Men Who Knit?

POSTED BY: cljohnston108
UPDATED: Monday, October 1, 2007 03:06
VIEWED: 14616
PAGE 1 of 1

CLJOHNSTON108

Thursday, January 18, 2007 10:47 PM

With all the unusually cold weather we've been having in L.A., I started thinking about getting myself a Jayne hat, since I've never seen anybody else wear one on the street.
(Come to think of it, I've never seen anything Firefly-related out on the street!)

After looking around some, I had the thought of maybe learning to knit, because a) you'll have to pay up to 40 bucks to have someone make one for you, and b) someone will pay up to 40 bucks to have you make one for them!

I looked around at these patterns that Browncoats have posted...
http://www.craftster.org/forum/index.php?topic=19076.20
http://redshirtknitting.com/?page_id=222
http://community.livejournal.com/bigdamnknitters/
...and I thought, "Jeez! That's like a whole 'nother language! And I'll probably get Carpal Tunnel! And... I'm a GUY! A straight guy! Straight guys don't knit! ... Or do they?"

So I Googled for "men who knit"...

http://www.menwhoknit.com/
http://www.menknit.net/

(Apparently, there's not a single Browncoat among them, cuz I searched for 'jayne' & 'firefly' and came up with bupkis! )

Somebody even made a DVD on the subject!

So, what say y'all? Should I take up a new hobby, without fear of my manliness being called into question?

LITTLEALBATROSS29

Thursday, January 18, 2007 10:56 PM

I think it's a shiny idea !

If you learn to knit Jayne hats , I'll buy one from You

Bryce
*********************

CLJOHNSTON108

Thursday, January 18, 2007 11:45 PM

Hey, cool! Thanks for the vote of confidence, Alby!

I'm looking at the videos on this site...
http://www.knittinghelp.com/

My big worry is that, since you don't work from drawings and cut out pieces of fabric, but rather go one stitch at a time, it seems easy to lose track of what you're doing!

That always fascinated me: How do people knit things like sleeves symmetrically on both sides?

Do you need to keep a count of everything?

"I was told there'd be no math!"

SHAMELESS

Thursday, January 18, 2007 11:50 PM

Yes. Yes you do. You need to keep track of all of the stitches - but don't worry, it's easier than you think! Most of the patterns either have something like, Knit stitch the whole row, so you don't really have to keep track of the stitches - just knit and knit until you've reached the end of that row! Other patterns have repeating... well, patterns, such as Knit 5, Purl 2, Knit 2 Together - repeat until the end of the row, so you just have to keep track of where you are WITHIN that thingy. Plus, the more you knit, the more you recognize what kind of stitches the ones you just knit are (that is a purl stitch because it looks like one, and it's two stitches back, so now I know where I am), and you learn how to count rows. And there isn't really much math - unless you can't do basic arithmetic.

As for manliness... well, real men wear pink, a man walks down the street knitting, you know he ain't afraid of anything, and it's always the insecure ones who mock anything "womanly". So have at it!

------------------------------------------
RPG launcher bought in third world country illegally - $10
Landmines - $50 per
Attack/track dogs bred 1st class - $250-500 per
Highpowered assault rifles - $600 per
The look on your face when I show up on your doorstep with a bigfoot - ... Priceless

"You gotta love that the first pirated HD DVD is the one about space pirates who broadcast a video that the government wants to keep secret.

Can't stop the signal."
-reavers_ate_my_dvd

CLJOHNSTON108

Friday, January 19, 2007 12:05 AM

Thanks, shameless! I feel better now!

Also, I love your sig!
________________________

"Spry for a dead fella!"

FLORALBUNNY

Friday, January 19, 2007 2:14 AM

Sleeve-knitting hint: If you want both (or all
three -- or more -- we aren't picky here) to come
out looking about the same, knit them on the same
needle at the same time. Just remember not to
cross your yarn over from one sleeve to another. Heh.

There are little counters and markers you can use
(make your own by tying little loops of contrast-y
yarn or using twist-ties) which will help keep track
of your rows and stitch-pattern.

