Husbands or partners of women who enjoy crafting

Do you also know those situations involving crafts that men just don’t get?
I posted a comment on Facebook today. The response was surprising to me—so many women seem to relate to this. My comment was:
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I’m sitting in my armchair, completely focused on knitting....

My husband: “Petra?”
Me: LOUDLY: “121 – 122 – 123 – 124”
Him: “I was just wondering if...”
Me: “112 – 113 – DAMN.......”
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Or... the delivery person arrives. My husband takes the package, sets it on the stairs, comes over to me, and says, “I bet you already have that yarn”
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But, despite everything, he’s proud of me too. I hear that a lot from friends and family, too. He just can’t wrap his head around it :)

Oh well… men have their own hobbies too, like DIY enthusiasts and hobby mechanics. When they’re at the hardware store…

Petra: Are you married to my husband? :-)

I know exactly what you mean.

Today I proudly showed him a guardian angel for a coworker, and his comment was: the best thing is that it’s not staying here.

But he’s proud of me too when I whip up gifts for friends.

I know that feeling too. Both the counting part (from my husband) and this situation: the delivery guy rings the doorbell. My son (17) opens the door... takes the package... “Mom, this is for you… I bet there’s yarn in it again” ^^

But then I also see my husband when he tells others about my work… how great he thinks it is that I’ve been doing this for many years now, that I’ve even published work in the form of magazines and books—and that I’ve done it all while raising our two kids and taking care of the house and garden, etc.

lol, the counting thing is THE classic xD I think my sweetheart does understand me—he has his own hobbies too where he can relax and forget the world around him. I think he’s also proud of me for making all these beautiful things—it’s just that when it comes to buying yarn and fabric, he sometimes has to rein me in a bit. But I do think he can relate to it somehow, because he has his own things that he gets totally absorbed in, too.

Hahaha, I’m sure everyone knows that counting thing.
It’s always especially great when he refuses to get it and just keeps talking.
And at some point: “Don’t you feel like talking??” “No, I can’t! But thanks, now I’ve lost count.”

  My husband still thinks the things I (and others) make are really great.
When I make something for someone, he always says, “But we’re keeping that.” Or “I want that,” haha. He also loves dressing our little Leo in knitted or crocheted clothes and tucking him in with crocheted blankets :) 

These are the kinds of things that are why I don’t have a husband anymore. I thought it would work with a cat. Unfortunately, the tomcat is also somehow jealous of the needles and boycotts my hobby (every now and then). No matter what you do... a woman gets it wrong... lol

I guess it’s the same for all crafters and needleworkers.
My husband always says, “How many more cards do you want to make?”
But when friends have birthdays, he’s the one who wants to give them a thread art card as a gift.
He’s also happy and proud that I have so many hobbies, because he’s always busy with his own hobby, too.
He also notices how many orders I have for the thread art cards.
In between, I like to crochet your patterns and also do a lot of woodworking.

Hmm… I’m a bit torn on this and can’t understand some of the reactions from men—or sometimes I wonder what century we’re living in!

Sure, the CLASSIC one about counting… I’ve been there too.

But for me, this isn’t just a hobby—it’s my job. And if my husband (a confectionery technician) were to make strange comments about it, I’d definitely come up with a “fitting” response :-)

Sure, sometimes people make affectionately meant “teasing” remarks, like
him saying, “So, been doing some bobbin lace again?”
and me replying, “So, been shelling nuts again?”

But if I read some of those disparaging comments, I’d quickly find myself without a partner. Either my partner generally supports what I do, or he’s simply not a partner.

I also read quite often (these days!!!!) that women first have to ask their husbands if they’re “allowed” to buy more yarn (paper, craft supplies, or whatever). That makes my eyes pop out of my head. If there’s no money for various extra expenses, then there just isn’t any, but it would never occur to me to ask my husband if I’m allowed to buy yarn. Then again, I don’t go out and buy 250 euros’ worth of yarn either :-)) And big purchases are discussed together anyway ♥

So my husband is awesome and listens patiently when I recite crochet charts, and I listen to his explanations on the topic of “I’m building our cat a cat house” :-))

Only my son—he’s allowed to think crocheting is kind of uncool until my money goes toward financing his expensive sport :-)

It’s really funny—I just experienced this last night on the couch. I’m counting stitches and my husband is telling me something. And of course I’m counting out loud: 26—27—28, and so on. He’s used to this by now and says, “Oh, you’re counting.” These days, he actually asks every now and then, “Are you counting right now, or can I ask you something?” :)

When I started knitting and crocheting again over two years ago and raved about it, he just smiled and said, “I don’t understand any of that. You don’t even need to tell me about it.”

