Question for anyone who knits AND crochets

[Cliffnote]

Well last night was my craft group night and I teach those who want to learn how to crochet, those who dont do something else. Well I was trying to teach an experianced knitter who wanted to learn crochet, but she just couldnt get the hang of it. She has tried before too but she gave up. She said that knitting was SO much easier than crocheting, To me I feel the oppisite.

 

I was wondering for those of you who both knit and crochet, which was easier for you to learn, knitting or crochet? Which one did you learn first? Was it hard for you learn either one of them?

[DesertCrocheter]

I learned crocheting first, then knitting as a child from my mom. Knitting was so hard, I hated it. I didn't return to it until 30 years later. But my mother prefers crocheting to knitting, and that may have rubbed off on me.

 

From just a practical viewpoint, wielding one hook has got to be easier than learning to wield 2 needles that are doing separate things at the same time.

 

That's my excuse for taking so long to learn to knit, and I'm stickin' to it.

 

Patty

[PBLKNP]

Crocheting is much easier for me.

[Amy]

I learned to crochet at the age of 8, almost 9. I only finally learned how to knit a couple years ago, after trying multiple times throughout the year!

I thought learning to knit was very hard, but now that I know how to do it, it seems very easy!

[Cherri]

I learned knitting first from my mom. I was pretty young. Then, as a teenager, I learned crochet from a friend's mom. Then I taught my mom to crochet. I don't know if one was easier to learn than the other. It was so long ago, I can't remember.

I love the look and feel of knitting (especially sweaters & hats) but I never really enjoyed it. To me, it takes forever and I'm not known for my patience. Crocheting is more enjoyable and less stressful for me.

[Needle Arts]

I learned knitting first at about 6 y/o from my grandpa, then mom later taught me to crochet though knitting was her favorite. I love to knit but it seems to go so much slower, therefore, I primarily crochet now and it seems to be so much more transportable. I don't do much thread crochet and I have stopped tatting completely. Just too fine for me to see in the evening when I have free time.

[CroJulee]

I learned how to crochet first, and then knit about 3 years after that but knitting was very easy for me to learn. I don't know if this is a good reason or not but I was only 8 when I learned how to knit so that might have been why I picked it up really quickly. Well, that and I've always had really good hand-eye coordination.

 

Julee

[Tampa Doll]

I learned to knit first, I had trouble handling the one hook, and I had to really pay attention to what I was doing, when I was crocheting.

Try showing her a couple of differnt ways to hold her hook. Either the pencil or the over hand. Let her make a choice, as to which is more comfortable.

I use the pencil grip, where my sister who learned young, used the overhand grip. You kniw, the one where you cover the hook with your whole hand.

[callen610]

I've crocheted on and off for about 10 years and just learned how to knit last month. It was (and is) a challenge for me. I think the hardest thing is not being able to easily go back and fix your work, and a not being able to stop at any point - especially if you're counting stitches. (I don't do a lot of crochet work that requires counting.)

 

Also...I found it fairly easy to teach myself most crochet techniques and stitches from books, but am lost with just a knitting book and had to take a few lessons to get me going. I just couldn't decipher the pictures and what to do with the yarn. Knitting also seems to take longer, but I've heard that it uses less yarn. I've got a knit scarf going for my husband for Christmas (hopefully THIS one!), but I'll stick to crochet for now for bigger projects, like afghans.

[crochetluvknot]

for me it was crochet that was easier my grandmother taught me to knit when i was around 5-6 years old and I didn't do much with it then but I have recently picked it back up and let me tell ya how awkward I look and feel about the whole thing I have made a washcloth and an afghan I am still getting the hang of the two needles and stuff but sooner or later I will get better at it

[Sugarcoatedlies]

i learned to knit first. when i learned to crochet it was easy.

i hold my hook like i do knitting needles i guess

[Lady_of_Roses]

I think both were about the same difficulty for me. Both have their pros and cons of course. I can honestly say I'm really happy to be able to do both because of that.

 

Crochet Pros

 

• you only have to keep track of one loop! (Yay!)
  
• Faster completed projects
  
• More easily can do 3D type projects
  

Crochet Cons

 

• You have to unravel back to where you made your mistake if you want to fix it.
  
• Takes more yarn
  

Knitting Pros

 

• You can fix some problems multiple rows down without having to unravel all the way.
  
• It stretches nicely so it can make more form-fitting items more easily
  

Knitting Cons

 

• All those loops to keep track of!!
  
• Slower than crochet
  

[melindascrochetbits]

I taught myself how to crochet first and then much later taught myself how to knit.I prefer crocheting because it is much easier for me and when I knit I find myself holding my knitting needles like I hold my crochet hook.

[jleinhauser]

I have found through years of teaching that it is far easier to teach crochet to someone who is not already a knitter. I think it's a mind set mostly -- a knitter who is confident of his/her ability suddenly feels all thumbs and clumsy and doesn't like the feeling. They feel lost without that second implement.

 

That said, I think it is really easier to teach knitting, as there are only two stitches and not so many places to stick the needles as here are to stick the hook.

