Crochet vs Knitting

[cgd]

7

You can get adequate stretch in crochet, as well as thin floppy fabric. That's what my blog is all about. I have been accidentally developing a new crochet method that yields super thin fabric with worsted weight yarn and hangs like wet newspaper while being completely solid (no lace or eyelets to be found). It also happens to use about the same amount of yarn as knitting.

 

David Benjamin, That Yarny Guy

Get Yarny! at www.AYarnifiedLife.blogspot.com

 

I read your blog and your post here with interest. Thanks for sharing the techniques and letting us know that what crochet is only limited by our imaginations.

[ErinLindsey]

I love them both! I have never understood the crocheters/knitters who always "claim" they can never do the other. If you can manipulate the yarn with a hook, you can do it with needles....and vice versa.

 

It amuses me to see crocheters laboriously crocheting "ribbing" on a garment - for heavens sake, KNIT IT! It is not only easier but it is better, no comparison. And to see knitters laboriously knitting a lace edging. Ditto, it is quicker and easier to crochet it and the results are far superior.

 

Things that should be crocheted....not knit:

 

Doilies. Yes you can knit them. Why???

Edgings. Ditto

Purses. Knitted ones are just as cute, but knitted fabric stretches out of shape much easier while crochet makes a firmer fabric.

Afghans (for the most part, although knitted blankets can be very soft and cuddly). You want a firm fabric that holds its shape and knitting will stretch. Also, it is more cumbersome to knit a one piece afghan than to crochet it.

 

Things that should be knitted...not crocheted:

 

Socks. Yes you can crochet them. Why???

Gloves. Ditto

Sweaters. (Depending on the style/yarn). You just can't get the same drape, shaping detail, and fine texture in the heavier gauge of crochet

Ribbings - on anything, even a crocheted garment.

 

(Although I love both knitting and crocheting I DETEST tunisian crochet, which is "supposedly" a hybrid. It is absolutely hideous, I hate doing it and I hate how it looks!)

 

I think it is interesting to see more patterns nowadays that incorporate both techniques. That makes perfect sense, why not get the best of both worlds?

 

Thanks for your, umm...opinions?

 

Your post reads like you've just been made Queen of All Yarn, and you're telling people what is allowed and what's not allowed. I'm going to assume that it's really your personal opinions about knitting and crochet and what you like to do and not do.

 

Because if I were to think that you're telling everyone what can and cant be done with a crochet hook or a pair of knitting needles, which smacks a bit of Control Freakishness, I'd probably be offended or at the very least annoyed.

 

Now, I have to get back to crocheting a sweater, and begin my first attempt at crocheting socks. Oh, and I should probably put a few rows on my knitted afghan.

[Aggie May]

:eekCHILDREN!!!!!

 

Do I have your attention???

 

If you dont stop squabbling among yourselves, I will smack your b-ms and send you all to bed with no crocheting or knitting time for at least a week.

 

We are all friends here, working towards the same aim, to crochet or knit our way through all the yarn in the world.

 

:(There is enough nastyness in this world without it rearing its ugly head on Crochetville.

 

:yesSo, all of you who have said sharp things, apologise to each other and promise not to, ever again, take offence at a few written words.

 

Remember the old saying, with a little variation, "Sticks and stones will break my bones but names/words will never hurt me."

 

Above all, have fun.

Colleen.

AKA Bossy Boots.

PS, :hookPlease ignore this if you wrote nicely.

[CyM]

3 cheers for Colleen!

[Robyn]

Thank you, Colleen, I agree.

[sunnywolfgar]

oh crochet kim thats beautiful!

sunnywolfgar

[sunnywolfgar]

Here is what I have done in the Afghan Stitch sorta known as Tunisian stitch.

 

 

 

clickable

 

://s10.photobucket.com/albums/a150/sunnywolfgar/FFP%20BRICEN%20baby%20blankt%20made%20by%20granny%20Terry%20Devine/?action=view&current=1ecd34ff.pbw

 

 

 

clickable

 

clickable

 

now lets see if I done this right.

sunnywolfgar

[oldbonboys]

Go Colleen. I totally agree with everything that you said !!

[ErinLindsey]

Here is what I have done in the Afghan Stitch sorta known as Tunisian stitch.

 

 

 

clickable

 

://s10.photobucket.com/albums/a150/sunnywolfgar/FFP%20BRICEN%20baby%20blankt%20made%20by%20granny%20Terry%20Devine/?action=view&current=1ecd34ff.pbw

 

 

 

 

I dont have the patience for afghan stitch projects. I have the hooks for it, but every time I try to make something with them, I get bored, or am frustrated that it doesnt go as fast as I want it to. I'm a little jealous of others who have the ability to actually make something in the afghan stitch.

