Crocheters vs. knitters

[sammimag]

Bellisima I am so with you on the fiber addiction. I'm so in love with fiber I'm learning how to spin too. As I see more and more what can be made in both crochet and knit I want more choices in my yarns. I want more color choices too than what is available in most big box stores. Not that I don;t use some acrylics but I rarely find color combinations i like beyond a few. I did make a lovely afghan out of RH and TLC but would like to make another in some greens but just don't see greens I like in the big name brands.

 

Lucky you to have so many LYS so close. I have one in my town which is great and a few hand spinners who sell at the farmers market. I guess I have a few more available if I drive to the nearest city.

[shelly_bean]

I wish I could learn to knit. I think my hands revolt at two needles. and yes knitting will always seem more popular than crochet. But I have never had problems finding patterns I like. although sometimes I am disappointed to see something I like only to find out it is in Knit only, that just makes me search harder. And I too search the library to find crochet patterns. they are my second best source of free patterns.

[lisalu]

Yes there are more knitting mags/books than crochet. (But many knitting mags include some crochet patterns.)

 

What p***** me off is the QUILTING magazines! I have been at a magazine stand and counted (no lie) TWELVE DIFFERENT quilting magazines, and not a single knit or crochet.

 

I guess I can't argue with what sells, I just find it hard to believe there could be that many different publications for one rather specialized craft. Once I was actually there on the day they were stocking new publications and I asked why so many quilting vs. no knitting/crocheting and I was told they stock what sells. My answer was, "I would buy what you stock, if you would stock what I'm looking for!"

[lisalu]

Part Two:

 

Why do so many good crochet publications keep going out of business? Magic Crochet, McCalls Crochet (I used to love that one), Crochet with Heart, and now Family Circle Easy Crochet. There are many others whose names I don't remember exactly....

 

Heck, I have always bought those issues every month or subscribed to some of them. Evidently crocheters don't buy these magazines in enough quantity to keep them in business and/or keep them stocked on newsstands. (maybe because many crocheters only want "free" patterns????)

[ImperfectMe]

Those knitters, I tell ya! They need TWO needles where one hook does me just fine! Glad you found at least one good one.

[shelly_bean]

Part Two:

 

Why do so many good crochet publications keep going out of business? Magic Crochet, McCalls Crochet (I used to love that one), Crochet with Heart, and now Family Circle Easy Crochet. There are many others whose names I don't remember exactly....

 

Heck, I have always bought those issues every month or subscribed to some of them. Evidently crocheters don't buy these magazines in enough quantity to keep them in business and/or keep them stocked on newsstands. (maybe because many crocheters only want "free" patterns????)

 

 

well for me, when it comes to magazines there aren't enough patterns to interest me to buy the whole thing. for me to buy a book ( and yes I have many many crochet books) i have to like at least 3 of the patterns. otherwise it's not worth it in my opinion. as far as free patterns go, what is wrong with that?? also maybe some of those publications go out of business because they don't have enough input from people who design. I admit I never design my own patterns. I wouldn't even know how to start. I give mucho props to everyone on this board and elsewhere that design their own.

[lisalu]

There's nothing wrong with free patterns! But if we want to see more publications on the newsstands then we need to buy the publications. Supply and demand.

[sammimag]

I personally think Magic Crochet stopped because doilies isn't where crochet is going right now. I think crochet is going in the direction of classier wearables and home decorations and accessories as well.

 

Not to say that I think doilies are going out of style. I think booklets and the occasional design in magazines instead of a magazine dedicated to them.

 

Is it really just "our" fault? I get Crochet! because I'm CGOA member but if I wasn't I'd probably pass on it and only pick it up when there was something I really wanted. They aren't making designs that I want to make at all. Where as in Interweave there is something I always want to make. If we buy things we don't want, won't they keep making things we don't want? We need to speak up on what we do want.

[shelly_bean]

It is true about supply and demand.. honestly I don't think they are supplying us with something we demand. In truth, I don't crochet dollies, so I personally wouldn't buy a magazine that has mostly dollie patterns. I also think crochet magazines need to see who is crocheting. young kids and young adults. they want to know how to make thinks like cute little animals and fashionable shrugs and shawls. I am teaching my oldest to crochet and I wish there were magazines that had patterns for things she uses.like her game boy. The face of crochet is really changing, in my opinion. and i think publications need to focus on that. speaking of which i did like crochet world, they always had cute things to make in there.

