finally shunned by a knitter

[rlanto]

Most people who see me with yarn and a hook ask what I'm knitting. Generally, I just politely correct them and teach them the easy different (needle v. hook). I met some who tell me crocheting is stupid and for old people and others. I generally when someone says they knit and ask if I've tried and explain my inability to actually get it (I've tried for years), they laugh it off and say the same about crochet.

 

Each to their own. Snobs come in all form. I think you were right to inform the store owner that one of her employees was being unkind. I'm lucky the the LYS I shop at (by no means the closest, but easily the nicest) is crochet friendly. The owner and her crew all crochet as well as knit. They even have fancy hooks on the wall!!

[NeedSleep]

I was unaware of the knit-snobs until last week. I went to a LYS and poured through their knitting needles looking for hooks. I wanted a Clover Soft Touch to replace one I've lost. When I asked the lady behind the counter if they had them she rolled her eyes, made an audible groan and said "they have them at Michael's", with a sneer at the end.

 

Nice.

[ladytoysdream]

I would think a yarn shop's main priority would be to sell yarn.

And not worry about how people are going to craft with it.

I was reading somewhere online and not sure if this is a true statement

or not......but it said that for every person who knits, that there is

three people who crochet. I do both so not sure how people like me stack up in the numbers game

 

I would wonder though, about a sales person who was pushing one craft over another. I hope they don't do that too often though. Not a good

thing to turn off customers.

[Cotton Candee]

I made a purse using a triple crochet stitch and did the whole thing in front posts. It was too funny when I took it out to show a fellow employee who also crochets that she really didn't want to see it since I had knitted it! I laughed and told her it was crocheted and then she looked at it! I guess snobbery comes in all forms! Heck, DH still asks if I am going to knit tonight or whatnot and only this past night after he asked, he FINALLY said crochet! I about fell out and we both laughed... I told him it was about time he knew what I was doing!

When people ask me what I am "knitting" I just show them the hook, tell them I am crocheting thus just 1 hook but that knitters use 2 neddles and that is how they can tell the difference in the future. One lady told me that it is all the same to her!

 

Originally posted by Darski

Now I have to assume that shop owners who show disrespect to crocheters are less likely to be young'uns so that alone could blow my theory out of the water.

BTW.. the LYS I used to go to had only 1 employee who I liked but they are all from mid thirties to mid forties.

[JennyBunny]

I wonder how much the "crochet-snoberry" started with the fact that most of the crocheters were the 'dreaded Irish' that brought it to the US when the emigrated due to the potato blights? Or that crochet was also taught in Catholic based schools for years, thus adding another negative point to mostly Protestant US citizens?

[LaurieE]

I don't think the Irish potato famine had much to do with it. Crochet patterns were being published in Godey's Lady's Book as early as the late 1830s, years before the potato famine (1845).

 

In my experiences with knitters, it's usually the older knitters who look down on crocheters. The ones in their 20's and 30's are usually very accepting of crocheters.

 

I've thought about this problem on and off for many years and have never really come up with a good reason for it. The only thought I keep having is they're jealous. If you look up the definition of jealous, the definitions certainly seem to fit.

[Becky Morgan]

It might have to do with the dreadful '70s stuff that came along. If you look at crochet patterns pre-1940, they're beautiful. 1950s baby clothes are usually very pretty. By the '60s, the patterns used chunkier yarn and coarser work (a lot like the modern beginning knitting projects). By the 70s everything seemed to be avocado green, harvest gold and burnt orange. Most of the poatterns I have from back when were very coarse and crude-looking. Why this happened, I have no clue, but it's the association people make when they hear of something crocheted.

[LaurieE]

I forgot about the 70s look. It was pretty awful. I still have some of those patterns. A lot of them used granny squares.

[frogsrock]

It seems to me that most of the contest between knitters and crocheters is among the new young people joining in.

 

It was my experience as I grew up that homemakers just did both. You knit your socks and you crocheted your doilies - no discussion, no concerns.

im young and i knit and crochet so im not snobbish towards either

but im also not the hippest

and i learned to do both before the trend

 

the ones ive ran into a problem with were around middle aged

 

 

i have 3 major strikes against me in the snob world

*im young (so i must be doing it to be cool and i must not be good at it)

*im horribly allergic to wool and most other animal fibers

*i knit and crochet, but prefer crochet

 

i end up getting treated pretty badly in snob yarn shops, ive been in 3, 2 were ok, 1 was horrible

ive even been treated badly in acmoore and michaels for it...

