Norwich cartoonist's 'mission' to get more men knitting

Cartoonist David Shenton, who founded the Men's Knitting Group in Norwich, wearing a hand-knitted scarf

A male knitter is "on a mission" to get more men wielding needles after his childhood efforts were thrown on the fire.

Cartoonist David Shenton, 74, learnt to knit aged just five, but his father burnt his first creations.

Now a national body that promotes the craft has praised the male-only group he set up.

The UK Hand Knitting Association (UKHKA) described the Norwich-based Men's Knitting Group as "special".

The group meet at the Millennium Library in Norwich on the second Sunday of each month

Remembering his father's opposition, Mr Shenton, taught to knit by his grandmother, said: "For that to happen, it does put you on a bit of a mission."

"The group is for men and people who identify as he/him," he added. "We try to be as inclusive as possible."

Mr Shenton, who illustrates LBGTQ+ publications, said newcomers learn everything from holding their needles correctly to reading knitting patterns.

Knitting among men has enjoyed a resurgence, boosted by the pandemic and the celebrity support of Olympic diver Tom Daley, pictured knitting in the stands at the Tokyo Olympics.

Knitters congratulated

The UKHKA said about 25% of those who use its website are now men, up from 11% before the pandemic, but men-only knitting groups are very rare.

Praising Mr Shenton's knitting group, UKHKA spokeswoman Juliet Bernard said: "We would like to congratulate them, they are very special."

Newbie knitters at the last meeting included Henry Gowman, 79, a retired police officer from Poringland near Norwich. He had been learning to knit for about four months and was also involved in Men's Shed projects, which aim to tackle loneliness.

Henry Gowman has wanted to learn to knit since the 1970s

"Men are not good at talking to each other face to face," he said, "but if they are working shoulder to shoulder, than they will talk about all sorts of things."

Mark Mander, a puppeteer and film-maker from Norwich, was at the group for the first time.

First-time knitter Mark Mander is hoping to become more nimble with needles

"I'm still getting the hang of it, but I can see that it could be very enjoyable and therapeutic," he said.

The group meets at the Millennium Library in Norwich on the second Sunday of each month between 14:00 and 16:00. New knitters welcome.