By David Demchuk

7/30/2019 By David Demchuk

1/15

By David Demchuk


2/15

What Men Really Want (and How to Give It to Them)

As I write this, we are about one month out of the annual gift-giving season (I refuse to call it the"holiday season" because, for knitters, it is no holiday), and I think I finished making the last of thepresents about four days ago. Three cheers for me!

The final weeks of 2005 saw almost all of our major religious holidays converge within the space of afew days. This meant, if you were walking through my neighborhood at anytime during this festiveperiod, you would hear the characteristic sobbing and screaming that results from presenting TheMan You Love with The Gift He Does Not Appreciate Or Even Like So Much. My neighborhood wasespecially noisy this year, with an abundance of stomping feet and slamming doors, roaring carengines and squealing tires.

I am obligated to mention that women are no easier to shop for than men, but the key word here is"shop". While it is not uncommon for women to knit, crochet and sew (and hammer and screw andweld) thoughtful gifts for the men in their l ives, it is the rare man who makes something for thewomen in his life other than dirty dishes. I am a man. I can say this. It is the truth.

All of this local turmoil led, as you might expect, to some sleepless nights -- which in turn led to mypondering the question: "What do men really want?" Since the first words that came to mind were"a Hummer," "an NFL franchise," and "Angelina Jolie," I decided to narrow it down to things thatwere a little more garment-friendly. And so, in no particular order:

Men want what they already have.

Him: "You know my brown vest?"

This would be the brown, cream and grey Fair Isle vest he got from Sears six years ago that he onlywears to your mother's place -- the one that is now a mass of strands and holes in the back of thecloset."How about you make me something exactly like that."

Men want what everyone else has and they don't.

Him: "I like those hats."

Those would be chullos, the ear-flap hats with pigtails that suddenly everyone is wearing. You couldmake something unique, something that no one else is wearing, but no.

"I like those hats."


3/15

Men want what they wore when they were teenagers, and are convinced that they canstill wear.

Him: "How about a nice knitted tie?" You flash on a memory of knitted ties from high school -- andshudder all over.

Men want what other teenagers are wearing today, and are convinced that they can wearthem too.

Him: "Those skateboard beanies are pretty cool. You know, I'd like to try that skateboard thingsometime, if it wasn't for my hip."

Men want what leading sports and entertainment personalities wear.

Him: "Oh, honey -- I love the sweater, I do, but -- why did you knit it with those colors?" Well, youlike blue and white and red -- don't you? "Yeah, but not all together -- those are the Habs'colors(i.e. Montreal Canadiens). I can't wear those anywhere!"

Men want what their best friends wear.

Him: "Jerry's wife made him a Maple Leafs scarf. Do you think you could make me one too?"

Men want whatever's cheapest.

"Him: "You spent how much on yarn? What's it made out of, gold?"

Men want whatever's most expensive.

Him: "What about that cashmere stuff? Is that good to knit with?"

Men want whatever's closest to the department store entrance, or to the sales desk.


4/15

Him: "Why don't you just buy me some boxers? Those ones you got me last year have a hole in theass the size of Texas. Oh look, and there's something for you too," he says, holding up a travel lintbrush. "You use these, right?"

This is the power of writing -- that in just a few hundred words I can bring a nation of knitters totears. (I'm wiping at the corners of my eyes myself.) So, as a knitting guy, and as one who hasknitted for his fair share of guys, how do I propose we resolve this dilemma?

Do not knit for men. Ever. Just don't. Unless they're knitters themselves, they will rarely cherishyour efforts in proportion to the time and energy you've invested, and you will hold it against them.

All right, all right, this may not exactly be a workable solution for all of us. If you must knit for men:

Don't knit them sweaters -- at least not for, say, the first five years. The legendary SweaterCurse suggests that if you knit a sweater for your beloved, the two of you will break up by the timeit's finished, or shortly thereafter. What they don't tell you is why. Knitters are known for theirdetermination and stamina, but few hearts are hard enough to withstand the sight of a man taking afreshly washed and perfectly blocked Inishmore sweater from its delicate tissue wrapping, then

turning it back and forth in puzzled disappointment as he wonders why it doesn't say "Raptors" onit.

Stick to smaller, popular projects, like scarves, socks, mittens and hats, so that any unexpected

reactions will not lead instantly to divorce...or worse. That chullo that everyone's wearing? Goahead, knit the chullo -- but make the details unique so that it's truly one of a kind.

Also, in case you haven't noticed, every man is still a boy inside. So take that as permission to go abit retro, with colors, patterns and motifs that bring back memories of his childhood. (Argyle isback. I'm not sure if that's a good thing.) Or look to pop culture -- film, music, television and

graphic arts -- for images and icons that you can incorporate into your creations. Aliens (for aconspiracy theorist's protective headgear?), monsters (some werewolf slippers perhaps?),superheroes (a Batman messenger bag?) or even band logos, movie and TV characters, videogamesand classic cartoons can all inspire great gifts.