But now, he actually admires my projects and my ideas. Admittedly, I did entice him a little by asking if I could knit him whatever he wanted. Ever since then, he’s been raving about his jacket, his vest, hat, scarf, socks, and so on.

The highlight was last year when, while we were strolling through town on vacation, he actually pointed out a yarn shop to me and waited very patiently. Because when I’m in a store like that, it takes a while. I’m sure you know how it is. ;-) He even helped me pick out yarn!! Can you believe it?

Since there are woolen items lying around everywhere in our house, I have to say, I have a very understanding and patient husband. And after 32 years, I still love him just as much as I did in the beginning—and not just for that. :)

@ crochet-hook-71
Maybe you should have gotten yourself a female cat instead of a tomcat? ;-))

Schneckenkind, I’m always really surprised when I read somewhere: “My husband said I can buy myself...” (often these are just little things and nothing costing hundreds of euros...)

Either we have a joint account, in which case everyone can spend the money as if it were their own (within reason, of course), or we each have our own account...

  The other day I read the following sentence in a Facebook group: “My husband just said I should wait until tomorrow morning to clean the kitchen and watch a movie with him instead. Sooo romantic”—followed by the emoji with hearts in its eyes.
  --> Yeah, that’s really nice of you, dear husband, to tell your wife to wait until tomorrow to clean the kitchen :D

But anyway, that’s a different topic ;)

In any case, most men seem to be fine with our creative hobbies. They don’t have to like them—accepting them is enough :) 

The fact that there seem to be so many women who really need their partner’s permission for little things unsettles me time and again… sure, we discuss bigger purchases together, but the everyday stuff… well.

When my husband is telling me something and I’m counting, I just say a few numbers out loud and he waits patiently… I guess it’s very similar for us as it is for you, Monika.
And treating each other with respect really pays off—we’ve been a couple since 1992.

I’d never trade him for anyone else.

That said, he gets bored when we’re out and about and I spot a yarn shop—but he’d never try to stop me.
In return, I’ll follow him into a sports store, where he’ll inevitably say, “Oh, I actually have enough clothes…” and end up buying nothing, or into his beloved Apple Store…—to each their own.

I’m very lucky with my husband because he’s never known it any other way. My mother-in-law is a passionate knitter, and her husband back then always supported her—in the days before the internet and such—by bringing her yarn from all over or driving with her to buy it.
So, for him, women doing crafts is just part of everyday life. The only thing that bothers him is when I knit while friends are over.
We’ve come to an agreement: when his friends are here—no crafts; when my friends are here, I happily keep knitting and crocheting—they’re used to seeing me that way anyway.

I don’t have to ask (it would feel weird—he doesn’t ask when he buys what feels like his millionth screwdriver) or let him know when I buy something for myself.
He’s tried to rein in our daughter’s crafting frenzy a bit; she enthusiastically tries out everything, and I always get her the materials she needs. But when I pointed out just how many tiny parts he still needs for his umpteenth model airplane, that was the end of it right away.

My husband is proud of all the things I make by hand and how I run my small business, just as he’s proud of how I handle my main job (bookkeeping at the law firm), the translation agency (well, there I “only” do the bookkeeping and everything related to payments and taxes, and I’m just the owner 😉), (most of) the household chores, and the kids.
Just as I’m proud of him for how he manages his law firm, works every day (Monday through Sunday), usually 10–12 hours during the week, and “only” 3–4 hours in the morning on weekends...and how he still helps out here at home and takes care of the kids...
And he’d never say a single (serious) bad word about my mountains of yarn and fabric, just as I let him “hoard” tools, motorcycles, and computer magazines...
I also don’t understand why women (have to) ask their husbands for permission when it comes to buying materials (I’m assuming here that these are “luxury” purchases—money that isn’t needed for more important acquisitions).

Otherwise, I’m very familiar with the whole “counting” thing—though here it’s usually the kids who are the ones blabbering on.
My husband is an honest critic of my creations, who can also offer good advice when he sees room for improvement.
He enthusiastically dresses our kids in homemade clothes...

When we last moved and I was sorting through my yarn, and my husband saw what I had stockpiled, he just said dryly, **“Wouldn’t it be a good idea to work through that mountain a bit before you buy any more?”** ;-) I grinned at him and said, “We’ll see, but if I see some nice yarn, I can’t promise anything.” He just shook his head and said, “Don’t complain when you can’t find a place to store it all anymore :-) :-) .”
When I’m knitting in front of the TV or sewing something by hand, he just says, “Make sure you have enough light and don’t strain your eyes.”

It’s similar with my fabrics, but he also surprises me time and again by ordering me between 2m and 5m of fabric without saying a word—when the mail arrives, he just says, “This is for you.”