Wish I had my knitting champ grandma here to help
you out!

bun
~Bastards made me a turtle 'cos I brought the yarn~
~We aim to exponentiate~
~serious stickies in the ol' keyboard this eve.~

CLJOHNSTON108

Friday, January 19, 2007 3:23 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by FloralBunny:
Wish I had my knitting champ grandma here to help
you out!

Y'all are doing great on your own!
All these little tips are gonna really come in handy!

________________________

"Spry for a dead fella!"

FLORALBUNNY

Friday, January 19, 2007 3:38 AM

Think how much more you'd know if you could sit with
me and watch me wave my arms about.
Between Grandma and books on the topic, and just
looking very closely at fancy patterns, plus a
bunch of experiments, I learned how to reproduce
just about anything.
Amazingly, a lot of it turns out to be more math-y
than craft-y.

bun
~Bastards turned turtle~
~We aim to exponentiate~
~still having stickies in the keyboard...~

SABRI3L

Friday, January 19, 2007 4:03 AM

I think men who are crafty (especially knitters) are very sexy.

Knitter of Cunning Jayne Hats

http://www.myspace.com/gazthegloomy

SHAMELESS

Friday, January 19, 2007 5:03 AM

Awww, thankee! I like it too! Obviously, cuz it's mine. Anyways, glad to help!

------------------------------------------
RPG launcher bought in third world country illegally - $10
Landmines - $50 per
Attack/track dogs bred 1st class - $250-500 per
Highpowered assault rifles - $600 per
The look on your face when I show up on your doorstep with a bigfoot - ... Priceless

"You gotta love that the first pirated HD DVD is the one about space pirates who broadcast a video that the government wants to keep secret.

Can't stop the signal."
-reavers_ate_my_dvd

OUT2THEBLACK

Friday, January 19, 2007 7:55 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by FloralBunny:

Think how much more you'd know if you could sit with
me and watch me wave my arms about.
Between Grandma and books on the topic, and just
looking very closely at fancy patterns, plus a
bunch of experiments, I learned how to reproduce
just about anything.

Amazingly, a lot of it turns out to be more
math-y than craft-y.

Well , if you can ' knit ' and " reproduce just about anything " , see if you can find a way to get our beloved pilot-savant back ! He needs some repairs...

GORBISHUN

Friday, January 19, 2007 9:44 AM

I say go for it. If anyone tries to make fun of you you can always knit a sock to stuff in there mouth

By the way, those sites are hilarious--menwhoknit.com
Good stuff...

_________________________________________
«°-:-°»Also... I can kill you with my brain.«°-:-°»

FLATTOP

Friday, January 19, 2007 12:20 PM

Hetero male myself.
I don't knit, but I do crochet.
Couple'a baby blankets, and scarves so far. Working on a scarf (all of it single-crocheted on a 4mm hook. Makes for a tight stitch, very warm, very slow) and a granny square full-size bed blanket.
Did a red scarf (enlisted folk in the Independent Army wore red ones) for myself just recently.
Anyway...
When you cast on (is that the correct knitting term?) your first row, you will be very tempted to pull the yarn nice and tight (proper knots are tied tightly after all). Don't. Just use whatever tension there is from looping the yarn around your little finger. Otherwise you will get a rhomboid (narrow at the beginning, wider as you work) instead of a square.
When you tie off a color or end the piece, leave a couple'a three inches of yarn to tuck back into the piece; don't cut it off right at the knot.

----------
Vote for Firefly http://www.richlabonte.net/tvvote/index.html

Sign up NOW! http://fireflyfans.net/thread.asp?b=11&t=25704
More Information: http://76thbattalion.homestead.com/index.html

SABRI3L

Friday, January 19, 2007 1:58 PM

Good advice. The only firefly thing I ever knit was a Jayne hat. Right now I'm working on a baby garment that looks like a kimono, and a set of legwarmers.

Knitter of Cunning Jayne Hats

http://www.myspace.com/gazthegloomy

QUANTUMCAT

Friday, January 19, 2007 2:49 PM

I can't wait to look at those sites!

As I recall,knitting was,at one time,a 'men
only' task for tough guys like sailors and
soldiers.

They had to master all utilitarian skills
because there might not be anyone else around to
do it.

