After a long day, Edwina Brandon unwinds with her knitting and a good movie. Knitting has been a part of Brandon’s life since college, when she learned the craft as a way to entertain herself during weekly sorority meetings.

“You could say that knitting is sort of my addiction,” said Brandon, who works as the Des Moines Art Center’s director of development and external affairs.  “When I’m knitting, I get into this rhythm and disengage my brain. That’s the Zen of knitting.”

Brandon knits garments for herself, her family and friends. She usually takes a couple of hours at night to knit and reserves Sunday afternoons for knitting with friends at Purls the Yarn Studio Inc. in West Des Moines.

As a working professional, Brandon is an example of the changing demographic of knitters. In the past, knitting was thought of as something that grandmothers  did to pass the time. But today, various types of people are picking up needles and a ball of yarn, including men.

Jon Hrabe, a local retired executive, started taking knitting lessons about a year and a half ago at Purls. He grew up watching his mother knit, and decided that it was something he wanted to also learn during his lifetime. His decision to take up the hobby came as a surprise to some.

“I took some heat from my male friends,”said Hrabe. “Now they’re at the point where they just kind of roll  their eyes when they hear that I’m doing this.”

Out East, knitting is becoming increasingly popular among men. A knitting shop in New York City’s Greenwich Village reportedly has a men’s only night,  when men exchange knitting tips while eating hot dogs and drinking beer. Hrabe said he knows of other men who knit, including two doctors. Perhaps one of the most publicized male knitters, Roosevelt  Grier, played defensive tackle for the Los Angeles Rams in the 1960s.

“Grier had one of my favorite quotes about knitting,” Hrabe said.”When someone on a plane asked him why he knit, he replied,’Because I’m big enough.'”

Hrabe’s first project was a scarf, which he gave to his son. He recently completed a sweater for himself, which he had worked on for about a year. Hrabe figures  he could have bought a designer sweater from Saks Fifth Avenue for the amount of time and money he invested in making his own. But on the other hand, he  felt a sense of pride upon completing it.  “I set a goal for myself of getting it done, and I was determined to finish it,”Hrabe said.”My wife was surprised  that I had the patience to stick with it. I guess I have more patience for things like this than anybody knew.”

Now that he is getting more comfortable with knitting, he plans to keep at it. Next, he wants to make sweaters for his two grandsons.

Hrabe thinks the reasons that men knit are similar to those of women: for relaxation and a creative outlet. Woodworking and metal arts also provide Hrabe with ways to show his creativity.

“At least I know I’ll be able to enjoy one of my hobbies years from now in my old age,”he jokes.”My mother would be tickled to know I started knitting.”