Gillette, Wyoming (Associated Press)-Willy Rosier never keeps secrets, but that doesn't make it more credible.

It would be strange to lie, but he still does not fit the image that most people see in their hearts. They think of retirees with soft hands sitting in rocking chairs, not veterans with big builds and beards.

Even his wife Sara tried to call him out when they first met. He liked the hand-stitched beanie and the other hats he showed her—he just didn't look like the kind of person who made every winter hat himself.

Fortunately, he has enough evidence to support his claim.

Now Sarah does the same. Just like the pile of disposable knitted socks he made for her, each one is unique, and there is no matching socks to complete this pair. Rosiers have been together for eight years, and the children wear pictures of babies wearing knitted hats and baby boots, all by Willie.

"A lot of people don't believe me," he said. "I am 300 pounds, 6 feet, and have a beard. They don't believe I can knit."

Despite this, Willy still shares his passion for yarn and stitches with the community and establishes himself as Gillette's most humble knitting coach.

Wiley started teaching knitting courses for free at the Campbell County Public Library in October. According to Gillette News Records, after the second class in November, the next meeting is scheduled to be held in January and is expected to continue every month from then on.

So far, the makeup of the class and Willie's own makeup have been very different.

"A lot of them want to learn how to knit. It's simple and clear," he said. "I have people of all ages in my class. Surprisingly, there is no one else."

Through his first two classes, he said that the turnout rate has been high. Mothers and daughters, a group of friends, and others who want to know how to fashion their hats and scarves have crowded the George Amos reading room of the library, so a larger library room is needed for future courses.

Those who come to learn new skills have their own reasons. Some people remember that their grandmother knew how to knit and wanted to learn by themselves. Others want to make holiday gifts by hand for parents or important other people. Their reasons are different, but all of them have common aspirations.

"It's so beautiful to see how many people want to learn knitting," he said.

Rosier's knack for creating with thread and yarn began in his childhood. But it wasn't until he left the army that he really became interested in knitting.

When he was young, his grandmother Elise Rosier taught him how to crochet with his cousins ​​of the same age. Willie will sit next to his cousins, whether boys or girls, while grandmother teaches them how to crochet.

He also keeps the grandmother's checkered blanket that he made with his grandmother and cousins ​​many years ago.

But knitting and crochet are different.

Crochet involves a hook that can make a tighter textile with less fabric. Many Afghan blankets are crocheted. Through knitting, the material has greater flexibility, which allows the person holding two knitting needles to create more freely. The characteristics of knitted materials make it more suitable for making cardigan sweaters or winter hats and other clothing.

After graduating from high school, Wiley joined the U.S. Marine Corps and served there for four years, including two trips to Iraq.

"I have some small problems, I wouldn't say it is PTSD, but it may be that I finally started to knit," he said. "It keeps my mind occupied, and it really helped me. Like they said,'Idle hands are the devil's playground. It really helped me through difficult times."

He compares weaving to fly fishing. Both flies and knitting have similar soothing effects. They give people a sense of peace. As a fisherman, Willie flies all winter and fishes all summer. These two hobbies gave him the comfort he needed in the early days of his retirement.

After his service, Willie returned to Gillette, where he was born and grew up. Back home, he returned to a familiar hobby to occupy his body and mind.

With a foundation of crochet skills, he looked for information on how to use this talent to learn to knit. It is suitable for him to teach in the library now, because he goes there to find books to teach him knitting.

Any number of hats, scarves, socks, gloves, etc. can be made with the basic knitting stitches and quilting stitches he taught in class. He said that his mother-in-law Gail Lasham had been his rock music for the first few lessons.

When he is in class and cannot be in multiple places at the same time, she will weave groups of weavers and provide help as needed. One of the classes has a left-handed man, which requires completely opposite knitting instructions. Fortunately, Lasham was an extension of his guidance and was able to help her.

Through two classes, Willie has been the only person in his knitting class. He knew that men were rare in the knitting world, but he never regarded it as a strictly female hobby. In a sense, weaving is rare for anyone now.

"This is a dying art," Willie said. "There are no more people knitting or crocheting anymore. It's like playing a banjo or a steel guitar. This is an art that is dying."

This is why he encourages anyone of any age or any gender to come to his next class. Men, women, children, veterans-whoever they are.

Learning to knit goes far beyond the stereotype of the grandmother's image. Losing yourself in the hypnotic dance between needles and threads helped Willie get through his own challenging times, but it can also help many others in many other ways.

How can it help you?

You must go to his next class to find the answer.