If the setting did allow for the alpha males to
delegate work to a class of underlings,a fellow
better know how to cook,clean,sew,knit,grow food,
tend to livestock,etc. because he might have to
assume those duties for his bosses!

Women were allowed into the higher realms of the
textile arts later.

By this time,knitting designs,fabric
patterns,etc. had long been used as a means of
identifying the members of a clan,regiment,etc.

One might not know kith or kin (especially if
they were deceased ) without the color or weave
of their garments providing hints of where they
called home.

Lots of 'female' stuff was once exclusively
male.

Knitting,wearing skirts,clerical work,etc. were
not considered appropriate for delicate ladies
who might wear pants,wristwatches or smoke packs
of Marlboros.

Now we do whatever our hearts,talents and
opportunities allow.

Reality will limit our options enough without
putting up artificial cultural barriers.

Kudos to all who add to their cache of
abilities-whatever their age,gender,race or
station.

[URL= http://imageshack.us][IMG]http://img47.imageshack.us/img47/8095/qcatbanner2qc4lx.jpg[/IMG][/URL]

CLJOHNSTON108

Friday, January 19, 2007 9:05 PM

My Dad was a Set Designer, and he went through a phase where he was obssessed with needlepoint.
He made several throw-pillows and this amazing three-panel piece that wrapped around the french doors in the living room!

He would design all these on graph paper (with a grid that matched the weave of the canvas) in Pantone markers.

Since I take after my Dad in my need for visual references, I took a look to see if there was any software available online for knitting "schematics"...

Knitting Wizard | software to create knitting grids
http://www.blackcatsystems.com/software/knittingwizard.html

Cool, huh?

This project is looking better every minute!

EDIT: Hmmmm, the software only creates a rectangular grid. Not what I had in mind.
I was thinking more along the lines of a picture labelled with stitch counts...

I think I can make one in Illustrator ——— I've got enough pictures of the thing!
________________________

"Spry for a dead fella!"

CLJOHNSTON108

Friday, January 19, 2007 9:12 PM

Thanks for that, quantumcat!

Quote:
Originally posted by quantumcat:
They had to master all utilitarian skills
because there might not be anyone else around to
do it.

"A human being should be able to change a diaper, plan an invasion, butcher a hog, conn a ship, design a building, write a sonnet, balance accounts, build a wall, set a bone, comfort the dying, take orders, give orders, cooperate, act alone, solve equations, analyze a new problem, pitch manure, program a computer, cook a tasty meal, fight efficiently, die gallantly.
Specialization is for insects."
-Lazarus Long, Time Enough For Love by Robert A. Heinlein

________________________

"Spry for a dead fella!"

KAYNA

Friday, January 19, 2007 9:31 PM

I'm just posting to say way to go. I have no hints for you as I don't knit. I'll have to second that comment about guys who knit (or wear "girly" colors like pink) are pretty sexy. It's got something to do with being comfortable with your self.

Also my baby brother (one of those annoying folk who can have pretty much any person of the opposited gender he wants) has been knitting since he was about 17. No one seems to mind. In fact, most of his friends think it's cool and keep hasseling him to make them stuff.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Op: You're fighting a war you've already lost.
Mal: Yeah, well I'm known for that.

CLJOHNSTON108

Friday, January 19, 2007 10:45 PM

Thanks, Kayna!

...

I was just looking for more websites by Knitters of Cunning Jayne Hats, and I just about fell off my chair laughing when I got to this blog...

http://www.rose-kim.com/rose-kimknits/2005_12_01_jessknitblog_archive.
html

Quote:
Wednesday, December 21, 2005

Times When It Sucks to Have a Husband with a Giant Head

1) When giving birth to his children.
2) When making him a hat.

________________________

"Spry for a dead fella!"

DOCTROID

Friday, January 19, 2007 11:54 PM

Here's the LiveJournal of a friend of mine who's a knitting guy (though not a browncoat): http://jwgh.livejournal.com/profile .

I was just saying to Stinkingrose the other night maybe I'd have her teach me to knit one of these days.

CLJOHNSTON108

Saturday, January 20, 2007 12:55 AM

I've collected over 30 pics of it, partly for research, but mostly for inspiration!
http://images.google.com/images?hl=en&q=jayne+hat&btnG=Search+Images

Look at the joy & pride spillin' off o' these folk!

