Question for crafty gals - crochet or knit?

[aggieamy]

I'd love to be the type of gal that could knit or crochet. It seems like it would be fun to make stuff and give my hands something to do at night instead of snack. :tongue_smilie: What are the differences between knitting and crocheting? I know it's a hook thingy vs two stick thingys so I'm basically wondering what are the different projects you could do with either. Can I make blankets or dish clothes with either? Which should I start with? My plan is to youtube how to do it when I decide which one I'm going to learn.

 

Thanks!

[LaxMom]

I think there is a larger variety of garment patterns for knitting. You can make blankets or dishcloths either way...

 

They're not mutually exclusive. You can learn both. (In fact, most knitters can at least functionally crochet so we can pick up dropped stitches and crochet edges on sweaters and whatnot)

[WiseOwlKnits]

As a knitter and crocheter...)

 

Crocheting is easier, IMO, than knitting. It's also easier to rip out mistakes in crochet than in knitting.

 

There are a lot more patterns for knitting if you're interested in sweaters, etc. I think the patterns are also prettier for knitting - more intricate, delicate, etc.

[clementine]

I think crocheting a dish cloth is easier than knitting, but I taught myself (using YouTube videos) how to knit socks and I am hooked!! (no pun intended ;)) Crocheting was the easiest way for me to gently learn to craft with yarn.

 

Good luck!!:D

[justamouse]

I think it's easier to crochet, and I've only recently delved into knitting. HOWEVER, my Aunt, a lifelong knitter, would disagree. She says that knitting is two stitches, knit and purl, and everything is made up of that, whereas crochet is a bunch of different stitches. I think she's wrong. :D

 

A great *useful* crochet project to start with is dish rags.

 

I wrote up a schematic here

 

and this is what they look like

 

 

Tight and knobbly, perfect for dishes.

 

They are a fantastic present, three dishrags with some evo friendly dishsoap and perhaps some SouleMomma dish cloths for drying.

[GailV]

Crochet is faster, uses more yarn, tends to have more "body". The fabric produced tends to be heavier.

 

Knitting has more drape, more stretch. Better for garments and socks.

 

Crochet is fantastic for sculptural work -- small toys, for example. It's easier to make up a pattern as you go along with crochet.

 

Either would be good for dishcloths, scarfs, hats. Knit blankets take forever. Crochet blankets weigh a ton unless you use a rather lacey patten.

 

Which is easier to learn sort of depends on your personality and dexterity. I teach knitting first because you always just knit the next stitch on the needle --no choices to be made (when you're teaching a group or kids that's a huge deal). Some people learn knitting easily, but others seem confused until we get to crochet, at which time they really take off. So, I'd just pick whichever strikes your fancy, maybe basis the appeal of the videos, and give it a whirl.

Edited November 12, 2011 by GailV
Gah -- typing on the iPad drives me nuts!

[Halcyon]

Knitting-I taught myself and really, it's not hard if you stick with it. There are some great knitting videos online :) I love all the stuff I've made, and it's a wonderful thing to do when you're watching kids' sports and activities.

[mom4him]

I'd love to be the type of gal that could knit or crochet. It seems like it would be fun to make stuff and give my hands something to do at night instead of snack. :tongue_smilie: What are the differences between knitting and crocheting? I know it's a hook thingy vs two stick thingys so I'm basically wondering what are the different projects you could do with either. Can I make blankets or dish clothes with either? Which should I start with? My plan is to youtube how to do it when I decide which one I'm going to learn.

 

Thanks!

 

I can and have done both but I personally prefer knitting. Really I think it is a personal choice. I got started knitting again when my eyes were not doing good and it was easier than crocheting but I really have always preferred knitting.

[bzymom]

I love to knit, though I am not terribly fast!:rolleyes: I so want to crochet. I can do the basics, but always, always lose my way. I've watched videos, bought books, and nothing. I am going to give in and take a class in a couple of weeks.

