Pet Peeve-People saying knitting when it is really crocheted.

[beachlady]

I am with you on that, makes me so mad. My hubby even says, Oh my wife is knitting etc, or wife knitted that. I have corrected him many many times, why do they call it knitting? other friends do it also. Guess they think any thing made with yarn is knitted and actually do not know the difference.

[Suebee42]

Am I the only one whose husband says "knitting" just to jab at me? He -knows- its crochet, but always calls it knitting just to get a rise out of me. LOL!

 

I usually threaten to jam the needle in an uncomfortable place for his trouble.

 

Oh, he also delights in playing "Challenge Crochet." He'll shout out "CHALLENGE CROCHET!!" with childlike glee, and start moving my elbow. Boys...

[queen_mo]

The worst by far for me was a time I was looking at putting my stuff in a community-run consignment craft shop. The deal was that you paid for the space and put in four hours of work a month (not bad) and took 80% of the sales (other 20% going to the collective). I looked around the shop, because I wanted to see what other crocheting. There was woodworking, silversmithed jewelry, sewing, blown glasswork, handmade paper stuff and in the centre of the shop was one woman's yarnwork. Some was knitted but over half of it was crocheted. When I spoke to the manager of the shop, I said that I might pass for now, because I didn't want to compete with the other crocheter (it was a small shop with little overlapp as far as the other crafters). She said "no, actually that's knitting", using her best condescending, patronizing tone! I said "no, actually most of it is crocheted". She insisted and I figured, okay, if she doesn't even know the difference, I'm definately not leaving my stuff here for someone else to talk up to the customers.

From now on, I sell my own stuff privately. I may put up a booth at our local farmer's market in the summer. But until then, no uninformed collective for me.

[crochetingfool]

I always correct people. Then they go on to say oh really what's the difference. I usually say crocheting is much faster and leave it at that...hahahaha

[tweety256]

I always try to correct people when they ask me what I am knitting. But I norally tell them "I can't Knit to save my life" If they ask what I am doing I will tell them crocheting and try to explain the difference. But I think the only person that really get really ticked me is when my BF father says that i am knitting when I can only crochet and my BF know the different. Now my BF father is married to a lady that knits, crochets, and sews plus he is a really good with a sewing or surger machine. So he should be able to tell what I am doing even if he can't tell when it is done.

[yarncat]

I always correct "What are you knitting".I say "I'm crocheting ....".If the conversation goes any further than that,I explain,"Crocheting uses 1 hook,knitting uses 2 needles".

[annaht]

Oh, he also delights in playing "Challenge Crochet." He'll shout out "CHALLENGE CROCHET!!" with childlike glee, and start moving my elbow. Boys...

 

That's a hoot! Sounds like something my husband would do... too funny!!!

[Chiscrochetcrazy]

Quote:

True but if your family doesn't know wether you knit or crochet that's not right

 

Why? Do you know every detail about everything everyone in your family does?

 

 

 

No I don't know every kind of guitar my hubby palys but he has 6 of them :eekAnd I deff know he doesn't play drums or the bass guitar I only crochet and have been for 8 yrs I think by now he could get it right. That's just the one thing I think he should know I don't expect him to know every other craft I do and we were talking about crochet or knitting right.

[The Fargoan]

A year ago I wouldn't have known the difference between knitting and crochet so I don't get too worked up over it. Though when I finish my sister's afghan she BETTER know the difference

[Hello Again]

Part of the problem is that many people don't know a term that covers both knitting and crocheting -- they may be aware that its not knitting but not sure *what* it really is. So they fall back on knitting as the familiar term.

 

As far as I know "handwork" is the only term that covers both knitting and crocheting (but it would also cover tatting & sewing by hand) and is not a familiar term to most non-crafters.

 

I belong to a "knitting club" which has a few dedicated crocheters. It's ok with me, even it is annoying from time to time.

[maryyarner]

My Dh does this too, and it drives me nuts! I wish I could knit, but I have tried and tried with no success. Guess I will just excel at crochet!

[Empress Busy Bee]

We have so many issues in our life right now that the least of my worries is if my husband calls it crocheting, knitting, or badmitten. LOL

Like I said, he appreciates it and knows the trouble I go to. He supports me and encourages me. To me, that's what is important.

[mudpie]

Empress, it's "badminton". Not that I'm correcting you or anything. Just kidding. I'm with you. I've got much more important things to worry about.

[Tamara]

I will be flying for the first time in years next week. I went out and checked the FAA site to see if I could take my metal hook on board to keep me busy for the 2 hour flight. The list shows that "Knitting and crochet needles" are permitted. Good grief.