But the best has to be...

Have you looked at this pic carefully, people? At his face? It's love, in point of fact. Something a good deal more generous.

________________________

"Spry for a dead fella!"

RUE

Saturday, January 20, 2007 2:00 AM

I never did learn to knit though I tried. But I wrapped the yarn so tight I bent those big sturdy knitting needles. So my one and only hint would be to keep a light and even tension on your yarn. Hope that helps!

FLORALBUNNY

Saturday, January 20, 2007 4:02 AM

out2theblack wrote:
Thursday, January 18, 2007 21:55
------------snip my quote------------
Well , if you can ' knit ' and " reproduce just about anything " , see if you can find a way to get our beloved pilot-savant back ! He needs some repairs...
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Had some trouble with this. The Reproducer(TM)
naturally turned out items with big holes in
them until we found a way to hack the cleverly
hidden "Canon" setting. However, we are as yet
unable to bring the un-holey result to full,
leaf-floating, wise-cracking life. Further
engineering is required. Definitely math-y plus
craft-y. Heh.

bun
~Bastards holed my turtle~
~We aim to exponentiate~

DOCTROID

Saturday, January 20, 2007 6:20 PM

Had my first knitting lesson today. Gonna be a while before I graduate to hats, though.

PENGUIN

Saturday, January 20, 2007 6:30 PM

Clowns to the left of me…

...Jokers to the right...

NCBROWNCOAT

Saturday, January 20, 2007 11:34 PM

Knitting is manly. I think Rosey Grier, the big bad football player knits!

STINKINGROSE

Saturday, January 20, 2007 11:44 PM

Doctroid needs to start with a friendlier yarn. It broke on him.
He'd had two minutes of instruction.

If the man can play accordion and do polyhedrous unit origami he can knit.

FLORALBUNNY

Sunday, January 21, 2007 6:16 AM

doctroid wrote:
Saturday, January 20, 2007 08:20
Had my first knitting lesson today. Gonna be a while before I graduate to hats, though.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Might think "knitting machine" instead of
turning yourself into one, at least for rapid
hat results. A lot of the Jayne hats are
hand-framed.
Then kick back and explore the needle method
for the aesthetic pleasure of it.

bun
~Bastards cabled my turtle~
~We aim to exponentiate~

DOCTROID

Sunday, January 21, 2007 2:44 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by FloralBunny:
Might think "knitting machine" instead of
turning yourself into one, at least for rapid
hat results.

In the words of a very wise woman, "You're assuming the payoff is the point."

FLORALBUNNY

Monday, January 22, 2007 2:17 AM

In the words of a very wise woman, "You're assuming the payoff is the point."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Heh. Very well put. I was under the impression
that you craved a hat but had then fallen under
the spell of the fiber and the fiber-fiddlers.
But still craved the hat.

Some of the world's best fun can be had while
trying to wrangle cables in intricate patterns.

We shall expect from you no less than a full-size
hand-knit Irish fisherman throw.

After the hat...

:;-)

bun
~Bastards singed my turtle~
~We aim to exponentiate~

CLJOHNSTON108

Monday, January 22, 2007 3:44 AM

I was just waiting for a bus at Hollywood & Highland, and the stop was next to American Eagle Outfitters. < http://www.ae.com/>
I look at the windows above the doors, and there are big posters of folks frolicking in AEO gear, topped off by Peruvian-style knit caps, somewhat similar to Ma Cobb's creation.
I go in and ask the nearest salesperson where I can find them...

"Ohhhhh, well... We don't have those anymore. We usually have them during winter, and right now we're gearing up for summer."

WTF?!

Have they checked the latest weather reports... or perhaps even been outside?!

________________________

"Spry for a dead fella!"

HIIAMJANET

Monday, January 22, 2007 4:16 AM

i know a few fellas who knit. one guys started doing it and several others joined in. we were working on a tiny-budget movie and whenever we had off time there would be three, four guys sitting on the couch trying to learn a new loop or something.

i've been planning to pick it up, but always forget to steal my mum's needles.