 

next time i go into a store and am looked down on im going to tell them im looking for yarn for my niece to cut up and glue on paper hehe

[susieq8579]

I forgot about the 70s look. It was pretty awful. I still have some of those patterns. A lot of them used granny squares.

 

I think Granny squares get a bum rap.... those 70's colors ruined their reputation. LOL

 

Sorry off topic but it had to be said:D

[purlwise]

I would definitely say something. But then again, I'm wondering if your cashier was a teen or twenty something, in my experince kids these days seem to be so self absorbed that things like manners and being polite don't even enter their minds. It was rude, and I would have said something like nice like "and how long have you been knitting??"

 

Tell the owner.

[kazily]

I don't have a LYS here but it is sad, the animosity that seems to exist about crocheters by some knitters.

 

I feel it is just old fashioned snobbery like snobbery that has always existed about other things like the brand of clothes you wear or the letters of the alphabet written all over your purse They have no idea weather you paid $250 for the purse or if you paid $25 at a 2nd hand thrift shop but those letters say you are "better" than other people somehow???? Do I know why or how? No. That is a big secret even among the "believers" lol.... most of them cannot explain it either, other than to say that's what their friends think so it must be true. The heaven might fall if their purse doesn't say coach or dooney & burker or whatever on it for everyone to see that they bought the right one.

 

Back to knitting & crocheting...knitting is classy, crochet isn't (not my opinion!) It doesn't matter if you spent $50 a skein on hand painted yarn, the snobs will think you wasted your money to crochet with it. Like mentioned that is another snobbery topic in itself...

 

edit: I know I am just bold enough that if I went to a LYS & they said something rude to me I'd say ok, cool...since I crochet, I will take my $100 to spend at Jo Anns.

[Knit Happens]

I never felt odd-man-out, a lesser crafter, or insulted by anyone for being "just a crocheter''. Over the years I have enjoyed a variety of outlets including embroidery, machine sewing, counted cross stitch, stamped cross stitch and folk art painting in "the Donna Dewberry" style--I was so much into that a few years ago that I drove by myself 5 hours through a few states to become a certified OSCI, and I don't do a thing with the painting since it couldn't sustain my interest as much as yarn crafting does. Frankly, the "war" between crocheters and knitters is a new notion to me. Even now that I do both, I have yet to feel insulted by anyone who does "just" one or the other. IF it happens, I'll politely reply, cuz I just don't get it, and certainly don't expect it, and that is their issue....not mine. P.S. I LOVE the 70s colors!!!!!! Despite seventies crochet being "in your face" and made of colors not found in nature and only found in yarn, as in the wilder the better, it was a resurgence of the craft, and that's a plus! I learned to crochet in the late 70s...you bet I made a wild granny afghan...or 10! Everyone was getting a ghan from me back in those days.

[mythunderbird]

It's not a new thing, and it's been my experience that it's older knitters who like to look down on crocheters.

 

Everytime I've gotten a comment from knitters that puts down crochet, it's been from someone older than 60...I even got a comment or two from my knitting maternal grandmother.

same with me, one time while i was showing a student the yarns she would need for the project a couple other ladies came in and one was talking asking what i was doing ect. and i said welli teach crochet here and she said oh, then she asked if i had made my bag i said yes, her friend looked at me and said your not telling her that tacky thing she has on her(meaning me) is nice do you, i looked at her and said what is your problem lady, your no better or worse than me and actually I DO knit and crochet both do YOU.:devil she was sooo embarresed cracked me up:devil

[Cherokee2]

Snobbery about anything is strange to me! I have had snobbish clerks who said, "that's a pretty blouse, but I would never wear that color." Maybe they don't mean to sound rude, but it is. My reply was, "But I'm not you." I don't take my crochet with me to most places, but members of my family have seen me doing it and said, "Whatcha knittin'?" I laugh and say, "Something for YOU." Or I have been asked at the checkout what I was going to knit with the yarn I'm buying. I answered, "I'm not... I'm crocheting an afghan...or sweater..." whatever. NONE of them have been rude about it. But it is assumed by most that yarn is for knitting... Oh, well!

I still have some sweaters and vests that I crocheted in the first year or two after I learned. I can't wear some of them now, too small... but I am PROUD of them just the same. My granddaughter might inherit them someday. But to me, they are beautiful works of art, and I love the fact that they were made by MY hands and turned out so well. I prefer crocheting over knitting, I'm clumsy with two needles. Someday when I'm 90, I might eventually master it. But for now, I enjoy what I do.

[Kimblee]

I iwsh i could knit. There's a beautiful stocking pattern that I am lusting for big time.

