One stick VS Two sticks.

Last time I described the characteristics of knitting and crochet. This time I thought I would tell you which one I like most, which method I use for what.

Knitting

I learned how to knit first. Crochet came afterwards. My mum taught me how to knit, after I found these two weird sticks – the knitting needles – somewhere in our basement. At the beginning, I mastered the first and most basic stitch you should learn when you start knitting. The garter stitch. Because of its easy, repetitive and fluffy pattern, I loved it from the beginning. Then I started watching tutorials of how to implement other ideas and patterns. Then I slowly started to introduce and mix different colors to create more effects and combinations. So basically, what you do with knitting is that you cast on, on one needle, an amount of stitches you want and go back and forth until you arrive at the desired length.

A minus point for knitting is that, I find it pretty hard when I make a mistake to go back and fix it. Or maybe I haven’t learnt an easy way to do it, yet. And this is where crochet gets a bonus point. It is much easier to correct a mistake when you are crocheting.

Crochet

I am a self-taught crocheter. I learned how to crochet, by watching – in painfully slow motion – tutorials and also reading books. I was so intrigued by this craft. The fact that with just one stick – the crochet hook – you can create a whole blanket. Let’s just call it magic. Or patience. So, in order to start crocheting, you initially make a chain of little yarn circles, which is the first row. Then you continue working the yarn inside these circles and gradually working with your pattern.

Knitting VS Crocheting

I always thought that this is an eternal argument between knitters and crocheters. Just like the one with The Beatles VS The Rolling Stones. They are, of course, both fantastic, music history changing bands, but there is always going to be a battle of who is the best, right? But is this really the point here? It doesn’t matter who’s the best. The important thing is what they offer. Going back to knitting VS crocheting. There is no winner here either. They are both beautiful and intricate crafts and you can make amazing things with both of them. How you choose, which one to adopt, really depends on your mood and circumstances. For example, if I am travelling and I want to keep my hands busy, I will take my crochet materials with me, because they take less space. A crochet hook is much easier to carry. If I want to keep my hands busy at home, I will probably knit, as I need more space for the knitting needles – and my hands – to move. Don’t sit next to me on the couch! If I want to make a potholder or coasters, I will probably crochet them. I finish them quicker and the crochet patterns look much better in these kind of products. If I want to make a fluffy scarf for the cold winter days, I will probably knit it.

In the end, there are so many combinations and options. And it is up to you, on how you want to deal with these two crafts. You will probably start by learning just one of them, either knitting or crochet, but I guarantee that you will end up learning both of them. And I warn you, they are both pretty addictive.

Finally, here’s a little something. Check out this video I made. Let me know what you think.

https://vimeo.com/331415960

Till next time,

Love & Craft

S.

p.s.  So, what do you think? The Beatles or The Rolling Stones ?

*All pictures above are from a personal archive.