Breaking the pattern, it’s men-only knitting classes

Men-only knitting classes are being launched in Oxford Street to meet unprecedented demand.

The pursuit, generally perceived as being for grannies, has become “manly” following an endorsement from macho actor Ryan Gosling, fans claim.

John Lewis’s Oxford Street store is behind the launch because of a surge in demand for wool, needles and patterns among young London men who now number in their thousands.

The sessions will form part of next week’s Campaign for Wool — backed by Prince Charles — aiming to meet interest among males which has more than doubled over the last year, according to the department store.

Sharon Brant, business development manager at Rowan Yarn, which already runs workshops three times a week at the Oxford Street branch, said: “There are now more than 9,000 men subscribing to our services which is a massive jump from just a year ago.”

Jerome Riga, 32, from Clapham, said he often sits knitting with groups of his male friends. The web developer took up the pastime six months ago because it means he can custom-make his clothes.

He said: “You can build them the way you want them, choose the pattern, colour and everything else. The idea that knitting is just for old women is a totally old-fashioned cliché. There’s nothing more manly than a man building something with his hands.”

George Linklater, 25, a full-time freelance knitter from Dulwich, added: “Men can make great knitters. I knit with Kevlar – that’s a manly material.”

Due to the demand, a week-long series of free knitting classes at John Lewis next week will kick off with a men-only class on Monday.

Did i feel manly? Well, not very

Two giant needles, a colossal ball of wool and an hour to at least grasp the ancient art of knitting. How hard could it be? Very.

After what seemed like the longest half an hour known to man, I was still unable to knit even one stitch without incessant verbal instructions and a helping hand.

Pull the wool back around too hard after slipping one needle behind the other (looping it through the previous stitch) and the new stitch was too tight. Pull it back around too softly and the new stitch wasn’t as tight as the others.

Ryan Gosling’s recent claim that hours of knitting is his idea of a “perfect day” was beginning to seem like a depraved joke. And did I feel “manly”? Well, no. Are men built for knitting? Maybe, just not all men. Once the full hour of the workshop was up, there was a feeling of satisfaction in having created something, even if it was a length of material just a few inches long.