If you must make him a sweater -- and even if you don't -- find out what his favorite team'scolors are and see if you can work with them. The Vancouver Canucks, for example, are maroonand blue and grey and white -- a good combination for a simple striped raglan, or for a Fair Isletoque and a matching fringed scarf...or even for a laptop bag and an iPod case. If he doesn't have afavorite team, check out his favorite shirt, his favorite chair, or even the inside of his car. Somethinghe loves (other than you) will give you a clue about those colors he gravitates to, and those heavoids.

If you're still not sure what he really wants -- ask him. Because my final advice to you is this: Nosurprises. If you live with the man you're knitting for, this is probably a foregone conclusionanyway. But either way, reduce the stress for both of you by telling him and showing himeverything: the pattern, the colors, the fibers, the fit. No surprises mean fewer disappointments,and more negotiation and collaboration mean greater enjoyment for you both. And that's something

every guy can get behind.

But, um -- ixnay on the itted tie-knay. If he presses the subject, tell him there's no better way tolearn than for him to knit it himself.


5/15

Photography: David GlenSupermodel: Terry Warne

Author Photo: Asif Kamal

ABOUTTHEAUTHOR

David Demchuk lives in Toronto. At his present rate, the only way he'llever have an Inishmore in this lifetime is if one mysteriously grows on

him in his sleep.

David's obligatory knitblog can be foundhere.

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Yarn consists of several strands of material twisted together. Each strand is, in turn,

made of fibers, all shorter than the piece of yarn that they form. These short fibers are

spun into longer filaments to make the yarn. Long continuous strands may only require

additional twisting to make them into yarns. Sometimes they are put through an

additional process called texturing.

The characteristics of spun yarn depend, in part, on the amount of twist given to the

fibers during spinning. A fairly high degree of twist produces strong yarn; a low twistproduces softer, more lustrous yarn; and a very tight twist produces crepe yarn. Yarns

are also classified by their number of parts. A single yarn is made from a group of

filament or staple fibers twisted together. Ply yarns are made by twisting two or more

single yarns. Cord yarns are made by twisting together two or more ply yarns.
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Almost eight billion pounds (3.6 billion kg) of spun yarn was produced in the United

States during 1995, with 40% being produced in North Carolina alone. Over 50% of

spun yarn is made from cotton. Textured, crimped, or bulked yarn comprised one half of

the total spun. Textured yarn has higher volume due to physical, chemical, or heat

treatments. Crimped yarn is made of thermoplastic fibers of deformed shape. Bulked

yarn is formed from fibers that are inherently bulky and cannot be closely packed.

Yarn is used to make textiles using a variety of processes, including weaving, knitting,

and felting. Nearly four billion pounds (1.8 billion kg) of weaving yarn, three billion

pounds (1.4 kg) of machine knitting yarn, and one billion pounds (450 million kg) of

carpet and rug yarn was produced in the United States during in 1995. The U.S. textile

industry employs over 600,000 workers and consumes around 16 billion pounds (7

billion kg) of mill fiber per year, with industry profits estimated at $2.1 billion in 1996.

Exports represent more than 11% of industry sales, approaching $7 billion. The apparel

industry employs another one million workers.

History

Natural fiberscotton, flax, silk, and woolrepresent the major fibers available to

ancient civilizations. The earliest known samples of yarn and fabric of any kind were

found near Robenhausen, Switzerland, where bundles of flax fibers and yarns and

fragments of plain-weave linen fabric, were estimated to be about 7,000 years old.

Cotton has also been cultivated and used to make fabrics for at least 7,000 years. It may

have existed in Egypt as early as 12,000 B.C. Fragments of cotton fabrics have been

found by archeologists in Mexico (from 3500 B.C. )., in India (3000 B.C. ), in Peru

(2500 B.C. ), and in the southwestern United States (500 B.C. ). Cotton did not achieve

commercial importance in Europe until after the colonization of the New World. Silk

culture remained a specialty of the Chinese from its beginnings (2600 B.C. ) until the

sixth century, when silkworms were first raised in the Byzantine Empire.

Synthetic fibers did not appear until much later. The first synthetic, rayon, made from

cotton or wood fibers, was developed in 1891, but not commercially produced until 1911.

Almost a half a century later, nylon was invented, followed by the various forms of


8/15

polyester. Synthetic fibers reduced the world demand for natural fibers and expanded

applications.

