Knitting TV

While scrolling through the on-screen TV guide I accidentally stumbled across the offerings on my local PBS affiliate's secondary digital channel. I don't know if today's schedule is representative of their usual programming, but Knit & Crochet Today! was enjoying a marathon run. (Apparently the title has been changed to Knit & Crochet Now for its third season.)

I watched parts of a couple episodes and took in the entire "Projects for Guys" episode. First observation: this would be an excellent show to have on in the background while taking a nap. That's not meant as an insult. It just has a soft, soothing quality, especially in the audio production.

I was somewhat surprised at how basic the instructions are. In second season episodes there are still descriptions of how to do knit and purl stitches. Maybe I should have been paying more attention when they were crocheting.

Although a man showed how to make a sweater and scarf that would meet with male approval, make no mistake that the "Guys" episode was aimed at women wishing to find projects to make for the men in their lives. (Fair enough.) In my opinion the patchwork scarf was kind of ugly and way too busy with the different stitch patterns. The sweater had far too much ornamentation for my tastes. (C'mon, they were doing a variation on bobbles.)

They would have done well to heed Debbie Stoller, who was interviewed about Son of Stitch 'n Bitch in the middle of the episode. She said that most guys like plain clothes--this one does--even though that may not thrill the knitter.

Based on this sampling, the show would seem to be more for novices, not anyone who's been knitting for any substantial length of time. Still, I might take another look at it again at some point.

Different for guys

I've had Son of Stitch 'n Bitch: 45 Projects to Knit & Crochet for Men for awhile, but with as busy as I've been, it sat there being ignored with several other books I've been meaning to get to. Now it's time to weigh in on it.

The introductory section about knitting for men isn't intended for me, but the information about obtaining measurements for a sweater was helpful, even if after looking through this book I expect I'm a lot farther away from making one. Seriously. I look at the instructions, and my brain turns to mush.

I was glad to find instructions for how to wash handknits. I've been doing my own laundry for years, so I know my way around a washer and dryer. (Granted, I've shrunk some items because I didn't pay careful attention, and I prematurely destroyed a sweater I liked from drying it in a machine.) I have not been sure how to proceed with anything that yarn labels say must be washed by hand. Now I know.

As for the patterns, there is more in it that I liked or could see myself wearing than upon initial review. The first time flipping through it I must have been distracted by stuff I wouldn't waste my time on. I have no use for kitsch projects, such as pillows shaped like alcohol bottles and the dead teddy bear with a stinging bee stuck in its stomach (complete with a pool of blood). I have my doubts about how many men would wear knit ties despite them being adorned with robots or skulls and bones. The same goes for the sweater vest with an anchor motif. And a scarf with a stripper and pole done in shadow knitting? Really?

One of the book's best pieces of advice to women knitting for their men is to keep it simple, and a fair number of the projects stick to that maxim. I could see myself wearing the Speed Racer and High Fidelity sweaters and might attempt to make them if I can muster up the courage eventually. Mr. Stripey and the Ernie Sweater would probably be fine if done in colors different than the garish ones pictured in the book.

I haven't made anything from the book, but one potential complaint I might offer is how many projects seem to require sewing skills. I'm intimidated enough to attempt a sweater. Sewing in a zipper for the Cobra sweater? You must be kidding.

Especially considering the dearth of books with knitting projects for men, Son of Stitch 'n Bitch has enough worthwhile patterns for me to recommend it. OK, so it makes me think I'm not capable of making a sweater, but that's my problem.