Classes/Workshops etc

It is Monday morning and soon I will be off to my regular Monday Morning Class.  I have been teaching this class for quite a few years at The Yarn Box in Pawling, New York.  Last week I only had two students, but a very fun class.

Dee Stanziano crochetwithdee.com, stopped by to hone her skills on entrelac crochet, and Robert, a new student, came in to learn granny squares.  He was so enthusiastic and fun, we had a great time.  Robert is a fabulous knitter and also teaches knitting, but he wanted to learn some crochet to include with his knitting.   Dee took pictures, but alas, I did not know then, that a short week later, I would have my own blog, so no camera.

After the class, I started thinking about the few men that I have had the opportunity to teach and realized that it was really too few.  Last year at Chain Link, a retired gentlemen took my workshop on Entrelac Crochet.  He was there, he told me, because is wife was always off having fun at the conferences, so he decided to find out what it was all about.  He picked up the concept very quickly and was, rightly so, very proud of himself. 

At Stitches East, a young man took my Free Form knitting workshop.  He was a marvel, so talented, just 16.  He came in wearing a tee shirt that said "REAL MEN DO KNIT".  He told me that his grandparents owned a yarn shop, and he literally grew up in that shop, with all the beautiful yarns around him, so it was second nature for him to learn knitting. 

In all my years teaching,  just 3 men in my classes, each one so different.  I wonder if men discovered the calming qualities of hand work, more of them would give it a try.