Crochet vs Knitting? Which one is easier to start today?
A lot of beginners who want to learn a new craft between crochet and knitting get confused because they aren’t sure which one of them is beginner-friendly. I was also in a similar situation a few years back and after doing both of them for several years, I’ve got an answer for you in this post. Continue reading and you’ll know about it.
What is knitting?
It is the craft of making a fabric by interlocking loops of yarn or thread using at least two needles. The loops are formed in rows by transferring the stitches from one needle to the other. Garments made by knitting are generally flexible and stretchy.
Tools required for knitting:
1. Knitting needles.
2. A yarn.
3. Scissors.
4. A yearn needle.
There are mainly three types of knitting needles:
1. Straight needs:
It comes with a point on one end and a knob or stopper at the other end. Usually, they come as a set of two. It is the most common and easy to use needle for a beginner and this is what I used when I started my knitting journey.
Their size ranges from 9 to 14 inches and comes with various materials such as steel, metal, aluminum, plastic, bamboo, and wood.
As the needle holds the stitch together, it is suitable for making something flat such as washcloths, afghan squares. scarves, headband etc.
2. Circular needles:
This pair of needs are permanently attached with a flexible cord and mainly used for large projects.
The size ranges from 16 to 48 inches long and cord thickness may also vary. Common materials used in these needles are; steel, aluminum, plastic, bamboo, and wood. Most widely used cord materials are nylon and coated steel.
It has used this need to make sweaters, hats, cowls, socks, mittens etc.
3. Double-pointed needles:
It is also known as DPNs. It has points on both ends and comes in a set of 4 or 6. The average size of these ones range from 5 to 8 inches. The materials used on these needles are the same as other needles I discussed above.
With DPNs, you can make knitting mittens, mug cozies, cowls, Fingerless Gloves, hats and Christmas ornaments. These are recommended only for experienced knitters as beginners may find it difficult to handle.
Different Styles of Knitting:
There are different kinds of knitting and these the two most popular ones:
1. English Knitting:
For this style, you’ll have to hold the yarn in your right hand and throw it on the other hand while making a stitch. It is also known as throwing. It is the most recommended way for a beginner to learn knitting.
2. Continental Knitting:
This style requires you hold the yard in your left hand and instead of throwing it, you’ll have to follow the needle to make a stitch. It is much faster than the English knitting but requires practice and patience to get used to.
After switching to continental, I rarely do English knitting because of its ease of use and speed.
The Pros
1. The fabrics are soft and stretchy. This makes it a good choice for making a garment.
2. Easier to do without looking at it but only if you have practiced it enough.
4. Knitting has more patterns than crochet for making almost anything.
The Cons
1. Slightly difficult to learn as a beginner as it requires you to manage two needles. Even the basic stitch techniques i.e. knit stitch and the purl stitch may seem daunting as a newbie.
2. It is possible to drop stitches while learning and may rip it back before proceeding. It is also called “frogging”. This may be frustrating at first for most learners.
What is a Crochet?
It is a technique to make a fabric using the hooked needle with a yarn or crochet thread. It involves the process of making stichies with the hook in a loop to transform it into a textured fabric.
Tools you’ll need:
1. Crochet hook.
2. A yarn.
3. Scissors.
4. A yearn needle.
All crochet hooks look the same. It’ll have a handle, grip, shank, throat and a head. Their differences lie in the materials. Most hooks are made of metal, wood and plastic. For a beginner, I highly recommend going with the metal one because it’ll easily slide into yarn.
The major difference between crocheting and knitting is, you’ll need two needles for knitting and just a hook for crochet. The latter is much easier to learn as a beginner.
Holding a crochet
1. The Pencil hold: Similar to holding a pen, your thumb should be resting on the grip and the index finger should be placed above it.
2. The Knife hold: Just like you hold the knife while cutting a food or a cake, place the thumb on one part of the grip section and index finger on the other part.
Both of them are effective while crocheting. I use both techniques depending upon the pattern. You can also pick one which is comfortable for you.
The Pros
1. The crochet stitches much taller than knitted stitches which makes it faster to complete the fabric.
2. With just one hook, it is much easier to learn crocheting, instead of giggling between two needles in knitting.
3. Mistakes can be easily rectified by ripping back the yarn, unlike knitting where a simple error could ruin hours of hard work.
4. Crochets are usually chunkier than knitting as it uses more yarn, which makes it perfect for projects like tote bags and sweaters.
5. While knitting, you are constrained by rows or round stitches and making your design is a complex process; however, crochet offers free-form designs. You can create your free-form designs by improving them easily.
The Cons
1. Crocheting needs at least 30% extra yarn than knitting but it’ll be heavy and tough.
2. You need to constantly pay attention while crocheting.
3. Even though both crafts are popular, there are less patterns available for crocheting, despite growing popularity over the past few years.
Which one should you pick?
For beginners who have no idea about either of these things, I highly recommend you go for crochet because you are only dealing with a single hook, have one loop at a time and it is fairly easy to learn and practice.
Once you have mastered the art of crocheting, you can move on to knitting to make a wide variety of garments like a hanging basket, twisted rope blanket, Finger Knit Cowl etc. If you have any questions, do let me know in the comments and I’ll get back to you soon. Cheers!