 

So I have to agree with the PP. It so depends upon the individual. Try one, and if it is frustrating, try the other!

[LaxMom]

I think it's easier to crochet, and I've only recently delved into knitting. HOWEVER, my Aunt, a lifelong knitter, would disagree. She says that knitting is two stitches, knit and purl, and everything is made up of that, whereas crochet is a bunch of different stitches. I think she's wrong. :D

 

A great *useful* crochet project to start with is dish rags.

 

I wrote up a schematic here

 

and this is what they look like

 

 

Tight and knobbly, perfect for dishes.

 

They are a fantastic present, three dishrags with some evo friendly dishsoap and perhaps some SouleMomma dish cloths for drying.

I would agree with your aunt. I'll crochet to avoid knitting icord, but I'm slow and go like :tongue_smilie: the whole time. To me, knitting's not hard at all. If you can knit and purl, you can do anything. (which, of course, does not keep turning a heel from feeling crazy clever every.single.time I do it.)

 

Love that dishcloth. LOVE!

[twoforjoy]

Learn both. If you take up knitting, you'll need a crochet hook or two around anyway to pick up stitches. Knitting is, IMO, more difficult to learn but probably more versatile. Crochet is easier to learn and faster, but won't yield as many creative possibility, especially if you're interested in making clothing.

 

I learned to crochet when I was a kid, and then to knit when I was a teenager. I think there was a benefit to already having some practice with manipulating yarn and sticks. On the other hand, if you learn to knit first, I imagine that crochet would be a breeze.

[sparrow]

I can knit a little, but have found that I prefer the rhythm of crocheting. I intend on learning more knitting, but I'm enjoying crocheting too much right now.

 

I've been brushing up on my crochet skills with the Crafty Minx's Crochet School. I've learned a *ton* and the good news is that she's thinking of doing a Knitting School next year! You can learn both :001_smile:.

Edited November 12, 2011 by sparrow

[LittleIzumi]

I think crochet is easier to learn, and that's what I'm teaching my 6-year-old. However, I prefer knitting. There are more stuffed toy patterns for crochet and more garment patterns for knitting, IME. As a PP said, crochet is faster but uses more yarn for the amount of "fabric" created. I just don't like the holey look, so I don't crochet much. I plan to make a couple of stuffed toys/amigurami with crochet, but that's about it.

[Night Elf]

I know it's a hook thingy vs two stick thingys

 

I'm laughing so hard that tears are actually on my face! :lol:

 

I swear I was wondering this exact same thing myself just today but I absolutely LOVE the way you worded that! So now I'm off to read the responses. heee heee

[justamouse]

I would agree with your aunt. I'll crochet to avoid knitting icord, but I'm slow and go like :tongue_smilie: the whole time. To me, knitting's not hard at all. If you can knit and purl, you can do anything. (which, of course, does not keep turning a heel from feeling crazy clever every.single.time I do it.)

 

Love that dishcloth. LOVE!

 

We need to sit together, then. You can walk me through a sock, I'll crochet your cords.

 

And, though I can knit and purl, I have yet to make a sock OR turn a heel. :glare: I keep saying to a friend that I can knit, I can purl, I can increase, I can decrease, yet I cannot knit. :D

[justamouse]

There's always Sophie Digard's crochet, too. French and a gazillion ways elegant.

 

 

[catz]

As a knitter and crocheter...)

 

Crocheting is easier, IMO, than knitting. It's also easier to rip out mistakes in crochet than in knitting.

 

There are a lot more patterns for knitting if you're interested in sweaters, etc. I think the patterns are also prettier for knitting - more intricate, delicate, etc.

 

:iagree: I learned to knit first, but I wish I would have learned to crochet first. It is much easier to recover from mistakes and projects work faster in general. I literally went from knowing nothing about crochet to full speed I can make anything in crochet in no time at all. I'm sure because I was familiar with knitting and patterns, but I still think it would have been easier to learn the other way.