HIIAMJANET

Monday, January 22, 2007 4:17 AM

TMURRIE

Monday, January 22, 2007 4:33 AM

I learned to knit for the express purpose of making my girlfriend a Jayne's Hat for Christmas. As you can tell, I'm a straight guy and even I learned to knit. It easy once you get it down.

DARKFLY

Monday, January 22, 2007 8:47 AM

Iwould love to knit so I could make psp & firefly/serenity related clothes but I just don't have time to learn since I go to college & other things.But I think it is fine for a man to knit as long as it isn't pink & yellow tops with love hearts on the front ot unless its for your sister or something.

---------------------------------------------------------------------
Things are about to get interesting...Define interesting...Oh GOD oh GOD we're all going to die.

Go to

to see my cool trailer.

SAHARA

Monday, January 22, 2007 5:31 PM

If you need any pointers or help, let me know.

sarathelaundress@yahoo.com

Sahara
Blackbird fly into the light of the dark, black night.

CLJOHNSTON108

Monday, January 22, 2007 6:19 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by sahara:
If you need any pointers or help, let me know.

sarathelaundress@yahoo.com

Sahara

Thanks for the offer!
We can keep in touch with Yahoo! Messenger.

Boy, this is the best thread I ever started!
Y'all have been great!

I'm gonna have to wait 'til after the first of the month to start collecting the necessary equipment & materials.

________________________

"Spry for a dead fella!"

FLORALBUNNY

Tuesday, January 23, 2007 12:53 AM

hiiamjanet wrote:
Sunday, January 21, 2007 18:16
i know a few fellas who knit. one guys started doing it and several others joined in. we were working on a tiny-budget movie and whenever we had off time there would be three, four guys sitting on the couch trying to learn a new loop or something.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
That is *such* a sweet image. Makes me want
to write it into another movie! (Would that be
called "boardfic" or what?)

DARKFLY, you'd probably need to spend more time
finding a place to hide than you would learning
the basic knit and purl. Heh.

clj, the AEO folk probably have to follow an inventory
plan which doesn't allow for snow in Malibu. We
had the same problem here with sheepskin surfer
boots until some of the indy stores figured out
that we buy and wear them all year.
But it's too bad about those hats. Love 'em!
You'll be able to make your own and just larf at
poor AEO. Specialty Andean style yarns are
available. ::-)

bun
~Bastards cast off my turtle~
~We aim to exponentiate~

SABRI3L

Friday, February 2, 2007 10:45 PM

bump

Knitter of Cunning Jayne Hats

http://www.myspace.com/gazthegloomy

mal

CALIFORNIAKAYLEE

Saturday, February 10, 2007 9:52 PM

For our men who knit: http://www.jinx.com/scripts/details.asp?productID=931&catID=-1&affID=-
1&n=92

~CK

You can't take the sky from me...

RMMC

Sunday, February 11, 2007 5:32 AM

Hi. I really got nothing to add to this as I've tried knitting and discovered I needed a third hand for it. I just wanted to say, that it's nice to see a man who's not afraid to do what he wants.

Let us know how it goes, and you definitely have to show us the finished product.

One of these days (when I get the time) I'm gonna come up with a crochet pattern for a Jayne hat and make one. hmmm...if I use single crochet stitches...
*****
RMMC

When we're down, don't frown. Come join the camp-out at serenitymovie.org.

JADEDGOOSE

Monday, February 12, 2007 5:32 AM

About 10 years ago when I got into inline skating I went through a phase of making my own baggy pants. As a uni student I had about $5 a week to live off so I bought pants from second hand and good will stores, then unstitched the outer sides and added an extra panel that tapered towards the top. I lived in these pants, skating or not, they became my identity.
Then one creative day I decided I wanted knitted panels down the sides. I got my girlfriends mothers knitting needles out, asked her to cast on for me and away I went. First with a scarf - I was very careful. If I dropped a stitch it meant un raveling and doing it again.
I had some funny looks the day I decided to knit before a game of ice hockey. But in the end I had two panels for my pants and I even wore em to graduation.

In about 6 weeks I'll be at the annual easter bunny hunt (Alexandra, New Zealand). 24 hour rabbit killing spree. I just have to have me a Jayne hat to wear.