[adirtyspoon]

Well I'm reviving this topic I guess. I've been crocheting for 2 years. I've been knitting for 6 months. While it was hard to learn I have to say knitting is easier for me now, my hands are not as tired and my yarn rarely splits. Eyelash yarn is however still useless as it can not be knitted or crocheted, I just glue it on stuff.

 

As for the pattern/yarn debate I am a bit of a yarn snob, I refuse to ever use Red Heart or Simply soft again, if you are gonna make a gift for someone why on earth would you buy the cheapest roughest yarn you can find? I'm not rich but I will save up to buy good yarn, Berroco is not too high for their acrylic. It's really good too. Now patterns, the issue with the lack of nice crochet patterns is due to the whole crocheted toy boom, it's quirky. So everyone assumes it's "in". It's ok but that's what drags crochets rep down, the cuteness and the quirkiness. "Oh look a crocheted duck, rabbit, man, etc". That's why it's viewed at now as something for kids, if people would just start making up their own garment patterns maybe some of that bad rep will go away. And the pot holders, no more tacky pot holders please! Crochet needs to grow up!

 

Just my two cents I'm off to knit and crochet on the same purse!

[Lisaizme]

I agree that Bernat has some nice stuff.. but I think you might be leaving out people who don't have access to it and/or who don't want to or don't have the ability to buy online (not everyone has a computer, although it seems like it these days..lol).

 

And with gas prices going up constantly, and with acrylics being made from petroleum products.. who knows what we're going to be crocheting with in the future?

[eurolyons]

I honestly DO NOT BELIEVE that knitting is MORE popular than crocheting. I don't. I don't care that there's more boutique yarn shops catering to knitting, I don't care that Joann's, etc. seem to carry more knitting notions, etc...more people actually crochet than knit. They do! I do think though that knitting is perceived as "better" than crochet, especially in America. I think it's one of those things that in business, the key word "knitting" will sell more things, than the word "crochet." But...if you just look at Annie's Attic catalog, there is MORE stuff for crochet than for knitting...knitting is a far older skill than crocheting. Crocheting is still basically the "new kid on the block." Only now, crocheting is not satisfied to just be used for thread work like filet, irish crochet, doilies, etc. It's only been a relatively short time that crochet has been used for things like afghans, sweaters and so on. I personally like the thread work, the vintage thread work especially...I view that has one of crochet's hallmarks for sheer beauty. But this is a craft that is evolving too.

 

I think crocheting is going through growing pains and for now is tapering off a little, but I fully believe that as long as it doesn't die out like it almost did at the end of the 80's, it will come back with a vengence.

 

It might be an uphill battle from time to time, especially in dealing with brick and mortar stores that seem bent on focusing all their yarn and notion attention to the knitter.

 

I personally don't think one is "better" than the other, I just happen to like to crochet better than knit...but I don't think one is better than the other...just different.

 

I live next door to a yarn shop and there isn't the snobby attitude, however, interestingly enough, there are misconceptions until people meet me and see my work and more than once I've heard, "I had no idea!!!!!" My best friend over here admitted that until she met me she honestly thought crochet was only for doilies and curtains. Now she wants to crochet placemats and have me teach here a particular pattern. The lady at the yarn shop, her bread and butter is knitting, she makes custom sweaters and such for people...but she does know how to crochet and she knows some of the variety within crochet, but even she has been blown away by the projects I've shown her that I've crocheted.

 

I think alot of it is just the timing, I think alot of it is actually educating people about the versatility of crochet. I think half the people that are "snobby" about knitting or crochet could be converted if they saw more crocheted stuff that wasn't just afghans or baby things or even doilies...I personally love it when someone looks at my work and mistakes it for knitting and is blown away when it's crochet. Over here it's not that people are snobby against crochet it's just that traditionally knitting was for sweaters and crochet was for thread work...

 

My biggest complaint with the bookstores and shops is not that they have "more" knitting mags than crochet (there does seem to be a downtrend with crochet at the moment, but that happens all the time with things...things go in and out of style...) but that there are like 30 quilting mags over any other craft, including scrapebooking...I have to search high and low for just a sewing mag that talks about clothing construction, and all I can find are quilting mags.

 

Our best resource for crocheting quite frankly is the internet. That's sad, but at least we can pretty much get everything we want for our crochet from there. It's where I get a good 75% of my yarn and so on.

