Knitting for a Man

Knitters are universally aware of the sweater curse: Never knit your boyfriend a sweater, it's said, unless you want the relationship to end. Better to wait until after you're married.

Whether it's true or not, many women want to knit their boyfriends or husbands something, as a way to show their love and affection. What better way than to make him a pair of socks or a handsome scarf?

Knitting for a man can be complex, however, because so many men like their garments to be simple. First, there's the color issue. While many women knit clothes for themselves in an array of bright colors, men tend to stick to "safe" hues like brown, blue, gray, or black. Not too many men are going to be keen to wear a lime green and yellow striped sweater.

Then there's the pattern. If the monotone colors don't bore you to tears, the simple and repetitive stitches many men seem to prefer just might. A lot of men don't want to be seen in anything deemed too feminine, whether it's lacy or too cable-y or just too busy.

There's the size issue. This is something to keep in mind if you're a knitter with petite feet so that a pair of socks for you takes no time at all, but the man in your life has feet twice as long. Same thing with sweaters. If you're really committed to making one, by all means, go for it, but remember that you may have miles of brown stockinette ahead of you before all is said and done. Unless you know your man will love a Cosby-type sweater, stick to something basic.

If you're not sure how this gift will be received, better to start with something small, like a hat or a pair of socks. Even a pair of plain stockinette socks made for large feet will go rather quickly instead of patterned ones.

If at all possible, get the man's input before you start. Nothing can crush a passion like knitting up an intricate cabled sweater only to be informed that the cables look too feminine and that it won't be worn. Also, keep in mind the guy's style: if he's not the type to wear hats of any kind, steer clear of hat patterns. This will save a lot of time and disappointment for the both of you.

Knitting for a loved one, a favorite guy, can be immensely satisfying. Some knitters tell stories of how their husbands won't wear store-bought socks anymore after being spoiled with handknit ones or how a scarf is worn until it's worn out (and a new handknit scarf is needed to take its place). That's just showing love on both sides.