crochet prejudice

[crochetcrazy]

Hello,

 

It's been a while for me here on the board. Nice to see you all have been so busy and creative!

 

I've been busy with scarves, hats and caplets but have to relearn how to post pics.

 

I guess I'm looking for support from my fellow crocheters here, so here goes...have you all experienced the crochet prejudice out there in knit land? I don't have anything against knitters, but it seems that every yarn shop I go into , I'm looked at as something of an alien when I say I crochet. Anyone else?

 

Also, I'm so tired of getting told that I have to buy three times the amount of yarn than knitters to get the same product. Of course, when they tell me that they want to sign me up for knitting classes! I just finished a boa scarf of red chenille that I did with one ball of yarn, and it turned out longer and fuller than the knitted example in the store!

 

So ....how 'bout it anyone else have the same problems?

 

Thanks!

[threeolivemartini]

in all actuallity .. it only takes maybe a third more to make something crochet.. sometimes a little less .. so if you need 3 balls for something knit then a 4th added for crocehet would work and you probably wont even use all that ..

[RachelG]

I'm rarely in yarn stores, but I have noticed a little bit of friction in some places on the web. I just stick to stay at my favorite places...like here!

[kellyv]

luckily the yarn stores I go to the owners also crochet so they have no prejudice. As far as the yarn, well that depends on the project! Sometimes the knit takes more yarn than the crochet. I do both and really enjoy both. But sometimes people think knitting is harder. They should only know that there a alot more stitches in crochet and it is more difficult to read the patterns!!

kellyv

[Kolkri]

Never had this problem but yes Crocheting is a "Lost art" or so people have said to me. And yep it takes more yarn. I dont let it bother me. I enjoy it and people love what I make for them. Or at least they pretend well.

[RebeccaVelasquez]

well, i guess you could look at it like this:

 

it may take more yarn - but SOOOO much less TIME

 

 

hmmmm, yarn you can get at the store, time however is predetermined and not guaranteed.....

[luvtocraft]

I have found that more people want to learn to knit than crochet.

 

I usually don't go to yarn stores, but when I do, I notice that most of the products are for knitters. It is hard to find a crochet hook in there.

 

As for the yarn, I heard that crocheting takes 3 times more yarn than knitting. I know, when I knit a hat, it takes less yarn than if I crocheted it.

 

Anyone have a figure on which uses more yarn, crocheting or knitting??

[crochetingmomof4]

This discussion has come up on other crochet boards periodically, and I have experienced this at my local knitting shops too. It's so aggravating! The best response I have heard is this. When the owner tries to convince you that knitting is better, and besides, crocheting requires more yarn...Just say something about how that should make her appreciate crocheters all the more!

[bkellya]

I have a nice yarn shop in town that I ran into this problem with a few times. It was very frustrating, very condencending, and very annoying. There isn't one hook sold, which is fine, but don't talk down to me because I crochet. One lady was in looking at eyelash and wondered if she could combine eyelash with a carrier yarn while crocheting (like the knitted example)--"Oh no," they said, "you can't do that with crocheting, you need to knit." I smiled and walked over to the lady and told her of course she could, that I had finished 5 or 6 of them that year for Christmas gifts and they were easy and fun to crochet up. I just kept smiling and saying something positive about crocheting every time I went in and the owner finally got the point and has been very nice about it since. I don't understand it in the slightest from a shop owner selling yarn--she should be thrilled I'm buying her yarn regardless if I want to knit with it, crochet with it, or stuff a bear with it. LOL!

[Ambersafghans]

I've never noticed any prejudice, but I'm not "out" that much browsing.

I had never heard that crocheting takes more yarn than knitting. Not that I really care. It's a fact that crocheting is faster than knitting!