[eurolyons]

And one more thing, what I find sad is that there really does seem to be a "competition" been crocheting and knitting...for the almighty dollar. That happens a lot in our country - America (I'm an American, I just happen to live in Germany.) Who knows what kind of backdoor dealings go on in the market place where both stuff for knitting and crochet are sold. Who knows that some yarn company doesn't have an agenda? It's not all that far fetched.

 

Anyone watch The Devil Wears Prada? It wouldn't surprise me ever to find out that one single person on top of the fashion industry has a hate on for all things crocheted...and until someone else comes up and fights for the right to be "the wind," I think we're always gonna be the Cinderella to the Ugly Stepsisters that have all the power at the moment.

[pasteeater]

Hm...I use RH because I can't afford higher priced yarn. I am a bit offended that you would call things made by RH cheap. Every thing I make, just about, goes to families or charity. By your post it would imply that I am giving away items of lesser values. Maybe you can save up and buy higher priced yarns and that's great for you but I can't. As for crocheting needing to grow up I tend to disagree. I think the new toy craze is great and I like to make them. Does that make me immature in your eyes? I would hope not. I make things for homeless children and babies in dire need of items. Why wouldn't I make them little toys too? Does that make me wrong?

I also think there doesn't need to be a whole "knitters vs. crocheters" debate. If you are blessed enough to have both as a talent then just enjoy it. We don't need another conflict in the world esp. when it's something that is so nice like knitting and crocheting. I don't understand why you are so upset about this.

[eurolyons]

Hm...I use RH because I can't afford higher priced yarn. I am a bit offended that you would call things made by RH cheap. Every thing I make, just about, goes to families or charity. By your post it would imply that I am giving away items of lesser values. Maybe you can save up and buy higher priced yarns and that's great for you but I can't. As for crocheting needing to grow up I tend to disagree. I think the new toy craze is great and I like to make them. Does that make me immature in your eyes? I would hope not. I make things for homeless children and babies in dire need of items. Why wouldn't I make them little toys too? Does that make me wrong?

I also think there doesn't need to be a whole "knitters vs. crocheters" debate. If you are blessed enough to have both as a talent then just enjoy it. We don't need another conflict in the world esp. when it's something that is so nice like knitting and crocheting. I don't understand why you are so upset about this.

 

Who are you posting your comments to? Me? If so, you've misunderstood my posts entirely. Crochet is a young skill in comparison to knitting...that doesn't mean that I think it's "immature" in a bad way, just that it takes time for things to evolved where things are more accepted by the masses...

 

Also, I personally don't view crochet as CHEAP, by any stretch of the imagination. Crochet is my passion of choice. My whole point initially is that I don't buy that "knitting is more popular." I don't...

[pasteeater]

Who are you posting your comments to? Me? If so, you've misunderstood my posts entirely. Crochet is a young skill in comparison to knitting...that doesn't mean that I think it's "immature" in a bad way, just that it takes time for things to evolved where things are more accepted by the masses...

 

Also, I personally don't view crochet as CHEAP, by any stretch of the imagination. Crochet is my passion of choice. My whole point initially is that I don't buy that "knitting is more popular." I don't...

No, I wasn't speaking to you. I was talking to the one who restarted this thread today.

[adirtyspoon]

Crocheting is not "cheap". I never said that. It just needs a makeover. I stand by my Red Heart comments though. When you make a hat for a 5 year old and she says "that's itchy" you know it's true. I Love This Yarn is great though. I use it all the time.

 

Since having a LYS here now full of mostly knitters, some have opened up and admitted that they crochet too. I do both, I will always do both I go through phases of liking one better than the other. I prefer to crochet hats rather than knit them. But I prefer to knit scarves rather than crochet them.

 

But When I tell someone I crochet they say "your too young" or "what do you make dish cloths and pot holders?" or the worst comment I ever has was "oh that's not knitting?, i dunno they both seem pointless to me, why make it when you can buy it already made, all your doing is tying knots in string". It's called a hobby.

 

That's what bothers me. The comments, which is why something has to be done to improve the image. I just don't know what. I would like to crochet something that's insanely amazing and stylish and parade it around to the naysayers, but I dunno where to even start that.

 

It's just an endless debate that's why I revived this thread is I need feedback from others now. Stitch & Bitch is taken very literally now days. LOL

[eurolyons]

But When I tell someone I crochet they say "your too young" or "what do you make dish cloths and pot holders?" or the worst comment I ever has was "oh that's not knitting?, i dunno they both seem pointless to me, why make it when you can buy it already made, all your doing is tying knots in string". It's called a hobby.