 

I like both the stuff you made and wish I had the patience for CrochetKim's designs.

[Granny Square]

That's the nice thing about crochet, there are so many techniques to choose from. It's a hobby, you don't have to 'like' doing them all. I think hairpin lace is pretty, but all I end up with is a tangled mess when I try it, so I just admire, but pass up, those patterns. I like making doilies, but others don't like thread work. That's OK! If it feels good, stitch it!

[ASquared]

I like to crochet and knit. I'm not great at either but I do like both! However, I find crocheting the most relaxing!

I'm really lucky that we've moved into the "computer age" and I can find such wonderful patterns here from so many different people!! Woohoo! Finding this site has caused me to grab all of my needles again and get busy!

 

Funny thing. I had some old old yarn in the back of a closet and you'd be surprised (or not?) how stiff the worsted weight is! I cannot imagine what I could use it for now!!!!

[crochetkim]

I like both the stuff you made and wish I had the patience for CrochetKim's designs.

 

Oh, I have a secret! For my last book, I did 6 Tunisian baby afghans. I don't have a lot of patience for afghans and, although I am able to work on them very quickly, after 3 days, I need to move on to something else. So, here's my secret on those last 6. I had all of them started at the same time. The minute I started working slower, I would switch to the other one. It worked out great by rotating the six of them.

[crochetkim]

I love entrelac, Terry! Absolutely beautiful! Thank you for sharing your photos!

[ErinLindsey]

Oh, I have a secret! For my last book, I did 6 Tunisian baby afghans. I don't have a lot of patience for afghans and, although I am able to work on them very quickly, after 3 days, I need to move on to something else. So, here's my secret on those last 6. I had all of them started at the same time. The minute I started working slower, I would switch to the other one. It worked out great by rotating the six of them.

 

I thought you were going to say your secret was that you handed out 5 of the patterns to 5 different people and got them to work on them. (but that might be expensive if you pay them for their time)

 

I'm not sure why I get bored with the afghan stitch. It's slower than regular crochet, but it's still crochet. I dont really knit any faster than I do afghan stitch, and I dont get bored (much) with the knitting. Maybe I just havent found the right pattern for afghan stitch yet.

[Aggie May]

Phew!!! I am so glad you listened.

Now, remember, if I hear you arguing again, I will take your hooks and needles off you and you will have to sit and look at your favourite patterns and yarns for at least a week before I send them back.

 

You also need to remember that I am quite old now and I will probably mix them up and you wont get your own back.

 

:cheerNow, apologise to each other please and get on with your work.

 

I always say to my Grandchildren, "It is much better not to cause offence in the first place than have to apologise later."

 

Have fun.

Colleen:hug

 

:hug:hug:hugExtra hugs for anyone who has been feeling offended by anything on this thread.:hug:hug:hug

[smokeyp81]

I agree with you Colleen.....this topic has been beat to DEATH.....we have discussed it many times before with the same results......DROP IT ALREADY!

[That Yarny Guy]

Hi Erinlindsey,

 

For me, I do Tunisian simple stitch (afghan stitch) faster than traditional crochet. It is only the most basic of stitches in tunisian crochet. Maybe working with some other stitches might be more to your liking. There are several foundation stitches, there are backward stitches for all the foundation stitches allowing you to make reversible patterns, and their are a number of purled stitches. You could check out ARNie's Encyclopedia of Tunisian Crochet to get you started expanding your Tunisian crochet repertoire.

 

David Benjamin, That Yarny Guy

Get Yarny! at http://www.AYarnifiedLife.blogspot.com

[ErinLindsey]

Hi Erinlindsey,

 

For me, I do Tunisian simple stitch (afghan stitch) faster than traditional crochet. It is only the most basic of stitches in tunisian crochet. Maybe working with some other stitches might be more to your liking. There are several foundation stitches, there are backward stitches for all the foundation stitches allowing you to make reversible patterns, and their are a number of purled stitches. You could check out ARNie's Encyclopedia of Tunisian Crochet to get you started expanding your Tunisian crochet repertoire.

 

David Benjamin, That Yarny Guy

Get Yarny! at www.AYarnifiedLife.blogspot.com

 

I've tried a lot of the different stitches in tunisian...they're all boring for me to do for some reason. It may just be that while I like the look of tunisian, my fingers and brain dont like working on it myself.

 

At least I know that I can do the stitches, so that if I ever had to teach it to anyone, I could do it.

[Sockmad]

But Colleen if you go through with your original threat I don't think we will be able to sit!

[Empress Busy Bee]

this topic has been beat to DEATH.....we have discussed it many times before with the same results......