Amber

[mythunderbird]

i have experienced this problem. the other day at walmart when i was looking at yarn:wowdrool :wow drool ( i love to feel it) this lady came up and asked me what i was knitting. told her nothing, i was crocheting, she goes oh thats easy, i said really do you know how:bad and she is well i have heard its easier than knitting, and i told her it depended on who was doing it as some crochet much faster than others(i crochet like at warp speed) and she tells me that crochet is so not in, i looked at her and asked her if she hd been weatching tv lately? you know like newylwoods and stuff with jessica simpson:U ( dont like her but love her shawl ) and invited her to learn. she took me up on the offer and is now trying soooooooooooooooooooooooo hard to do this hard hard craft:rotfl :rotfl i refrained from saying i told you so, aren't ya proud of me:bad ? vicki

[Suebee42]

I'm an education coordinator at my local Jo-Ann Superstore, and I'm proud to announce that as of today, there are NINE people signed up for the January Crochet I (which I also teach), and only TWO signed up for Knitting I.

 

I don't frequent the yarn shops, myself (no employee discount there!!), but based on the selection of magazines available, and the number of knitters I encounter in the store, there's definitely a knitting-bias out there. A lot of people still consider it a red-headed stepchild of knitting... Kinda sad, really.

 

But... when people think crochet, they think doilies and doll-shaped toilet paper covers... I've made it my personal crusade to show people that crochet can be cool. You can easily avoid the cliche side of crochet! My house is completely devoid of doilies, and not a toilet paper cover in sight! Instead, I have lots of cool afghans, scarves, etc. It's all about the projects you choose to make.

[ladywyntir]

EDIT: OH, i almost forgot. Welcome back!

 

Here in NY there is definitely a bias.

 

I was almost afraid of asking the saleswoman for help.

 

An older woman was speaking of her jacket that 2 other people were admiring. They were talking about patterns and pattern magazines as if they were in a museum.

 

I respect all the people that make things. But she called this one pattern maker "a mathematical genius to be able to put those shapes together..."

 

Credit is due, i suppose, but they were so elitist. Little 'ole me stood at the counter and waited for the saleswoman to come up and ring my two skeins ($9 )!!!

 

Knitting is okay, but when i'm on the subway, i prefer my litle hook! :cloud9

 

~Marj :sheep

[crochetcrazy]

Thank you all for the support! I just love to crochet and love the variety of stitches and the patterns they make as well!

 

I have also made it my point to do only cool crochet and have had many compliments on my scarves, hats, capelets and purses! I actually gave some out as gifts this year and were wildly accepted.

 

An observation....don't you think this yarn shop bias is because knitting does actually take MORE yarn and so that's why they want everyone knitting?

 

And I do agree that it gets a bum rap for being tacky. But I've actually been approached about making patterns of some of the things I've made. I couldn't believe that someone would buy a pattern for a mohair scarf, but she wants me to do it up for her.

 

What do you all think?:*chsanta

[natalie058]

All the yarn shops around me besides Michale's and JA's are "knitting" shops... there are 4 of them, so you'd think at least one would be just for yarn, but NO, they are yarn for knitters. I also get the funny looks when I say I am not kitting but crocheting, but the people at my favorite store know me by know and aren't snotty at all. One owner at a store I went to once (and once only) said she liked knitting because she "uses both hands" and that crocheting was only good for edgings.

[Guest 3igeez]

I think the tide is definitely turning. Especially with all the interest in ponchos this year. ) I also think the issue of Interweave Crochet this past summer helped alot too. I saw it displayed in a few yarn stores in the area. Personally I like and do both about equally.

Myra

www.myrawood.com

[crochetcrazy]

I totally agree the tide is turning but the shops may not be up on the trend. My husband told me he was listening to a show that was talking trends what's in, what's out and guess what....knitting was out and crocheting was in!

 

yeah!!

[Guest Yarnentangled]

Crochet has been "in" for a few years now. I tried knitting but it's tedious:U

 

I agree that crochet often gets a bad rap because of its long history of frilly toilet tissue covers and funky,chunky 70s afghans and granny squares made with avacado yarn.

 

I make it my personal mission to find cool crochet projects and give it a good name again.!

