ACCORDING TO the UK Hand Knitting Association, there are 500,000 men who practise the craft. This fact, revealed in last week’s BBC Radio 4 programme on the subject, left our critic wanting to hear from at least one man who works with needles and yarn. He needed to look no further than the father of the Cardinal Archbishop of Quebec, Gérald Lacroix, who recently knitted a scarf for Pope Francis. Raymond Lacroix was in Rome in February to witness his son receive the cardinal’s red hat from the Pope. Francis, he thought, needed something to cover his neck in the cold weather, so he made him a white scarf and gave it to the Pope during their stay in Francis’ home, the Domus Sanctae Marthae guest house.  The Pope is understood to be delighted by the gift although