True. However the orginal poster (anyone really) should expect rebuttals when that kind of post is made. If people don't like what's being said in replies, they can opt not to open the thread and read anymore of it.

[Amy]

For anyone who tried to teach themselves to knit and didn't get it, I didn't get it my first time either. I put it down for years. Then, one day, I tried again and it just clicked. It was after I learned Tunisian crochet, to be honest. It was something about the Tunisian and designing all those afghans that made me more intuitive about knitting, I think.

 

I'm like Kim. I tried for years to learn to knit. It never worked. I finally got pig-headed because I wanted to learn to knit socks, and I kept at it and kept at it until I mastered it. Yes, it was slow compared to how fast I crochet. Yes, it took time and effort to learn the different way the stitches worked and how that affected what I needed to do to put things back together when I dropped stitches. But with enough time, sweat, blood, tears, and perseverance I finally mastered it. But only because I finally had what *I* considered a good enough reason to put myself through all that when I could just go crochet something and be done quickly and easily.

 

Some people may never want to go that much effort to learn a new skill, and that is perfectly okay. We should all feel free to crochet and/or knit, whatever works for us. And we shouldn't put down somebody who makes a different choice than the one we make. There is room for ALL of us out there: crocheters-only, knitters-only, and crocheter/knitters. I don't think the world is going to run out of yarn any time soon!

 

Oh, and if you decide you do want to learn to knit, what helped me the most was the videos on the knittinghelp.com website. Wonderful! They have videos for both continental (picking) and American (throwing) styles of knitting. I also knit continental because it just seems so much more time-effective to me.

[Amy]

Everyone, I apologize that this thread has only just now been brought to my attention. If I had realized what was happening here, I'd have stepped in LONG before now.

 

To the original poster, people usually don't respond well when someone else tells them what SHOULD be done. When you leave out the vital information that what you're saying is only your opinion, you give the impression that you believe all your SHOULDS apply to everyone in the world, and that everyone else should do exactly as you do. And that gets a lot of people upset.

 

To everyone else who disagrees with the way the original post was phrased, please, please keep your comments focused on the statements, and do not make any sort of personal attacks or ugly comments about the original poster.

 

Just as a general point to note, I've found it's usually best not to make blanket statements that appear to encompass everyone. Because there's always going to be at least one person who doesn't agree with you, and doesn't appreciate you speaking on their behalf!

 

It is perfectly fine for people to have strong preferences for what they like in the world of crochet and knitting. And it CAN be fine to state those preferences here at Crochetville. However, when you do so, please remember to very clear that you're stating your personal opinions/preferences only. You also need to be sure that what you're saying does not appear to be putting down or condescending to anyone who has different opinions/preferences.

 

We allow disagreements to be voiced here at Crochetville, but we do ask that our members treat each other with civility and respect at all times, no matter how strongly they disagree with each other. Because there is at least one thing we all agree on: we love making things with yarn/string/thread/whatever!

[Sylviaf]

Today while crocheting in the waiting room of the hospital, a pleasant woman stopped to see what I was doing. She was a knitter and had apparently had my experience in reverse. She had tried to learn to crochet, even had taken classes and it just never worked for her. We had a very nice conversation, sharing our ineptness at one another's crafts.

[RoseRed]

My chiropractor's wife knits and when I go in we chat about what we're making and show off our stuff if we have if with us. There's no animosity about what's better - it's just 2 people that love their craft.

 

They were thrilled when I crocheted a rainbow square baby blanket for their new grandbaby.

[sheryl*]

My mother-in-law taught me how to crochet, boy was that a helarious (sp?) night. Cursing up and down and laughing like crazy. She's a righty and I'm a lefty. I found myslef loving how well I took to crochet and although it took me a while to put the abbreviations to their meanings and trying to copy pictures and already made items, I truely found myslef loving crochet and working with all kinds of yarns that I am able to afford. Then I came across some people who knit. I tought myself to knit with little help from the others. I like how it looks like with dish cloths, scarves and some other items. But it just isn't me completely. I enjoy knitting from time to time, but when it comes to larger projects, even with crochet I'm not able to keep a strong interest in it. I like to complete projects with in a weeks time or so, not a month or so. It just isn't me and at times i wish it was. And I truely love how people can make things that to me would feel like a life time to finish. That is something I wish I had. There is alot out there and I wish I could experience it all. I'll always be fighting my way thru the learning process of knitting, but I'll always be a crocheter at heart. I'm just happy to have a hobby that works for me and makes me happy. Although I do wish I could do more like tatting and make better things with polymer clay and to be able to sew more than just a simple pillow case, lol. I'm happy to do what I'm able to.