 

There are beautiful knitting patterns out there no doubt and I love knitting for certain things. But some crocheted things are gorgeous and really detailed. I love little crocheted cardigans and hats with flowers. There are some amazing shawl and scarf crochet patterns out there too. And amiguriumi critters!

Edited November 12, 2011 by kck

[blondeviolin]

I also went from crochet to knit. I call myself a knitter, but I do not call myself a crocheter.

 

Knittinghelp.com is an awesome resource for beginning knitters!

[meggie]

I prefer crocheting myself. I learned it first, back in second grade-ish. My mom taught me basic knitting when I was in college, but I disliked it. The hook makes things so much easier, it was hard for me to try and loop the yarn around on straight needles. Total PITA.

[anewday]

I learned to knit before crochet, but it drove me batty whenever I would make a mistake because I could never fix it. When I learned crochet, that wasn't an issue at all. There are a lot of different crochet stitches, however, the majority of patterns call for the basic ones unless you get into fancy stuff which I haven't. I can do scarves, dishcloths, blankets, hats, and smallish stuff like amigurimi and flowers etc.

 

That said, I love the look of knit and wish I could do it. I just didn't have the patience for it. :o

[anewday]

I think it's easier to crochet, and I've only recently delved into knitting. HOWEVER, my Aunt, a lifelong knitter, would disagree. She says that knitting is two stitches, knit and purl, and everything is made up of that, whereas crochet is a bunch of different stitches. I think she's wrong. :D

 

A great *useful* crochet project to start with is dish rags.

 

I wrote up a schematic here

 

and this is what they look like

 

 

Tight and knobbly, perfect for dishes.

 

They are a fantastic present, three dishrags with some evo friendly dishsoap and perhaps some SouleMomma dish cloths for drying.

 

This is so pretty! Thanks for sharing the pattern! :)

[joannqn]

I taught myself crochet and feel like I could crochet anything. (I once made costumes for a cast of rubber chickens. :lol:)

 

I taught myself knit, but even after a couple of years, it still frustrates me to no end. I tend to drop stitches, though I'm getting better, and also tend to pick them up wrong and get everything twisted. Fixing errors in crochet is SOOOOOOO much easier, too.

[Lily_Grace]

I knit and crochet and I'd have to say I find more versatility in knitting than I do in crochet. It's easier to make a professional looking product, imo, if you learn at least the basics in both so you can use what looks best instead of trying to force a product through the wrong method. And knitting is just as easy as crochet: two stitches, a hundred different ways to use them vs. a handful of stitches and a ton of different ways to use them. I teach a knitting class to 10-12yo girls and in two months they have learned most of the tips and tricks to manipulating the yarn and are already creating beautiful things.

 

The only other thing I would recommend is if you are left handed, find someone or something to teach you

instead of pick-n-throw. It is a lot easier for crocheters and lefties to master, especially since left handed people don't have to reverse the pattern like when using p-n-t.

[mytwomonkeys]

i definitely prefer crocheting over knitting. it was much easier to learn imho, and i can produce whatever i'm making much faster. i'm just much better with a crochet hook than knitting needles. i use youtube tutorials to make things, as i can't read patterns - which stinks. another thing i enjoy is the knifty knitter. that's a lot of fun for me too!:) very easy!

[Ellyndria]

I crochet. My mom taught me to crochet when I was 7, although I never went on to make anything at that time. It was 18-19 years later when I decided to crochet an afghan (basically reteaching myself), and then went on to make several more afghans. A year or two after I started crocheting again, I decided to teach myself to knit. I got a book, and produced a dishcloth, but decided that knitting made me angry. It was so slippery! I later learned it was because I was using metal needles. So, last month I decided to buy bamboo needles, and as soon as I get done crocheting my current afghan (I'm on square 51 out of 63), I'm going to knit a scarf on the bamboo needles and see if I like it any better.

