Crafting at the Primary Children’s Hospital in Salt Lake City UT.
(photo credit: Jeffrey D. Allred, Deseret News)
For those who know me well, this will come as no surprise… but I am a man crafter. Yes I like to craft, to tinker, build, make things, create. It goes beyond the power tools and soldering iron (which I definitely am familiar with) and includes knitting needles, sewing machines, crochet hooks, glitter and hot melt glue guns.
Some say that people are influenced into crafting by peers or environmental culture, I was born this way. A hereditary trait passed down from both my parents. As long as I can remember I have had a desire to cut and glue and I have collected scars on my left hand from years of mishaps. The first of which I acquired at the early age of 2 when I attempted some advanced cutting techniques with “grown up scissors” and ended up gouging my left index finger (one of my most early memories).
Growing up in a small town in Central California, I was not open about my crafting capabilities. While other boys asked for remote control cars for Christmas, I was asking for glue guns. While they were all playing baseball and basketball, I was cutting cardboard and paper mache-ing.
Oh the PAIN!
I’ve been cut by knifes and scissors, burned by soldering irons and glue guns, and poked by needles and slivers, yet I cannot stop crafting.
It Get’s Better
As a grown man I have been fortunate to live where male crafters are not uncommon. Once while commuting on the bus in San Francisco I sat across from another guy knitting. I pulled out my current knitting project and started in. We made eye contact, gave a manly nod of the head to say “wassup” and continued about our projects.
Now that I have kids, crafting has become a family affair and many Saturdays spent together cutting, painting, gluing, glittering and beading, often times using supplies that I had way before I was even married. It has become my time with my kids and something that I cherish and love!
On the Fringe of the Future
The way real men knit!
I believe there is a new renaissance happening. The current maker movement steeped in technology, electronics and hacking has on the fringe a sub movement of men and boys crafting. I’ve heard that there is a growing trend in junior high and high schools of young men knitting their own hats, crafting their own wallets, creating their own accessories and bags. It is great to see more men being open about their crafting desires! I am one of those men… I am a man crafter!
What do you think about men crafting? Are you a man crafter or do you support the crafting habits of a man in your life? I’d love to hear about it!
I would like to say that I’m doing the worm bin for the kids… but really I know I’m more excited about it than they are, but they do like to show their friends when they come over. Today my 6 year old had a friend over and was thrilled to show her the bin. We came across a couple of worms mating (each worm has both male and female organs).
Connect with me (you know you want too)!