IS KNITTING SEXY?

Who would have thought that knitting would ever become sexy, it’s the “new yoga”, the “new rock 'n roll”, everyone’s doing it, Julia Roberts, Madonna, Iman, Hilary Swank, Cameron Diaz, Catherine Zeta-Jones knits in between games of bad golf and suing the tabloids, and recently busted supermodel Kate Moss, who will now have plenty of knitting time on her hands.

Men are also getting into it, here’s Russel Crowe knitting and bang goes that hunky Gladiator image. This guy calls himself an anarchic knitter and this one knits with bubble wrap. Knitting was once a manly art, the best knitter in the world is a man, Kaffe Fassett, so it’s only a matter of time before we see uber-metrosexual David Beckham casting on stitches during half-time.

A factory in a developing country can knit a jersey in about half an hour for 25 cents, so it’s not parsimony that’s fuelling the new knitting thang, it’s a move towards good old fashioned values, turning away from soulless uniform mass manufacturing towards a more peaceful past. It’s therapy, stress-relief, creativity and what you make is entirely unique, not always in a good way.

It’s also an opportunity for women to get together and knit and bitch, young urban professional women, what Diablo Cody calls the New Domestics, who are reclaiming the feminine arts, with an interesting modern twist. Get your needles into the Tetris baby blanket, the knitted uterus or breasts. Need an Elvis wig?

If you’re reading this and knitting at the same time, here’s geek knitting.

Pic from here