crochet vs. knitting

[salty]

so, the title pretty much says it. what are the pros and cons of each? what sorts of projects are better for knitting or better for crochet? which craft do you mamas out there prefer and why?

i enjoy crochet and find it pretty easy. i like that all i need is the hook and the yarn - that's it. i just picked up my first set of knitting needles this week and am (obviously) still feeling pretty awkward with them. i haven't tackled any projects yet, but i'm intrigued. (and i've already had dreams involving knitting - is this bad?)

so, i guess it's the yarn-arts throwdown here. what do you say?

[smeta]

I can do both, but I'm not a pro at either. For most things I like the look of knitted yarn better. But crocheting is easier so it is nice to use too!

[rootzdawta]

LoL . . .this discussion comes up pretty often.

I learned to crochet first. What I love about crochet is the simplicity. You need a hook and you need yarn. I appreciate the durability of crocheted things and I also like the fact that there is much more room for mistakes so I'm much more adventurous and creative. I love to crochet things like blankets and also use finer weight yarns to make clothes for babies and children because they will be laundered more frequently. Bags and hats are also faves of mine for crochet.

With knitting, you need a lot of implements. Want to make a hat or socks? You need DPNs. What about a sweater knitted in the round? You need circulars. You cold learn magic loop and cut down on the need but that can be fussy. And, oh good grief, there is nothing worse than needing to frog something back a few rows. Live stitches strike fear and dread in my heart and I don't seem to be able to (correctly) follow any methods for frogging that would avoid live stitches. So, I'm very afraid to make mistakes (and therefore experiment) in knitting. That being said, I really like the way knitted garments look . . . to me, the stitches for knitting are more "delicate" if you will and so clothes accomodate the curves of a body better. Plus, knitted things are a lot more stretchy and have more give which I think makes that craft better suited to clothing.

As you can see, I love both disciplines and frequently combine the two.

[SoCaliMommy]

I prefer knitting.

You DON'T need dpns to knit socks... if you buy a interchangeable knitting needle set like Denise or KnitPicks Options and a 45" cable *knitpicks claims you can do it with their 32" cable* and knit 2 socks at 1 time using the magic loop method which is easy.

[rootzdawta]

. . .

[salty]

Originally Posted by rootzdawta

LoL . . .this discussion comes up pretty often.

i figured it must so i did a quick search / browse but didn't find those other threads? could anyone help me out with a link, maybe?

and as for socks - yeah, i don't think i'm going to be going there, at least not for a long time.

i'm still interested in others' opinions. anyone? anyone?

[Knittin' in the Shade]

I do both, but prefer (and design with) knitting. For me, knitting is more versatile. Also, I like that in knitting there's just two stitches you need to master - knit and purl. Everything in knitting is done with those two stitches, whereas with crochet it feels like there's a billion and one different stitches. You can beat crochet for speed, though - it's WAY faster than knitting. Crochet generally results in a thicker fabric, which can be a good thing depending on what you are making. Crochet tends to ue more yarn than knitting (on comparable projects - for example if you're crocheting shorties it'll use about 20-25% mroe yarn than if you were to knit the same size shorties) so that's definitely a factor in terms of budget. Overall, I think there's most definitely a place for both and you shouldn't limit yourself to just one

[christianmomof3]

I do a little bit of both and agree with the replies. It is good to be able to do both. Crochet is lots faster and easier but knitting makes prettier fabric.

[LilyGrace]

I prefer knitting, but I like crochet, too. IMO, crochet is better when doing open, lacy things - summerwear, edging, tablecloths, bedspreads, but knitting is better for classical looking cold weather wear - sweaters, mittens, blankets, etc.

It's nice to have a mixture of the two around the house. Keeps hand-made things from looking or feeling boring.

[Indigo73]

Another bi-craftual gal here. They above comments are pretty much on the money. I adore both crafts and do them just about equally. I took up knitting a few years ago because I like the fact I can find a pattern and do it no matter which yarning skills are required, no need to recreate someone's wonderful design.

[lovesdaffodils]

I haven't learned to crochet very well yet, but I can see it being very useful and enjoyable. But I think I like knitting much more.

[Kyamo]

If you notice a mistake a few rows back, with knitting its possible to drop down only the stitches involved and fix the problem, with crochet theres no choice but to pull out everything you've done since the mistake.

[Down2Earth]

I love how knitting is so much stretchier. Which makes sense since crochet is a series of knots, so there isn't a lot of give. With that said, I love crocheted afghans since knitted ones tend to stretch out of shape sometimes and they definitely have a front and back. But I don't like crocheted clothing, I feel like it is just too bulky.

[salty]

thanks for the feedback, everyone! these are all really good points. i guess it probably is best to be able to do both crafts, as Indigo73 said. no need to feel left out of a nice pattern.