 

Personally I don't know anyone who can do either crochet or knit. I am all alone so I dont' run into knitting snobs. I did venture into a new yarn store called "simply Knitting" . Well what did I expect with a name like that? They offered a few knitting classes and down at the bottom of the flyer was a couple of crochet classes....at $25.00 per hour :eek2

[kaycrochay]

I haven't had too much trouble with knitting snobs, and have had people pay me to crochet things for them (like the Winnie the Pooh animals) since they didn't know how. Personally, I don't care for the look of crocheted wearables, like sweaters and such, but love how the socks, scarves, hats, etc. turn out. I learned to knit when I was 8, made A scarf, and have never been able to do it since, something about using both hands at once confuzzles my brain. I enjoy crochet so much that it never occured to me to let the knitters get on my bad side, and after reading everyone else's posts, I count myself lucky that noone has tried to pursuade me that one is better than the other! :*ctree

[Guest lillian1969]

Some people act as if crochet is only for little old ladies.But yet the same people don't have any problems asking me to make something for them.

[Sue89]

There's an interesting article at BellaOnline where their crochet editor actually tested the theory that knitting takes a lot less yarn. The link is here: Crochet vs. Knitting

 

The difference was not that big a deal, and in fact the tunisian crochet used less yarn than knitting or regular crochet. Plus with larger hooks you'd be using less yarn.

 

A large group of relatives popped in on us last night as I was crocheting with my new Tiki yarn/thread. The women were all oo-ing and ah-ing, and the twelve year old kept telling me she wants to learn how to crochet.

 

I like the look of knit sweaters and clothing, but I figure you can buy knit items so cheaply nowadays that it wouldn't be worth the time and effort. I crocheted winter hats for my nephews and then found out that one store was selling knit caps for under $1. If I had been knitting their hats I would've felt really frustrated.

[mrs who]

I like the look of knit sweaters and clothing, but I figure you can buy knit items so cheaply nowadays that it wouldn't be worth the time and effort. I crocheted winter hats for my nephews and then found out that one store was selling knit caps for under $1. If I had been knitting their hats I would've felt really frustrated.

 

I know that's true, and I've certainly heard that from people who see me knitting socks. ("Do you know Wal-Mart sells those?") But I really do enjoy making socks, and to me nothing feels as good as a hand-made wooly sock. I also enjoy clothing my family in lovely, hand-made items. Usually when someone says, "You can buy those now-a-days, you know!" I just laugh and tell them you can eat in restaurants but I still cook at home, and say "I'm just old-fashioned, I guess".

[Montana Mommy]

I haven't run into too much crochet prejudice, although one of my close friends was very much against crochet in general until I started showing her my completed projects (done in over half the time of her knitting!) and then she left the dark side and saw the light.

 

I do know how to knit and enjoy it, but my knitting is mostly limited to scarves and simple projects. I'm much more likely to tackle a bigger project when it comes to crochet as there is something not as intimidating about the art.

 

Oh, and those who say "You can't crochet with that yarn"? Watch me!

[MsSunflwr]

Yes I definately have. There was an opening of a new coffee shop and as I passed it on my way to work, I noticed a group of women knitting (some even spinning their own yarn). I strolled in thinking I could strike up a conversation with some fellow crafters. When I told them that I crocheted, they told me that they could have me knitting in no time. I don't knit, but I do own a few needles and some instructional books, I told myself I would learn one day, but to be honest with you, I don't really want to. Now, I am the snob, and my friends think it is so funny because usually, the knitters if asked if they crochet, are so defensive, "No, I knit!" As if crocheting was a dirty word or something. So now, when my friends are sporting something really cool that I have made for them like scarves, hats, and especially ponchos and shawls, and people ask them where they got it, they point at me and say, "She made it." Their response is usually something like, "Wow, I always wanted to learn to knit" or something to that effect. Now my friends chime in...."She DOES NOT knit, she crochets" I love it.<a href="http://www.ninakate.blogspot.com" target="_new">My blog</a>

[Ambersafghans]

That's great!

Amber