Your friends are absolutely wrong!! Knitting is a great way to relax and create something personal! When my kids were still toddlers, I knitted several sweaters for them! I always applicated something on it, like Donald Duck, Santa, etc...! I still have tons of books with instructions on the attic!
I cannot knit anymore, because my fingers are to stiff now.... . I also used to sew a lot, like pants, jackets, sheets, etc...; and lots of cross-stiching too