a confuzzlement.
Brian Sawyer 11:36 am on November 7, 2006 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Good points, bezzie. The way I see it, “real men knit” doesn’t need to be a polarizing phrase. Of course, it could be used, as you say, to highlight gender differences, but it could also highlight similarities by simply meaning “real men knit too,” which is another way of saying, “knitting: it’s not just for ladies.”
I think it would be disingenuous to ignore the divide between genders, which is why I’m happy to see a spin that focuses on the positive aspects of the less-likely gender taking on a particular activity assumed to be dominated by the other. I just don’t want to see this recognition of societal differences used as an argument for further cementing gender roles. Men knitting could be a perfect way to show that “we all can be part of this,” rather than, “this is really ours.”
Tallulah 6:06 pm on November 7, 2006 Permalink | Log in to Reply
No one knows who “invented” knitting, man or woman. Historians aren’t even perfectly clear on how old it is. What a bunch of rubbish in that little synopsis (not yours).
What is known is that during the middle ages, men knitted in guilds, and the craft was controlled by men, i’m sure for economic reasons. Men have certainly had a hand in developing the craft as well as women, but the invention of knitting is lost in time somewhere. There are very few samples of early knitting – but enough to know that it’s older than our records of it…
Too bad they couldn’t explore the history that they do have, without misinforming people.
Jim 11:13 pm on November 7, 2006 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Excuse me… But who says men can’t knit. I learned as a child and have been knitting for years as an adult. “Real men” need to get over themselves.
lisa 3:29 am on November 8, 2006 Permalink | Log in to Reply
I agree with Jim
Brian Sawyer 7:55 am on November 8, 2006 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Hmm. I (as a man who has knitted for years) obviously agree with Jim and Lisa, and I hope that was evident in my post. (Perhaps the “excuse me” wasn’t directed at me?)
Say what you will about the shock value or approach of the DVD, but you’ll certainly have to understand where it’s coming from. Don’t tell me this is the first time you’ve heard someone say that knitting was seen as a women’s hobby?
Barb 4:27 pm on November 8, 2006 Permalink | Log in to Reply
This exchange is really interesting to a person of my age (fifties). In the 80’s there was a book called Real Men Don’t Eat Quiche. It humorously poked fun at the masculine stereotype of the “manly man” who ate only meat and potatoes, not “chef’s food.” Of course eating quiche does not make a man effeminate… nor does knitting.
The men who wrote the book Real Men Knit are of an age to remember that book, and I suspect their choice of this title was a reference to that book, its humor, and its premise (behind the tongue-in-cheek humor) that one should do as one pleases and not let stereotypes dictate your behavior.
Barb 4:36 pm on November 8, 2006 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Must amend my response. My thought that Kaffe Fassett and Brandon Mably (of an age…) compiled the dvd is wrong. They are featured on the dvd. I don’t know the age of those who compiled it.
Wendy 9:02 pm on November 8, 2006 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Right on Barb! That’s exactly what we had in mind when we decided on that title. (I am “of an age” too!) That and the fact that being ‘real’ means you’re being honest which means you’re ok about doing what you want to do without worrying about what others think.
The men in the video who knit are are very ‘real’ and I hope they will help inspire other men to have the courage to follow their convictions.
Brian Sawyer 3:30 pm on November 9, 2006 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Wendy, thanks for stopping by to give what I must assume to be an “official” word from the creators of the video (based on the URL you used in your signature).
If you’d like to send me a copy of the DVD, I’d be happy to give it a more informed review here.
David not Dave 2:06 pm on November 29, 2006 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Sadly, men are so homophobic that we do need someone to tell us that it is okay to like violent sports and knit. I personally, don’t give a damn about sports, but we when I first wanted to get into knitting, I needed proof that “real men” do knit. If it was only done by women and homosexual males, I would be having second thoughts. Yeah, I agree. That is a damn shame. When a pal and I went to Hobby Lobby and asked a sales lady for help, I couldn’t help to think that this lady thought we were a couple. My friend even asked her how many straight men knitted.
Brian Sawyer 2:14 pm on November 29, 2006 Permalink | Log in to Reply
When I’m shopping for knitting supplies, I’m often either implicitly or explicitly confused for a) a clueless husband, shopping for his wife or other female relative or friend, or b) gay.
The first misconception bothers me, but the second doesn’t. While I’m frustrated that knitting is seen as “women’s work” (and for that, I’m just as offended on a general level as I am on a personal one), I don’t really care what people think about my sexuality. That is, I’ll go the extra mile to prove I can actually knit, but I won’t do the same to prove I’m straight.
Real Men Knit: The Review « Brian Sawyer 10:39 am on December 5, 2006 Permalink | Log in to Reply
[…] About a month ago, I mentioned a new DVD called Real Men Knit. Not having seen the actual film, I limited my comments to the way it was being marketed, focusing primarily on its online trailer. […]
Jess 12:33 pm on April 12, 2007 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Brian Sawyer, the world needs more straight males like you – who just rest in their own personality and don´t think about what the heteronormative society thinks…
Greetings from a happy GAY (of course) knitting male…
Le Borse di Gaya » Maglia 10:13 am on April 15, 2007 Permalink | Log in to Reply
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Blue Broctor 1:59 pm on February 5, 2009 Permalink | Log in to Reply
I’m a real man and I just learned to knit as a way to de-stress.
Melissa 6:12 pm on March 27, 2009 Permalink | Log in to Reply
So funny… Brian I have to add another letter of the alphabet to your list – C. for the husband buying yarn for a sweater which will be made for him by his female partner. Apparently it is easier for my partner to spend time there, than me. I consider myself a serious knitter, but have no interest in knitting shop culture.
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