To many who are unfamiliar with the popular crafting hobbies of crochet and knitting, it may seem similar. Sure, yarn is used and looped together, both activities can be therapeutic and the tools look suspicious, however, there are some major differences.
If you want to understand the distinctions between these two crafts, here is a quick look at the fundamentals.
Crochet
When it comes to crochet, stitches are created using yarn and a singular crochet hook (which may vary in thickness) held in the dominant hand, explains the information hub LoveCrafts. “Crochet starts with a slip knot on the hook and crafters work outwards, inserting the hook into different areas of the crochet to create more stitches.”
The company Super Label Store adds that there are four main crochet stitches: A chain, single crochet, double crochet, and half-double crochet.
Super Label Store also shares a few pros and cons of crochet:
Pros
- Many people find crocheting much easier than knitting since there is no back-and-forth between stitches and needles.
- The stiffness of crocheted pieces makes them perfect for a blanket and items that don’t need a draped look.
Cons
- More yarn is used, and thus it can be expensive.
- There are fewer crocheting patterns available.
Knitting
Knitting, on the other hand, sees crafters create loops using yarn and two needles (which vary in length and thickness). LoveCrafts notes that “stitches are passed from one needle to the other to create a row of joined-together stitches, then back again to create another row underneath.”
While crochet has four main types, knitting consists of two: Plain and purl. “When you combine both stitches, you can create stretchy and ribbed types of fabric knitting items,” shares Super Label Store.
LoveCrafts adds, “Another key difference is that knitting can be done by hand, loom or machine, whereas crochet is always done by hand.”
Super Label Store also shares a few pros and cons of knitting:
Pros
- A wide range of knitted patterns is available for advanced knitting projects.
- Many people find that knitting is easier to learn.
Cons
- Knitting requires a lot of patience as it can take time to finish.
- Stitching drop can be a genuine issue when knitting an item as it can mess up your whole project.
Also see: The ultimate guide to journaling
