Male Knitters and Male Chefs - Separated at Birth?

I've always found it fascinating how there is a huge disparity between accepted gender roles in the domestic kitchen versus restaurant kitchens. I don't think it's a stretch to say that, despite making huge strides over the past 50 years or so, the traditional vision of the male breadwinner (hunter) and the stay-at-home female (gatherer) remains. Clearly, there are far more families with dual-income earners and the idea of a sit-down dinner at home with the whole family present seems quite quaint. Despite this reality, one need only turn on the TV to get the message that a woman's place is still in the kitchen. When was the last time you saw a commercial featuring a man making use of Tupperware products? Or using dishwasher detergent? Even as our responsibilities are more and more shared, our media tells us little has changed when it comes to domestic kitchen duties.

Now, look at the restaurant/culinary business and think about who the leading names are. Bobby Flay, Emeril (sadly), Gordon Ramsay, Mario Battali, Morimoto. Yes, Rachel Ray and Giatta DeLaurentis are popular now, but it is still far more common to see a male executive chef than a female in most restaurants. At some point men got it in their heads that it was OK to enter the kitchen when it was a commercial endeavor. Maybe it was the appeal of having an appreciative and captive audience eating their creations, and often paying handsomely for the honor. These men have no doubt inspired a generation of young male chefs to be unafraid to pick up a spatula and try their hands at cooking. Personally, I love to cook...but only when it's for someone more than myself. I can't lie, I get a certain high when someone goes back for seconds of a dish I've made. But when I'm alone? Then it's around the corner to the deli for a quick sandwich and I'm happy.

And here is where cooking and knitting come together, at least in my mind at least. Both essentially involve taking raw materials and making something new out of them. This comparison is closer if you think of different stitches, needles, and yarn as the ingredients, with the pattern as the recipe. While both require some basic training, they are both most fun when those basics allow you to simply experiment and see what happens, for tastier or not. At the end of a fair amount of hard work, be it knitting or chopping, you're left with a final product that hardly resembles what it's made of.

So why so many male chefs and so few male knitters? I would say that the "glory" element is missing from knitting, and that may make all the difference. On KH today, I asked in a forum who people knit for. While a fair amount of responses included a DH, DD, or the like (aren't you impressed I know what that means now?), many also included the simple "I knit for myself." I honestly believe it is harder for men to take up a hobby just for the simple reason of self-pleasure (stop giggling). Men need something to be proud of, to show off to their buddies. Think of how protective your husband probably is of his grill while he's cooking. He can proudly set his steaks down, knowing he had creative control and was solely responsible for what he made. Would he feel the same eagerness at showing the world his work if it was a scarf? Would he get the same sense of satisfaction at someone using his handmade dishcloths? I have to think not.

I've experienced a tremendous outpouring of support since starting this blog, mainly from the KH community, and all thanks to the Knitting Gal, who has led the way. I can't wait to get updated pictures of my WIP online in the same way that I can't wait for someone to try my BBQ sauce (which, I must say, I'm quite proud of). However, it's easy to do all this online. The trick will be when we have company over and whether the words get caught in my throat when asked "who made that blanket?" We men need one, just one, Bobby Flay of knitting. Then, maybe, can we shout, "That's right! I made these oven mitts! Now come get your casserole kids!"