 

I just CANNOT relate to this. This NEVER happened to me back in the day. I learned to crochet and knit when I was 9 and 10 respectively. It was something many girls did at that time...so I don't get it. I've never, in all the years I've crocheted, even in the drought years of the 80's and early 90's, never had anyone remark negatively about my crocheting...and if there was the stray comment, it had nothing to do about crocheting, they said it about home cooking, sewing, knitting, card making and so on...mainly in the guise of, "I wish had the time to do that..." and the meaning is clear that they feel they've got better things to do with their time than cook from scratch, crochet a scarf, much less an afghan, or sew up so much as a throw pillow. That's old fashioned-tied-to-the-house-when-you-should-focus-on-putting-in-overtime-on -your-job-and-make-more-money type of wasteful pasttime. I don't have tolerance for that kind of mindset.

 

I've yet to have any of my cousins or neices who do crochet (or whatever) say that they've had comments like this.

 

As far as Red Heart...the quality of Red Heart has truly gone down over the years. It's not my favorite yarn to use. I remember when it actually was a good quality to use back in the 60's. It was my mom's favorite...it was much softer than it is today. I used to use Caron's Wintuck exclusively throughout the 70's and I thought it was horrible stuff (but, it never stopped me from crocheting...) But Red Heart has it's purposes. It is great for most afghans and it wears like iron. It's not that great for wearables, but that hasn't stopped me from making wearables out of it. For wearables now, I prefer Lion Brand Woolese.

 

Does that make me a yarn snob? Probably a little...I think we all are a little. Only because we all have our preferences and our reasons for our preferences. I will say though that if all you have available to you for the money is RR, use it with pride. For YEARS that's all that was available to me. Now I just go nuts with the choices that are out there...most are reasonably priced options too.

 

Going back to the comments...you know, if these comments are coming from kids and teens, consider the source...they are brutal...anything that is different from their world that they don't understand, they will make fun of and comment on. My sisters were not brought up to create anything...they were not brought up learning how to cook an egg or even boil water on the stove...(they are better now) They were not brought up to know how to sew on a button or hem a pair of pants or skirt...they were not brought up learning how to express themselves creatively through drawing, painting, writing, crocheting, knitting or sewing or whatever...that wasn't their world, but it was mine...and because my attempts weren't always successful and nice and pretty like our mom's work, they looked down on my work and for years thought I was wasting my time. They were my harshest critics...and yet, that never stopped me from persuing my interests...only in the last 10 years have they finally realised this is really who I am and if I stopped what I was doing, I wouldn't be me. The worst critic of the two was over the moon recently with a sweater I crocheted her 7 year old son. You can imagine how I feel. The silver lining to all that criticism years ago is that it spurred me on to try to do better with each project. If for no other reason that to win her over...looks like I finally have, but I'm not gonna rest on my laurels.

[Lady_of_Roses]

I can relate to being razzed for knitting, sewing, & crochet when I was younger. I think I really picked crochet up and got more into it around age 14 or 15. Kids are cruel though about other kids that are different from them. Many folks tend to look at domestic arts as backwards. Computers, mobile phones, digital music & pictures, and all the new high-tech gadgetry is what seems to get them going now.

 

Anyhow, I know I put away my crochet for the most part only making occasional items for years. But I got it back out around 3 years ago and really threw myself into remembering old and learning the new and I'm loving it.

 

Oh, and I still like RH. It's scratchier than it used to be, but once laundered I've always found it to be comfy for blankets and such. Wears just about forever too so it's wonderful for frequently washed items! I like higher end yarns as well, but over my dead body am I going to buy "hand wash, flat dry, alpaca/mohair" yarn for an infant that is going to barf on it regularly!

[Sylviaf]

I haven't had criticism of my handcrafted items. Almost all of my clothes are sewn at home and have been since I was in high school. Crochet is newer for me, but I've never been criticized for it, either. I think all we can do is make the nicest projects we can, whatever the materials or methods used, and if the rest of the world doesn't like it, too bad.

[Craw]

I'm glad you revived this because there was a link to that really great article on ChezCrochet that I hadn't read before. I've not been able to find many pattern books or magazines in the local stores myself. The internet has most of what I'm looking for. So, I turn to the internet first because I already know I'll be disappointed in what I find in a craft store. That's not to say that I don't own a ton of printed patterns because I do! Myself, I can't afford to buy the more expensive yarns and can't even envision saving up for it. If I'm not supposed to buy the less expensive yarns, then I'd have to put down my hook and I'm not doing that! The less expensive yarns are more practical ... wash/dry/cat tangled up in it ... I certainly wouldn't make an afghan out of a hand wash only yarn. Whoever got that afghan would kill me!

