“When you picture someone knitting, I’ll bet that your first thought is an old lady sat absent mindedly in her armchair with a cup of tea, maybe a cat or two. Terrible cliché, I know, but I’ll bet for a bunch of you reading this that’s just what you pictured! Am I right? Well what if I were to tell you that the history of knitting is pretty much the complete opposite? The current-day idea of knitting being a female-focussed craft are actually a pretty modern development, mostly thanks to the changing roles of women throughout the two world wars. In fact, knitting was once thought of as an exclusive gentleman’s occupation, involving rigorous testing and scrutinisation, with cut-throat competition and cold business running through its core. Pretty different to that old lady you pictured, hey?!”