Until about 1300, yarn was spun on the spindle and whorl. A spindle is a rounded stick

with tapered ends to which the fibers are attached and twisted; a whorl is a weight

attached to the spindle that acts as a flywheel to keep the spindle rotating. The fibers

were pulled by hand from a bundle of carded fibers tied to a stick called a distaff. In

hand carding, fibers are placed between two boards covered with leather, through which

protrude fine wire hooks that catch the fibers as one board is pulled gently across the

other.

The spindle, which hangs from the fibers, twists the fibers as it rotates downward, and

spins a length of yarn as it pulls away from the fiber bundle. When the spindle reaches

the floor, the spinner winds the yarn around the spindle to secure it and then starts the

process again. This is continued until all of the fiber is spun or until the spindle is full.

A major improvement was the spinning wheel, invented in India between 500 and

1000A.D. and first used in Europe during the Middle Ages. A horizontally mounted

spindle is connected to a large, hand-driven wheel by a circular band. The distaff is

mounted at one end of the spinning wheel and the fiber is fed by hand to the spindle,

which turns as the wheel turns. A component called the flyer twists the thread just

before it is wound on a bobbin. The spindle and bobbin are attached to the wheel by

separate parts, so that the bobbin turns more slowly than does the spindle. Thus, thread

can be twisted and wound at the same time. About 150 years later, the Saxon wheel was

introduced. Operated by a foot pedal, the Saxon wheel allowed both hands the freedom

to work the fibers.

A number of developments during the eighteenth century further mechanized the

spinning process. In 1733, the flying shuttle was invented by John Kay, followed by

Hargreaves' spinning jenny in 1766. The jenny featured a series of spindles set in a row,

enabling one operator to produce large quantities of yarn. Several years later Richard

Arkwright patented the spinning frame, a machine that used a series of rotating rollers


9/15

to draw out the fibers. A decade later Samule Cromptons' mule machine was invented,

which could spin any type of yarn in one continuous operation.

The ring frame was invented in 1828 by the American John Thorp and is still widely

used today. This system involves hundreds of spindles mounted vertically inside a metal

ring. Many natural fibers are now spun by the open-end system, where the fibers are

drawn by air into a rapidly rotating cup and pulled out on the other side as a finished

yarn.

Raw Materials

About 15 different types of fibers are used to make yarn. These fibers fall into two

categories, natural and synthetic. Natural fibers are those that are obtained from a plantor an animal and are mainly used in weaving textiles. The most abundant and

commonly used plant fiber is cotton, gathered from the cotton boil or seed pod when it

is mature. In fact, cotton is the best-selling fiber in America, outselling all synthetic

fibers combined.

Fibers taken from the plant leaf or stern are generally used for rope. Other plant fibers

include acetate (made from wood pulp or cotton linters) and linen, made from flax, a

vegetable fiber. Animal fibers include wool, made from sheep hair, and mohair, madefrom angora goats and rabbits. Silk is a protein extruded in long, continuous strands by

the silkworm as it weaves its cocoon.

Synthetic fibers are made by forcing a thick solution of polymerized chemicals through

spinneret nozzles and hardening the resulting filament in a chemical bath. These

include acrylic, nylon, polyester, polyolefin, rayon, spandex, and triacetate. Some of

these fibers have similar characteristics to the natural fibers without the shrinkage

problems. Other fibers have special properties for specific applications. For instance,spandex can be stretched over 500% without breaking.


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Fibers are shipped in bales, which are opened by hand or machine. The picker loosens

and separates the lumps of fiber and also cleans the fiber if necessary. The carding

machine separates the fibers and pulls them into somewhat parallel form. The thin web

of fibers formed then passes through a funnel-shaped device that produces a ropelike

strand of parallel fibers. Rollers elongate the strand, called a sliver, into a single more

uniform strand that is given a small amount of twist and fed into large cans.

The Manufacturing

Process

There are three major spinning processes: cotton, worsted or long-staple, or wool.Synthetic staple fibers can be made with any of these processes. Since more yarn is

produced with the cotton process than the other two, its manufacture is described below.

Preparing the fibers

1 Fibers are shipped in bales, which are opened by hand or machine. Naturalfibers may require cleaning, whereas synthetic fibers only require separating. The

picker loosens and separates the lumps of fiber and also cleans the fiber if

necessary. Blending of different staple fibers may be required for certain

applications. Blending may be done during formation of the lap, during carding,

or during drawing out. Quantities of each fiber are measured carefully and their

proportions are consistently maintained.


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Carding

2 The carding machine is set with hundreds of fine wires that separate the fibersand pull them into somewhat parallel form. A thin web of fiber is formed, and as

it moves along, it passes through a funnel-shaped device that produces a ropelike

strand of parallel fibers. Blending can take place by joining laps of different fibers.

Combing

3 When a smoother, finer yarn is required, fibers are subjected to a furtherparalleling method. A comblike device arranges fibers into parallel form, with

short fibers falling out of the strand.

