Knitting? That's a man's game, baby

"Extreme knitting" sounds like an oxymoron, but next week more than 1,000 crafters worldwide will cast on in a life-or-death frenzy.

Saturday is the deadline to sign up for third annual Sock Wars, a game in which knitters "kill" their targets by mailing them a pair of handmade socks. A Belfast, Northern Ireland, woman organizes the contest, which starts May 9 and continues until one knitter remains "alive." Everyone ends up with socks from a stranger, and the winner gets $500 worth of yarn from South West Trading Company. Sign up for $2 at sock-wars.com.

Although knitting is still predominantly associated with chicks like Julia Roberts and your grandmother, books such as The Knitting Man(ual) and Knitting with Balls make the craft accessible to guys. Sean Higgins participated in the 2006 Sock Wars and is gearing up for this year's competition. Higgins, 30, of Seminole, teaches at Needles and Knobs on Central Avenue in St. Pete and has a knitting blog, boyforpele13.blogspot.com. He chatted with tbt*.

What about knitting can appeal to a guy?

It's funny you say that, because it gives me an opportunity to tell people it was our craft first. You (women) kinda took it from us. In the 1400s, the very first knitting guild was actually created by men, and women weren't allowed. ... I love making gifts for people, and everybody appreciates handmade gifts. It's just relaxing.

What are some Florida-friendly knitting projects?

Everybody I know gets clogs. Even though they are wool, I wear them year-round. You have the air conditioning on nine months out of the year. You could really use them. And they're great on tile floors.

Is there a difference in knitting personalities between men and women?

I've actually read some articles about that. They feel that men are more mathematical about it. They say a lot of male knitters are often engineers.

I dragged my husband to the craft store the other day. The check-out lady said, "Real men knit."

You can knit while watching football. It's a perfect thing to do, really. Keeps your hands busy. ... And it's a turn-on for women, too. A hand-knit gift from your boyfriend? C'mon, it doesn't get any better than that.