[NFB-Krafters-Korner] Knitting vs Crochet

[Tammy Freitag]

KNITTING VS CROCHET
written by Jamey February 8, 2020
What's the difference between knitting and crocheting. Both are
amazing hobbies - I’ll help you figure out which craft is best suited
for you to start with.
Knitting vs Crochet: Which is Easier? Which is Better?
Ah, the long argued age-old debate: knitting vs crochet. Over the
years there have been countless discussions. Often passionate and
heated discussions over whether crochet is best or knitting is best
but at the end of the day, it all comes down to personal preference.

As with anything in life, there are pros and cons to both crocheting
and knitting. In this blog post, I’m going to try to help you figure
out which craft is best suited for you. By the time you get to the
bottom, you’ll be fully armed to decide if you’d like to learn how to
crochet or learn how to knit.
Crochet vs Knitting: Figuring Out Which is Better for YOU!
Below you can read about my personal experience learning how to knit
and crochet. First I’m going to outline some of the similarities and
differences between crochet and knitting. Like anything else, there
are pros and cons to each craft and if you can match those with what
you prefer personally, it can give you a great place to start.

What's the difference between knitting and crocheting. Both are
amazing hobbies - I’ll help you figure out which craft is best suited
for you to start with.
What’s the Difference Between Knitting and Crochet?
While knitting and crochet both make items out of yarn, the process,
tools and architecture of the stitches are very different.

Crochet
Crochet uses a single hook to create stitches. The hook creates loops
in the yarn that in turn makes a knot, which overall makes a denser,
more textured fabric than knit fabric (although there are a few
stitches in crochet that can make knit-like material).

Crocheters use hooks instead of needles to make their crochet
projects. There are a variety of shapes and sizes of hooks but all of
them have a single hook on the end of the tool. Crochet hooks can be
made from aluminum, plastic, bamboo or steel.

Crocheters hold their hook in their dominant hand and the yarn in the
opposite hand. There aren’t really any different styles of crocheting
but there are different ways to hold the crochet hook including the
pencil grip and the knife grip.

Generally speaking, crochet also tends to use about 1/3 more yarn than
a similar knitting project does. What's the difference between
knitting and crocheting. Both are amazing hobbies - I’ll help you
figure out which craft is best suited for you to start with.

Knitting
Knitters use two needles to create stitches with yarn. The knitting
pattern you’re working on will determine the size, type and length of
needles you’ll use for the project. There are straight needles,
circular and double-pointed needles and if you get into knitting,
you’ll need to figure out what needles you require for the type of
project you’re working on.

Knit fabric has a very different structure than crocheted fabric.
Knitting makes a “V” shape in is the most basic form and it tends to
be more woven instead of knotted.

Knitter’s hold needles in both hands as well as the yarn in one of
their hands. There are a number of styles of knitting so which hand
you hold the yarn in depends on the style of knitting you use. For
example, knitters can knit in some of the following styles

English Knitting (also called throwing): Common in the U.K and in
North America, this knitting style involves holding the yarn in the
dominant hand
Continental Knitting: Popular in Europe, this style of knitting uses
the yarn that is held in the non-dominant hand. Variations of this
include Russian and Norwegian Knitting. This is a great style for
people who already know how to crochet as the yarn is held in a
similar manner in crochet.
Lever Knitting (also known as Flicking): Rumored to be the fastest
knitting method, lever knitting is similar to English Knitting but one
needle remains still acting as a lever while the other needle does all
the work.
Portuguese Knitting: This style is particularly novel and knitters
hold their yarn around their necks which helps to speed up the
knitwork.
Shetland Knitting: Shetland knitters hold their working needle against
their bodies by a belt.
What's the difference between knitting and crocheting. Both are
amazing hobbies - I’ll help you figure out which craft is best suited
for you to start with.

Similarities Between Knitting and Crocheting
Both knitting and crocheting require good hand-eye coordination, the
ability to read patterns and handle yarn and tools in both hands.

Both crafts are relatively inexpensive to start as a beginner. All you
require is some yarn, a hook or knitting needles, a pattern (which are
readily available for free online), some scissors and you’re off to
the races.

One of the biggest benefits of both crocheting and knitting is the way
that these crafts offer a form of relaxation and movement meditation.
Both crafts are well known to help alleviate anxiety and panic
disorders.

When it comes down to it, you know yourself better than anyone. It’s
not really about which craft is better, it tends to come down to
personal preference and what you’re better suited to.

Select crochet if you…
Prefer being able to quickly and easily fix mistakes
If you tend to fumble holding many things in your hands at once
If you like projects that work up quickly
If you like a thicker, generally denser fabric made in loops
If being patient isn’t your strong suit
Select knitting if you…
Prefer smooth fabric that drapes and falls nicely
You want to buy and use smaller amounts of yarn
If you mostly want to make garments and accessories
You are dexterous and prefer working with both your hands at once
If you’re a patient and methodical person


My personal experience learning how to knit and crochet…
Part 1
My first foray into the world of needlecraft started with knitting. My
earliest memories were trying to balance the yarn and 2 large needles
in my hands at the same time. I learned the English style of knitting
(also known as throwing) and often found myself resting the needles on
my lap to try to make sure I wasn’t dropping them.