DOCTROID

Saturday, March 3, 2007 11:05 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by cljohnston108:
I'm looking at the videos on this site...
http://www.knittinghelp.com/

I passed that by originally since I was on dialup, but now that we have broadband I've looked at that site and am very impressed. The videos are clear and well done, without any cutesy scripting or condescension. Looks like a great resource, and not just for absolute beginners either.

My scarf was on hold for a while during the, well, maybe not hellishness, but definitely heckishness that was February. But I'm back on it again. And stinkingrose came home today with 6 skeins of yarn to play with...

DOCTROID

Saturday, March 3, 2007 11:22 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by RMMC:
One of these days (when I get the time) I'm gonna come up with a crochet pattern for a Jayne hat and make one. hmmm...if I use single crochet stitches...

Seen this?

http://dryope.typepad.com/grove/2006/03/crocheting_jayn.html

CLJOHNSTON108

Sunday, March 4, 2007 12:37 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by Doctroid:
Quote:
Originally posted by cljohnston108:
I'm looking at the videos on this site...
http://www.knittinghelp.com/

I passed that by originally since I was on dialup, but now that we have broadband I've looked at that site and am very impressed. The videos are clear and well done, without any cutesy scripting or condescension. Looks like a great resource, and not just for absolute beginners either.

Yeah! I just picked up "Knitting For Dummies", and my only gripe so far is that the author's instructions for casting on doesn't look like any method shown on knittinghelp.com or in any of the "How to Knit" PDFs I've downloaded.

And the needle jumps from the right hand to the left in the diagram for some odd reason!

So glad I looked at the knittinghelp videos first!
I'm kinda partial to Double Cast On (aka Long Tail).

RMMC

Sunday, March 4, 2007 5:07 AM

Thanks! Although I noticed half the terms used were still for knitting rather than crocheting.

*****
RMMC

When we're down, don't frown. Come join the camp-out at serenitymovie.org.

~~~~~~~~
“The next person, the very next person, who says that is going to know my wrath.”
”I’m on a first name basis with your wrath, sir.” -- Lieutenant Eve Dallas & Officer Delia Peabody, Portrait in Death by J. D. Robb

SCARECROW866

Sunday, March 4, 2007 5:16 PM

Hi there! I was looking through some crafting items and came across something called a Circle Loom which apparently lets you knit without using needles. Have any of you tried this? Or is knitting with needles still preferable? I guess I'm really curious if one can make a Jayne hat with a circle loom?

Annie
Gee, I've never been in trouble with the law before.

DOCTROID

Sunday, April 1, 2007 8:06 PM

There is hope for you all!

My first knitting project. Yes, it's rather a short scarf. I got to the end of the skein and defined it to be done.

I'll probably do another scarf or two before moving on to the Jayne hat. Next up: something with purl stitches...

STINKINGROSE

Monday, April 2, 2007 1:04 AM

Stinkingrose eyes the scarf like a cat watching a bird.. thinking "D*C, 76th, red scarf.. Atlanta in August..nah". Shiny though!

At least you listen. My mother said "start with a scarf" I went and tried a cable knit turtleneck. It was not a thing of beauty...

DOCTROID

Monday, October 1, 2007 1:53 AM

OK, I finished another scarf:
[IMG] [/IMG]

And an attempt at a Jayne hat is under way... looks like it may be coming out too small (for who? I'm not even sure who I'm making it for yet) but we'll see...

ARTCAT81

Monday, October 1, 2007 3:06 AM

If it helps, my first attempt at a jayne hat was much too big

yes, about halfway through I realized just how big it was going to be, and decided to just go ahead and plow on ahead.

Think of knitting as a series of interlocking slip knots, the knitting needles, are just a way of keeping those slip knots stored till you need them.

Back on the original topic my best friend is Male and can easily bench press three of me. He crochets.
oh and this group I am sure would be happy to help you http://community.livejournal.com/bigdamnknitters/

and yes, knitting is basically math, I got a wild hair a while back to attempt to knit serenity, many math calculations later, I came up with this http://www.angelfire.com/tx4/artcat/knitted_serenity/DSC06635.JPG

Anyways best of luck!

Browncoats are the shiniest folks in the 'verse