Most of us desis have grown up watching our moms and grandmoms knitting sweaters ahead of winter so that we could wear them during those chilling winter days. Since we only saw females doing the handwork, knitting, like many other professions and hobbies got stereotypically attached to the gender.
Breaking this gender stereotype is this full-time engineer who finds solace when he is around needles and yarns. During his lowest, when he was struggling with anxiety, he read that knitting might help him be calm, and since then it has become his savior.
Sohail Nargund from Hubli in Karnataka is a 28-year-old man who knits with love.
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The activity he took to ease his mind has today become a hobby for this young man who learned the art last year by obsessing over YouTube tutorials. He definitely is a quick learner, reported Hindustan Times.
“I started knitting in April 2021 to heal my anxiety and I had read somewhere that knitting helps you reduce anxiety,” he was quoted as saying.
“I also wanted to learn a skill tat will help me in my late 60s. I ordered a yarn and needles and had no idea how to do wat to do. I started searching for YouTube videos and then started learning it from there.”
He started by knitting a sweater for his sister and she really loved it. Soon after, his sister’s friend fell for his designs and also wanted one for her for a price. This is how his hobby turned into a part-time job for him.
“I then started my insta page in September 2021 just to showcase what I loved to do. Then my friends started buying what I made though they were not knitted to perfection they insisted me to sell them and this is how it started as a small business.”
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The full-time engineer in Bangalore now knits in his free time and is often swamped with orders.
“I want to show that no hobby is gender-biased. People are. Knitting is not for only women. Men can take it up too. Good Things happen and we have to continue wat we are doing. I can conclude saying ‘the flower does not wait for the bees, the flower blooms and the bees come.'”
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His dad and sister were supportive of his new hobby and today, they help him manage his new business. His dad helps him in winding yarns while his sister manages orders. However, he does regret that he didn’t learn the art of knitting from his late mother.
“I engage in this hobby every day for at least three hours as it really helps me to stay calm,” he shared.
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Earlier, a 68-year-old man started knitting vitiligo dolls to encourage inclusiveness for kids with the same condition. In fact, knitting was among the many ‘girly’ things men said they love doing. More power to them.