Men's knitting club finds hobby to be healthy and healing

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Some of us have had to get creative over the past two years, for our minds and for our sanity.

One hobby that has exploded in popularity amidst the pandemic is knitting. According to Forbes, the company We are Knitters has seen a 75% increase in people ordering products.

It’s a hobby many of us associate with grandmothers. But Minnesota has a growing group of men who love to knit.

They all have their projects, and they all have their reasons, WCCO-TV reported.

“For me it’s a creative outlet,” Bill Matey said.

“It’s a great social outlet. You’re coming to a like community of people who are all excited about what they’re working on and what they are doing,” Carlos Rodriguez said.

“I love all the color that I get to play with and the amount of individuality I can put into my projects,” Anderson said.

And like every project, they all had a starting point.

“I actually started knitting when I was about 6 years old,” Matey said. “My mother was a knitter and I watched her do it and she showed me how and so that’s kind of where I started.”

“I taught myself basically when I was trying to quit smoking and it was a way for me to keep my hands busy,” Rodriguez said. “I haven’t smoked since. 20 years now.”

It’s an art form that can be healthy and healing.

“When my mom passed away, I inherited all of her stuff. With the use of YouTube, I watched a bunch of videos on how to knit,” Katzenberger said.

He has since become advanced, creating patterns and selling his work to people around the country. He says it feels like a connection to his mom.

“I mean, I still have some of her needles,” he said.

For many, fiber arts are associated with mothers and grandmothers.

“When...