during a recent google search on the subject of crafts for men, i was a bit discouraged. there was a somewhat worrying link to the NRA, and some links about the ‘fear’ of ‘making boys gay’ via craft as if a glue stick or paintbrush is going to instantly change one’s sexuality.

is there a fear of public crafting for men?

bear in mind, when i say ‘craft,’ i don’t mean the kind of stuff you see at the county fair (although it counts, too). my version of craft includes more of a punk rock d.i.y. vent (and generally lots of loud colours… lots of hot pink…) and creating all those accessories you wish you had. embroidering a skirt with a pattern you want rather than what a designer tells you you want, making your own damn lip balm, canning your own jam, publishing your own zine, etc etc.

there are no limits to the word ‘craft.’

is there a quiet underworld of crafty men that i don’t know about? are you meeting at each other’s houses under the guise of ‘watching football’ and then whipping out the knitting needles and deftly (or not-so-deftly) starting your own mancraft revolution?

i hope so.

because craft shouldn’t be just something for the so-called ‘fairer sex.’ it’s 2004, people, haven’t we learned anything?