[liz31]

It really burns me up when someone who doesn't know the difference says something like "Oh, what a pretty scarf, did you knit it?" I used to try and say that it was crocheted, but now I just smile and say "Thank you". Is it worth trying to educate the public?

 

It just gets to me. I crochet a lot in public, and people still say "knitting". Do others feel the same way? Or am I just being picky?

 

Crocheting is a lot different than knitting, but all they see is the yarn and assume that I knit.

 

How do you feel about this topic?

 

Linda

 

That doesn't bug me too much. They just don't know any better. Its like when I call a screwdriver a "flat head" when its really a "philips head" I'm sure it would bug someone whos really serious about his tools however I am not interested in tools enough to try to remember the right names...lol.

 

What really bugs me though is when I make something and someone looks at it and says "Oh, cute. Make me one too" I like that they admire what I made, but its not like I can whip them up a sweater in like 15 minutes or anything.

[Empress Busy Bee]

Empress, it's "badminton". Not that I'm correcting you or anything. Just kidding.

LOL! You're right. I was in a hurry and didn't even think about it.

[clocke]

I don't mind much if people think I'm knitting. But there are times when I want to say, "do you see a 2nd instrument here? Because I only see one. And that one has a hook so CLEARLY I'm not knitting. But thanks for noticing anyhow."

It depends which side of the seesaw I'm on.

[TracyD]

But what truly annoys me is when he calls my hook a needle.

 

LOL... I still call it a needle because that's what my grandmother called it! But hey - she used to call spaghetti "macaroni," and sauce was always "gravy." And she was 100 percent Italian - her parents never even spoke English!

 

On the original note, there's a wonderful yarn shop around here where a nice group of ladies drops in to knit together. They get a kick out of it when I come in with a project and they ask "what are you knitting?" and I reply, "I'm sorry - I don't knit. I'm a HOOKER."

 

 

But I must confess that I AM learning to knit. Just did a very cool hot-pink scarf for my movie-star dog. I think I need to make a matching one for myself.

 

Tracy

[mommagoincrazy3]

I think that most people automatically think of asking "what are you knitting?" because for so many years knitting has been popular and in the forefront. It has just been reciently that crocheting has become popular again, so I think people just ask outta habit. I do usually correct them in a nice way and then they stand there and stare with that "deer in the head lights look". Maybe it's because I am in the south:lol:devil

[13bodies]

I just smile and say, "It's crochet, actually." They smile vaguely and wander of because they don't really care--they're just making conversation; and I feel good because I corrected a misperception without sticking my hook in their eye and getting it all gooky.

[Babci]

If it matters one could think about tossing out a question -

 

What makes you think I'm knitting?

 

Why do you think I'm knitting?

 

The post on crocheting being named "sewing" brought an out loud laugh from me!

 

:-) 's

[Sabra]

One of my hubby's shipmates saw him crocheting and called it cross-stitch! Talk about two things that look nothing alike.

 

I was also going off in Wal-Mart the other day about some knitted cardis that were labeled crocheted.

[Babci]

One of my hubby's shipmates saw him crocheting and called it cross-stitch! Talk about two things that look nothing alike.

 

I was also going off in Wal-Mart the other day about some knitted cardis that were labeled crocheted.

 

CROSS-STITCH!!!!!

 

Golly that was a stretch worth another laugh.

 

I wonder if the people asking are really trying to understand.

Maybe they're wanting to express having "some" sort of knowledge.

 

:-) 's

[fairietat2]

It bothers me too. Especially when people know that I "crochet", and then they come and ask me "what are you knitting now?". I shouldn't let it bother me, but it drives me crazy.

[eurolyons]

CROSS-STITCH!!!!!

 

Golly that was a stretch worth another laugh.

 

I wonder if the people asking are really trying to understand.

Maybe they're wanting to express having "some" sort of knowledge.

 

:-) 's

 

The more I think about it, even though it bothers me, I think people not in the know, just use "knitting" as a term for both knitting and crocheting...it's interchangable to them. I challenged my husband about that last night when he called my crocheting "knitting" for the umpteethn time...he claims that he's not doing it to get a rise out of me, but more because "knitting" is two syllables and "crocheting" three...whatever...

 

I wonder if tatting people get annoyed if people were to mistake their craft for crocheting or knitting...

 

Heck, my husband found a needlepoint site he thought I would be interested in and he absolutely had no clue how different that is from crocheting...but truthfully, what he's looking at is that it is something worked with the hands...that's the common denominator with the knitting, crocheting, tatting, macrame, embroidary, needlepoint and sewing...one is working with the hands...that's all he sees really.