Drawing out

4 After carding or combing, the fiber mass is referred to as the sliver. Severalslivers are combined before this process. A series of rollers rotating at different

rates of speed elongate the sliver into a single more uniform strand that is given a

small amount of twist and fed into large cans. Carded slivers are drawn twice

after carding. Combed slivers are drawn once before combing and twice more

after combing.

Twisting

5 The sliver is fed through a machine called the roving frame, where the strandsof fiber are further elongated and given additional twist. These strands are called

the roving.

Spinning

6 The predominant commercial systems of yarn formation are ring spinning andopen-end spinning. In ring spinning, the roving is fed from the spool through

rollers. These rollers elongate the roving, which passes through the eyelet,

moving down


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The sliver is fed through a machine called the roving frame, where the strands of

fiber are further elongated and given additional twist. The predominantcommercial systems of yarn formation are ring spinning and open-end spinning.

Open-end spinning omits the roving step.

and through the traveler. The traveler moves freely around the stationary ring at

4,000 to 12,000 revolutions per minute. The spindle turns the bobbin at a

constant speed. This turning of the bobbin and the movement of the traveler

twists and winds the yarn in one operation.

7 Open-end spinning omits the roving step. Instead, a sliver of fibers is fed intothe spinner by a stream of air. The sliver is delivered to a rotary beater that

separates the fibers into a thin stream that is carried into the rotor by a current of

air through a tube or duct and is deposited in a V-shaped groove along the sides

of the rotor. As the rotor turns, twist is produced. A constant stream of new fibers


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enters the rotor, is distributed in the groove, and is removed at the end of the

formed yarn.

Quality Control

Automation has made achieving quality easier, with electronics controlling operations,

temperatures, speeds, twists, and efficiency. The American Society for Testing of

Materials has also established standardized methods for determining such properties as

drawforce, bulk, and shrinkage.

The Future

Spinning systems and yarn manufacturing machinery will continue to become moreautomated and will be integrated as part of a manufacturing unit rather than as a

separate process. Spinning machines have already been developed that combine carding

and drawing functions. Production rates will increase by orders of magnitude as

machines become available with even more spindles. Robot-controlled equipment will

become standard.

Domestic yarn producers will continue to be threatened by competition from Asian

countries, as these countries continue to buy the latest textile machinery technology.Higher domestic material prices will not help, since the cost of the raw material can

represent up to 73% of the total cost of producing the yarn. U.S. yarn producers will

continue to form alliances with their customers and customers' customers to remain

competitive. The textile industry is also forming unique partnerships. The American

Textile Partnership is a collaborative research and development program among

industry, government, and academia aimed at strengthening the competitiveness of the

U.S. industry.

Another continuing challenge for the industry will be compliance with stricter

environmental regulations. Recycling is already an issue and processes are under

development to manufacture yarn from scrap material, including denim. Yarn

producers will have to incorporate pollution prevention measures to meet the air and


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water quality restrictions. Equipment manufactures will continue to play an important

role in this endeavor.

Genetic engineering will become more widely used for developing fibers with unique

properties. Researchers have developed genetically-altered cotton plants, whose fibers

are especially good at retaining warmth. Each fiber is a blend of normal cotton and small

amounts of a natural plastic called polyhydroxybutyrate. It is predicted that dye-binding

properties and greater stability will be possible with new fibers in the next generation.

New synthetic fibers will also be developed that combine the best qualities of two

different polymers. Some of these fibers will be produced through a chemical process,

whereas others will be generated biologically by using yeast, bacteria, or fungi.

Where to Learn More

Books

Needles, H. L. Textile Fibers, Dyes, Finishes, and Processes. 1986.

Periodicals

Clune, Ray. "AYSA head exhorts yarn spinners to take more proactive stance."Daily

News Record, May 8, 1996, p. 9.

Isaacs, McAllister. "Texturing gets automation as TYAA celebrates 20." Textile

World, May 1992, p. 54.

"Long-staple processing moves to cut costs." Textile World, September 1992, p. 42.

Weiss, Rick. "Molecular biologists grow gene-altered cotton plants." Washington

Post, November 12, 1996.

Tortora, Phyllis G. "Making Fibers into Yarns." Understanding Textiles. Macmillan

Publishing Company, 1987.

Other


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American Textile Manufacturers Institute,http://www.atmi.org

Cotton Incorporated, 4605 Creedmoor Road, Raleigh, North Carolina 27612, tel:

919/782-6330, fax: 919/881-9874,http://www.cottoninc.com

Current Industrial Reports, MA22FYarn Production. 1995. Department of Commerce,

Bureau of Census.http://www.census.gov

Laurel M. Sheppard

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