Knittiing groups

That would be lovely, hope you are able to get a photo.

My Dad, always a figdet especially, after retirement when Mum didn't want to get up early, was given a tapestry to complete. His morning routine was to light the fire (coal) then sit and do an hour on his tapestry. It stopped him from trying to bustle Mum out of bed
I have one he did for me.... happy memories!

I should love to put a picture on here, but I don't seem to be able to get the light quite right, I will try again, and yes jean it is a lovely thing to have and a great conversation piece. The initals MJU may well mean Michael John Urens, but there are many Urens in Cornwall (where my mother in law came from), and some complicated marriages - I found a Urens on one of the Ancestry Webs, which also had our names on it, (and my mother-in-laws maiden name) only to find that the details about me and my husband were so wrong, we doubted all the other details on there!

Your OP post mick has given rise to some fascinating stories. I should love to see the cards and your picture PRINTMISS

Good point, Michael, but I cannot imagine a group of men sitting in the pub knitting - on the other hand I CAN! (joking of course, in case anyone takes that seriously)

I was not getting at blokes knitting , this purely an all women group who meet twice a week for lunch in a pub, the pub the White Horse in Banbury as created a knitting corner for them.
Its proberbly should be classed as social meet.
Mick

My DH is an excellent sewer, he can turn a hem and stitch on buttons. He was a boy scout until I met him and claims he can turn his hand to anything and he is right.

My grandfather knitted very well - he made me a hat once, but it was a purple and mustard tam....never could wear it!
But his raspberry jam was scrumptious and I still use his recipe!

DH can knit. He learned at Primary school. Plus I will never forget the time when our 3 were small, we were in the garden, he was in a deckchair sewing a ripped Barbie dress and I was on the grass mending the lawnmower.

Elegran My Grandfather embroidered tablecloths and chair backs as occupational therapy after he was injured in the forces. I have several of them. He carried on with this as a hobby and I spent many happy hours as a small child sitting alongside him with my own sewing.

Printmiss what a lovely thing to have.
Yes, I knew someone who learned to embroider when he was in the Royal Navy.

Elegran my understanding was that the cards were done as part of occupational therapy in hospitals. I never for one moment thought that the men were sitting in trenches with their needlework.

Our local library recently started a Kint and Natter group, there are at the moment about 8 of us, just for an hour, which is probably long enough for some, and we enjoy the company.
Regards men doing embroidery, I think perhaps it was the sailors who did this - we have a large picture which we believe to have been done by my mother-in-law's father, or father in law, not sure which. It is done in wool, and was kept hidden away (and very dirty, without a frame or glass) until she said I could have it - I loved it, and would not have taken it without her blessing. My daughter had it beautifully framed and I took it to the Antiques Road Show when it was local. It is not worth a fortune, but the valuer said that because it had been kept in the dark, the wool (there was very little colouring of wool available then) had kept it's colour well. The picture is of a sailing boat, and the valuer said that it had obviously been done by someone who knew the vessel, because all the rigging and flags, etc. were correct. The name on the vessel is Jim (the J round the wrong way) and embroidered underneath, "The Girl I Love" and the initials MJU with the J round the wrong way again. I thought "Girl I love" and the initials referred to a person, but I now think the Girl is the ship, and the initials MJU those of the relation.

I go to a knitting group in pub where we can lunch. At times we tend to get quite unruly and but its great fun.
Its great fun.

Lots of knitting groups choose to meet in pubs now. There's also a few groups (a couple in London) that meet at the cinema to knit and watch a film together. I wonder if they have sit on the front row to get some light on their knitting?

Harrigran Are you sure the men embroidered them, and did not buy them? My grandfather sent several home to my grandmother, and he was definitely not an embroiderer. (I would have loved to inherit them, but no such luck)

When in the trenches their hands were never clean enough to do anything like that, and where would they get the materials from? There are so many of these embroidered cards, with similar designs, that there must have been a whole industry busy producing them. I have never seen any that were lovingly but clumsily done, either, as would happen if it was soldiers in their "spare time"

Ogm I had forgotten about Kaffe what a knitwit I am especially as I am currently knitting OH socks from one of Kaffes patterns. Hasten to add it's not a complicated pattern.

Have you received my pm re The Wirral

During WW1 the men embroidered beautiful postcards, we have one in our family treasure box. Knitting was good therapy.

The wonderful Kaffe Fassett, Sook sadly I do not knit well enough to try his amazing designs.
Knit and Natter groups have been 'going' here for a few years, one in a local 'Old Folks'home where they hope to recruit/use the expertise of some of the people there.

Our W.I. runs a Needles and Natter group. Hadn't thought of meeting in a pub though -

My grandfather was a knitter, and also a dab hand at embroidery. Knitting groups are springing up everywhere

I don't know any men who knit, but why not?

A lot of men are very good knitters. More power to them.