[Cinder]

I decided to teach myself to knit. I got a book, and produced a dishcloth, but decided that knitting made me angry. It was so slippery! I later learned it was because I was using metal needles.

 

The cheapo metal needles can be a problem for new knitters because they *are* slippery. Even after years of knitting I still have trouble with the slipperiness--but I'm too cheap to replace them since the sizes I have don't get much use. :tongue_smilie: There actually are some metal needles that have some stickiness to them--Boye and the house brand at Hobby Lobby (can't remember the name right now). I find my stitches don't slip as much with those. I still prefer bamboo or wood--Knit Picks Harmony specifically.

 

The type of yarn you're using can also make a difference. Some yarns will drag a bit too much on bamboo but be sticky enough that the metal is fine. Overall, though, for beginners I'd say bamboo is a good needle to start with.

[Cinder]

Oh, to answer the OP, I agree with others that one will "grab" you more than the other. I learned to crochet first, but knitting has always had more of a draw on me. After going years without doing either, when I started up again it was with crochet. I made a couple scarves--that's it. Then I started knitting. Part of why knitting took hold on me is that I wanted to knit socks. And I found the motions involved in knitting to be easier and more natural for me. I can still crochet, but I'm a bit awkward with it since I don't do it as much. And after all these years I'm finding it's really useful to be able to do both crochet and knit and to be able to knit in both English and continental style. It just opens up a wider variety of crafting opportunities.

[happypamama]

I learned crochet first and can do it, but I prefer knitting. There seem to be more patterns available for knitting as well. I found that crochet made my hands hurt, but knitting does not. That could be because I used metal crochet hooks, though, and I've always used wooden knitting needles (which are supposed to be better for your hands), so I don't know. But I vote for figuring out both. Or finding a pattern that you want to make and then learning whichever method will make that pattern.

[forty-two]

I learned to crochet a couple months ago, and am working on learning to knit (can cast on, knit, and purl, and mostly end up with the same number of stitches at the end of the row as at the beginning :tongue_smilie:). So far I like crochet a lot better - makes more sense to me, and is just more fun to do. I was able to jump straight into lace - which was the whole reason I learned to begin with - and I've made some really nice looking projects already. And I like crocheted lace better than knitted lace (mostly; I like a higher percentage of crocheted lace patterns than knitted lace patterns, but there are some *awesome* knitted lace patterns out there). But I like knitted socks more than crocheted socks, so I'm persevering with knitting. But knitting intimidates me in ways that crochet never did - I think I'm persevering in part b/c I refuse to be intimidated by any craft :lol:.

[Osaubi]

I have been knitting for a about a year. I am currently taking a class on how to crochet. My teacher didn' t really know how to teach a south paw so a friend of mine showed me how. She is teaching me shapes before the different stitches. It was easier for me to learn to crochet in the round than a straight line for some reason. I just got the hang of a straight line.

 

Weirdest thing is that my crochet looks like knitting if I turn it inside out. I am not sure how to make the bumpy stitches I see in crochet. Since I am really new and only know one basic stitch I am not sure what I am doing. :tongue_smilie:

 

 

I could never learn how to do either from a book or video. I need someone there with me to answer questions.

[gardenmom5]

I'd love to be the type of gal that could knit or crochet. It seems like it would be fun to make stuff and give my hands something to do at night instead of snack. :tongue_smilie: What are the differences between knitting and crocheting? I know it's a hook thingy vs two stick thingys so I'm basically wondering what are the different projects you could do with either. Can I make blankets or dish clothes with either? Which should I start with? My plan is to youtube how to do it when I decide which one I'm going to learn.

 

Thanks!

 

you can make blankets, scarves, hats, slippers, baby layette, dishclothes with either,

 

sweaters look better knit

 

lace/edging look better crochet (I also make snowflakes I hang on my tree.) Or if you're really crafty - tatted. my aunt tatted yards of edging at a time. I'd watch her, and it just never made sense.