Feminism & Knitting: Or, Why Do Women Feel Guilty About Knitting?

Granted, there are men who knit, but the vast majority of people who knit are still women. So most of my experience with knitters are women who knit. And I kept wondering why they always sounded so guilty.

1. Stash guilt.

OMG, I just bought more sock yarn, and I already have 25 pair waiting to be made. OK, let's assume that each of those twenty five potential pairs of socks each cost $25. That would bring the total to, oh, $625. This is hours and hours of enjoying your hobby, and costs much, much less than many hobbies. ATVs, motorcycles, power tools, speed boats. Any hobby that requires to be filled with gasoline!

This paticular guilt is all over the place, especially if you google "Flash your Stash" and women whine about how they couldn't possibly show their stash to the world. Ever hear a guy complain that his new truck was too big?

2. Guilt over time spent knitting.

Stephanie McPearl's book title kept bothering me, and it finally became this blog post. The book is called, "At Knit's End: Meditations for Women Who Knit Too Much".

Hmm, let's find the male equivelent. "At Cord's End: Meditations for Men Who Buy Shiny Power Tools that They Rearrange In Their Garage But Never Use". I can't seem to find that in my B&N. How about; "At Apple's End: Meditations for Men Who Buy Every Generation of Every Apple Product, Hoping That They Eventually Improve". OK, maybe that one is too political.

Hee, hee, says the Microsoft Baby.

Edited to Add This:

3. Thanking Family Members For Tolerating Hobby

Why should someone be thanked because they 'put up' with your knitting? OK, if you leave DPNs on the floor on a regular basis, they should be thanked for not strangling you. Or if you bought yarn when there was barely enough money for, um, food. Yeah. Food. Without food, we die. DPNs and death are the only reason for thanking your husband/boyfriend/other for 'tolerating' your knitting.

My brain is fizzing, so I can't think of more guilt examples, but I'm sure that you can. Why is it that women feel so guilty about a hobby that costs less than many hobbies, lasts longer than most hobbies, and, frankly, makes a heck of a lot more sense than many hobbies. Power tool collecting, anyone?

I finally decided that it is because they are, in fact, women. The fact that a women would dare to take significant amounts of time and money to spend and use for herself is still too new. Especially because many men don't see what's so great about knitting, buying anything knitting related is taboo, or, 'silly'. Now, if men became knitters in drove, I could hear the talk now.

Guy One: Dude, you have no idea what a sweet deal. 50% off, and I had all the sock yarn to myself.

Guy Two: Yeah, but you should have seen the Addi Turbos that I got. I've ripped through, like, 3 sweaters already.

Knitting is heretical. Knitting goes against the grain of our super-fast, pragmatic culture. Knitting is still relegated, in many people's mind, to Grandma (the perpetually slandered Grandma!) who obviously only knitted because the poor dear didn't have anything else to do, not because she enjoyed it.

Knitting isn't praised because it is an enjoyable hobby. Knitting is marketed as something that you can make for others. If you aren't a nice knitter, than why should you be allowed to knit at all? The idea that knitters should freely give up their time to knit elaborate projects for other people, that knitters should freely give up their time to teach other people to knit (for free), that running a yarn store is really a big club for you and your friends, not a business, all of these ideas are connected to the idea that women are merely supposed to please others. To give to others.

Again, how many times are guys asked to construct complex wooden projects, just because they have a mini Home Depot in their garage?

Knit with pride. Knit for yourself. Knit for others. Knit with cashmere. Knit a cashmere power tool. Knit anything you damn well want.