The other frustration that I just couldn’t get past was what to do
when I made a mistake. When you’re a newbie knitter, a dropped stitch
can be your worst nightmare and can take hours to recover from. Most
of the time, as long as I wasn’t too far into the project, I’d
literally rip the yarn out and start the knitting pattern all over
again because it seemed easier in the long run.

After a few modestly successful but frustrating attempts to learn how
to knit, I was camping at the beach when I noticed the neighbor in the
site next to me quickly making the most incredible hats. We had kids
the same age so it was a great opportunity to spark up a conversation
and investigate how she was making these incredible masterpieces. The
neighbor explained to me that the hats weren’t knit but crocheted.
What was this strange but beautiful craft? She was kind enough to
offer to teach me how to crochet a hat. Luckily, I had some yarn with
me and she lent me hook. What do you know, I breezed through that hat
like a master on my very first attempt. I remember thinking, why would
anyone knit when they could crochet instead. After that day, I was
hooked on crochet and so began a wonderful new journey for me.



…Part 2
Since that day, when I learned how to crochet, I’ve learned a lot of
new skills and techniques. I’ve realized how relaxed and zen-like I
feel when I crochet. BUT, I also realized that I was starting to drool
over the fabric and draping of knitted patterns. While my hands and
heart were feeling the pull to knit, my brain kept on reminding me of
my less than stellar experiences trying to learn how to knit. The
hours of trying to figure out how to fix my mistakes, especially now
that when I crochet, if I make a mistake, it’s a simple matter of
ripping out the row(s) and then simply starting again.

The urge to knit was too great and eventually, I decided to give it a
try. This time I had years of crocheting experience behind me…would it
help or hinder my attempts to learn how to knit?

I approached my learning differently this time around and Googled “how
to knit for crocheters” and it was the best thing I could have done.
It turns out there are many ways of holding the yarn and needles,
other than the English style. In fact, I found out that “Continental
Knitting” is actually considered a preferred method for crocheters.
Hallelujah and eureka, I discovered a big part of the knitting puzzle!

The other huge breakthrough for me was learning about the anatomy of a
stitch, stitch orientation and how to visually identify the components
of what makes a purl stitch looks different than a knit stitch (which
every new knitter should learn to save them hours of frustrations).

I still consider myself somewhat of a knitting newbie but I feel
confident enough now to be able to understand the basics, fix common
knitting mistakes and create shaping. Now if I can learn how to knit
faster, I’ll be an even happier girl – but I’m confident that will
happen with more time and practice.



My personal advice on whether you should learn to crochet or knit first
In retrospect and with the benefit of experience, if you haven’t
really made up your mind and are on the fence about whether or not to
start knitting or crocheting first, I would recommend starting with
crochet first. I believe it’s a much easier skill to pick up initially
compared to knitting.

For me, I became frustrated with learning to knit when it came to
making mistakes. Let’s face it, there are always going to be mistakes
in the beginning, however, when you make a mistake in crochet, it’s a
much easier process to fix which means much less frustration.

My other revelation about knitting and crocheting is that once you
have a handle on crochet, it’s much easier to manage things like
tension and holding the yarn and needles when you move over to
learning how to knit.

Ultimately though, it’s up to you and really, you can’t go wrong. Both
knitting and crocheting are amazing hobbies and something that’s easy
to fall in love with. I wish you the best of luck and many happy days
ahead while you learn one or both these amazing crafts.



Tips for starting out
A final word on how to get started. I have a couple of tips I’d like
to suggest.

Crocheting:

Start by choosing a larger crochet hook and yarn. I would suggest a
size 5 bulky weight yarn (something inexpensive that you don’t care
very much about) and a size (L) 8.00 mm hook.
Start by practicing chain after chain. Keep on going until you can
make the chains approximately the same size and shape. Once you’re
done rip it out.
Don’t even bother trying to start with a pattern. Instead, create a
small swatch, maybe 15-20 chains to start.
The first stitch you should practice is the single crochet stitch.
Practice this for as many rows as it takes to feel comfortable and
confident. Then try double crochet stitch and finally the half double
crochet stitch.
Knitting:

Start by choosing large straight needles (8.00mm and up) and an
inexpensive size 5 bulky weight yarn.
Watch some videos on how to cast on. I would suggest this great video
from Sheep and Stitch here.
Watch some videos on the various ways to hold your yarn and needles
and figure out which one appeals to you the most – remember, you can
try all of the various methods to find out which ones work best for
you (I literally spent a month trying all the ways to hold the needles
and work the yarn).
Start by casting on 20 stitches and then knit each row, keeping your
yarn tension good. You’re looking for a consistent look in the
stitches.
Once you’re feeling confident with knitting, start a new swatch and do
rows of purling until that starts feeling good for you
Ok, that’s all from me! I wish you the best of luck and many happy
days ahead while you learn one or both these amazing crafts.

https://doublecrochet.com/knitting-vs-crochet/


-- 
Independence is yours .  Are you willing to reach for it?
Tammy