 

And a lot depends on the teacher maybe even more so than on the student.

 

Jean Leinhauser

[CroJulee]

I have found through years of teaching that it is far easier to teach crochet to someone who is not already a knitter. I think it's a mind set mostly -- a knitter who is confident of his/her ability suddenly feels all thumbs and clumsy and doesn't like the feeling. They feel lost without that second implement.

 

That said, I think it is really easier to teach knitting, as there are only two stitches and not so many places to stick the needles as here are to stick the hook.

 

And a lot depends on the teacher maybe even more so than on the student.

 

Jean Leinhauser

I have to agree. It is easier to teach knitting. I've taught far more people to knit than I have to crochet.

 

Julee

[cat3crazy]

I learned to knit when I was in grade school but never really did much with it. I taught myself to crochet when I was in my 20's and made a giant granny square for my full size bed then sort of stopped. It wasn't until a few years ago (working at a LYS) that I got interested in either again. I found that I liked crocheting better since it was faster and easier to set down and pick back up later. Also I was told that I knit wrong. Well, I was taught to throw (wrap) my yarn different than what is now the 'correct' way. It still comes out looking the same. So then I decided to learn the 'continental' method of knitting (you hold the yarn in your left hand and pick it up instead of throwing it with your right hand). I found that to be a faster way of knitting but in the end, I still prefer to crochet.

[Mom w/a Motif]

I learned to crochet first. Only probably because I had an aunt who crocheted, and I became interested in her Annie's Attic catalogs. I taught myself to knit about four years later. It was a lot harder than crocheting, for me. I couldn't understand working with two needles and casting on. Once I got casting on, though, it was easy to knit.

 

I have taught my son(s) (only one actually crochets though and not very much, any more...) to crochet and one girl to knit. (Or cast on, at least.) She got it right away so it wasn't hard teaching her.

 

Tina

[adagio]

My mom had a pair of knitting needles and some yarn she gave me. I can't remember if she taught me how to use them, but somehow I did learn. I remember sitting down with stitch guides and learning how to do different stitches. But it always felt awkard to me, manipulating the two needles and yarn. I knit myself a dress for my senior all night party. I even designed it myself. I made it knee length, but by the end of the night it had stretched down to my ankles!

In learning to finish knit pieces, I learned to crochet. And after the debacle with the dress, focused more on crochet, and decided I liked it better! Much easier manipulating a single hook and the yarn!

[lpgeorge123]

I learned crochet first. I think because of that when I knit I hold my yarn the same way as crocheting, with it wrapped around my left pinky. A lot of knitters hold the yarn in their right hands instead. Try asking her how she holds her yarn. If she's use to holding the yarn in her right hand, that could be the problem.

[Pyroteca]

My mom taught me to knit when I was about 8, and then I learned to crochet when I was 12. I think that if the person knits using the continental method, then it is easier to pick up crochet since your tension is still being kept with your left hand. This being said, I knit in the English manner, keeping tension with my right hand even though I keep tension with the left when I am crocheting.

 

I still like crochet better, but have recently begun experimenting with knitting again, mainly because I desperately want to knit socks (one of the hardest things to do, I swear). One thing I love about crochet is that if you make a mistake, you just pull out the stitches and fix it...fixing knitting mistakes is much harder. Also, I think crocheting feels more natural.

[rashidah]

I learned how to crochet at the age of nine years old and I am still learning how to knit from youtube.com

[Daydreamer-girl]

I learned to knit when I was a little kid. I wanted to learn how to crochet several times, and my mom tried to teach me. But I got to impatience and frustrated when I didn´t manage it.

I ended up teaching myself how to crochet with the help of web-pages which shows how to do the basics.

 

I guess it was easier for me to learn to knit because my mother was always knitting in front of the TV, so I saw how she did it. But I still have stuff to learn when it comes to both knitting and crocheting.

[smokeyp81]

I learned to crochet first. I only have been knitting for about 6 years, but I found it to be pretty easy to learn. I picked it up really fast, but I also knit continental....you hold the yarn in the same hand as you crochet. I am also left-handed and am self-taught in both crochet and knitting....I guess I am more determined than most...

[nucki]

I was wondering for those of you who both knit and crochet, which was easier for you to learn, knitting or crochet? Which one did you learn first? Was it hard for you learn either one of them?

 

Crochet was what I learned first, and it was way easier. My grandmother taught me, in the one year we lived with her, and in that time I managed to learn all of the basic stitches. I was 7 at the time.

 

Knitting came a year or two after that, and while I could get the knit stitch down, it was only in the last couple of years that I learned how to cast on properly and do the purl stitch.

 

Knitting is still hard for me - I have yet to progress beyond the square/rectangle level.

 

I'm 32 now. :/

[rascalsmom]

I learned to crochet first, at around 21 years old.

 

I am now 51. (wow, that is hard to believe!! )

I taught myself to knit about a year ago, but I never do it. It's tedious for me, and I find myself thinking, "I could be crocheting, and GETTING somewhere!!". So I don't really knit even though I "know" how.