 

Crochet needs to grow up!

 

OK, yes, I can see that. I love granny squares but I don't think they're suitable for clothing. Blankets ... been there, done that and the selection of patterns available throughout the years is sufficient, at least for me. No more TP cozies, I've already found the patterns I love and there's a gazillion of them to choose from. I'd like some more contemporary stuff, tho I must say I'm in love with vintage patterns (mostly available only on the internet and ebay). The toys are cute and I've made a few but I don't want to just do them and nothing else. To sum it up: I will buy patterns if somebody prints patterns that I want.

 

I have never been looked down on because I crochet instead of knit. I'd never heard of that happening to anyone until I read it here. Most of the people in my family crochet, not knit, with the exception of my Aunt who is left-handed and found knitting to be easier. So, could be that we are a bunch of crochet snobs that tuned everyone else out and don't even know it.

[adirtyspoon]

Now when I say I save up for yarn I mean I need 3 balls of this yarn to make a scarf, so I go to LYS and get one cause it's 6.99 (bamboo), then I wait until I get a little more ahead to purchase more. Cause I have to like eat and pay bills. LOL

 

All The kids and teens I've encountered think knitting and crocheting looks cool and is fun and express interest in learning, it's people my age (23) who make fun of it, and even some a little older. Of course they spend most of their time drunk somewhere LOL!

[eurolyons]

Now when I say I save up for yarn I mean I need 3 balls of this yarn to make a scarf, so I go to LYS and get one cause it's 6.99 (bamboo), then I wait until I get a little more ahead to purchase more. Cause I have to like eat and pay bills. LOL

 

All The kids and teens I've encountered think knitting and crocheting looks cool and is fun and express interest in learning, it's people my age (23) who make fun of it, and even some a little older. Of course they spend most of their time drunk somewhere LOL!

 

Again, consider the source...what are their interests and their lifestyles like? Right now like you say, they want to spend most of their time drunk...alot of time it's not really an age thing...but more of a lifestyle thing. The comments I'd get 20 years ago about anything "homemade" (cooking, sewing, crocheting, knitting, pretty much any "domestic arts" related) were from women who viewed those things as "anti feminist." I am a feminist, which means that I should be able to persue those things that make me happy and not just because I'm a woman. This view by those women wasn't a new view...back in the late 1800's, the "feminists" of that area were forever telling women to "put down their needles."

 

The one comment that pops up in one form or another is about time...that what I do is a "waste of time, " or "takes a lot of time" (which actually can be taken in the positive...the person is trying to be appreciative of whatever it is that I have accomplished) or this one, "someone's got too much time on their hands..." and that last one is the one that is the most insulting when it's lobbied against those that have accomplished something of value. So what if someone knitted or crocheted a ferrari (which btw I think is soooo cool...not something I would do, but then I wouldn't climb Mt. Everest either) that doesn't mean that they had "too much time on their hands..." A person planning and executing the robbing of a bank or some other disturbing or destructive pasttime, that's someone who has too much time on their hands.

[eurolyons]

My grandmother taught me the basics for cooking and crocheting and actually, all things domestic. She was insanely creative in her own right. However, she was anal about what was right and timely and efficient. She also was a workaholic and although she would probably disagree with me on this, she was a feminist without even realising it. To focus on whether or not she was a feminist would have been a waste of time to her. I bring her up because while she had no problem with domestic arts as a whole...there was a purpose to them after all...she was so practical, crocheting an afghan was one thing, one could use an afghan, but to just make an afghan just because one want to tackle a complicated pattern or design a pattern...for her that's where the waste came in. That's her lifestyle talking...she came from the Great Depression and WWII.

 

She called me once when I was in the middle of making my very first pumpkin pie from scratch...not from a can of Libby's pumpkin. When I told her what I was doing, she told me I was crazy. Oh well. That's where we differ. She does like what I do, but like my MIL, (who's of the same generation) they can't and don't want to relate to my artistic side that just wants to try something just because. And that's okay. I can't relate to some of the things they do.

[pasteeater]

All I can say is I think the only limits to crochet or anything for that matter is ourselves. There are many great patterns available but you do need to find them on the internet it seems. There are NO crochet pattern magazines in my entire area and I live in a pretty populated area. That's the only problem I have with crochet, I buy the pattern and then have to wait a few weeks to get it!