 

Plus.... Stores carry bamboo knitting needles, but not crochet needles. It makes me sad. I want shiny wooden hooks!

[Kimblee]

It seems to me that most of the contest between knitters and crocheters is among the new young people joining in.

 

Oh Darski, I think you are so right on this. All those hip young things turned on by SnB want to be cool and trendy, and probably remember their moms and grandmoms crocheting, so that (crochet) instantly becomes uncool. It's so easy for people who want to be cool and part of the in crowd to just repeat what they hear, and so the vicious cycle continues...

 

But, in the spirit of the season, let's give the salesclerk a kudo for admitting that crochet is good for something. (rolling eyes here) Maybe she realized how she was sounding and tried to assuage the umbrage she could tell OzRebel was taking. How old was she? Maybe she was just trying to talk friendly with a customer and didn't realize how it sounded? I don't think anyone wants her to lose her job over what may be an ignorant slip of the tongue, so I'm not sure I'd say anything to the owner, but I sure might make a subtle comment about being able to do both (as Beverly suggested) if she says anything again. (This is not like the other thread where one of our members was shamed into buying more expensive yarn than she wanted to by a LYS owner; that was was rude.)

 

Patty

 

 

Heh.

 

I crochet, as do my mother, grandmother and stepmother.

 

Stepmama is the wizard, but I run circles around everyone else on this side of the family. (There's some distant kin who are better than me, but I'm young and they ain't, I'll surpass them soon.)

 

Err... I mean. I'm a good, dutiful (step/grand)daughter and will learn from anyone who will teach me (then promptly surpass them...)

[Kimblee]

I forgot about the 70s look. It was pretty awful. I still have some of those patterns. A lot of them used granny squares.

 

what's wrong with granny squares? *hurt whimper*

[mythunderbird]

what's wrong with granny squares? *hurt whimper*

nothing they are making a come back. i don;t think laurie meant that to upset you though, some of the 70's patterns are gastly heck i didn';t wear them then let alone now at my age but granny squares done tasteful are very nice although im sure my hubby still has the god awful brown and orange afghan i made (shudders)

[shelly_bean]

most everyone I know loves the fact that I crochet, but they always say they just can't do it, and want to learn to knit. I have come to terms with the fact that my crocheting brain can't comprehend knitting, so I gave up. I think some LYS stores say crochet friendly because at other stores they don't have anything other than knitting supplies, as if knitters are the only ones needing high end or yummy yarn.

[OzRebel]

I took this same basic question over to Ravelry to a group in my city and got some great support, even at the same LYS and a couple people acknowledging they could probably use my help sometime if they decided to do a crochet project. One lady works there P/T but is older (yes, the employee who was rude was probably early 20s). A couple of the responders go to the Tue AM coffee & knit group so that will be great! Tue AMs are the best day for me so maybe it's Karma

[Happy_Hooker]

I agree... knitting is for some things and crochet is for others... Just as some yarn is meant to be knit and some crocheted... It isn't very likely for me to crochet myself a wearable because of how hot it would be... (I get hot easily.) I wouldn't think of knitting myself an afghan because it would be just too thin for my liking.

[samistrange]

I also don't understand the rivalry. Crochet isn't a lesser art or less beautiful, it's just *gasp* different. I'm a cat person, and to my knowledge I don't get looked down upon by dog people, nor do I look down on them. I've seen the arguments in different forums that knitting drapes better, makes a more beautiful fabric, etc, but to that I say knitters just aren't looking closely enough. I recently designed a sweater that is seriously (IMO, of course ) gorgeous and fluid and fitted. Patterns like that are popping up all over the place, and in my mind it is this 'movement' that will eventually work to change at least a few hardcore two-needled minds. Until then, I'll just continue to let their words roll off my back. Seriously, there are more important things to worry about.

[Terry Rindal Jr]

I don't know which I get more comments about, crocheting, double pointed knitting, afghan stitch, or being a man who knows how to do all of it.

My 13yr old daughter has a bit of a competition of crochet (which she does) with one of her friends (who only knits), but I thought that was only between teenage girls.

I agree with all of you good ladies, it is amazing enough what can be made with yarn.

[Kimblee]

nothing they are making a come back. i don;t think laurie meant that to upset you though, some of the 70's patterns are gastly heck i didn';t wear them then let alone now at my age but granny squares done tasteful are very nice although im sure my hubby still has the god awful brown and orange afghan i made (shudders)

 

Oh, I'm not really hurt, i was being silly.

 

I have a lovely burnt orange and TV green afghan somewhere... My grandma made it for my mom when she was my age.