I know I’ve talked about both knitting and crocheting here on my blog but I haven’t talked about their differences.
Both crafts use yarn/fiber to create projects such as sweaters, shawls, wraps, blankets, afghans, scarves, hats, mittens, socks. Both crafts use patterns. Both crafts use hand-eye coordination, an eye for color/design, and project planning.
So what’s the difference? The tools for one. Knitting requires pointy needles most times in sets of two, but more needles may be used for certain projects. Circular needles are another type of knitting needle and are connected by a cord. Looms and machines are also used for knitting.
The crocheting tool is a single crochet hook and is always done by hand. There is no machine(that I know of) that can duplicate the crochet stitching.
Another difference is the structural difference of knitting and crocheting. The tools are used to weave the fiber into loops and join those loops together. With knitting each stitch depends on the stitch below and can unravel if a stitch is dropped.
With crochet, there usually aren’t many active loops at one time, or possibly a few loops. Since stitches build on top of each other, the active loop is the only spot from where the fabric is susceptible to unraveling.
I feel there is no “best” between the two crafts. I say try them both and see which you prefer. Knowing how to do both is best! I’ve knitted a scarf before and added a frilly crocheted stitch to the ends rather than a fringe. I love how it turned out. Anyway you can read more about the defference between knit and crochet from my source at About.com
This week our group is promoting Kathy, who is very skilled with both crochet and knitting. An excerpt from Kathy’s Zibbet profile:
I am 50 something and currently live in Jackson WY close to the beauty of the Teton Mountains and Yellowstone National Park.
Throughout my life there has always been one constant and that is working with my hands. My goal is to help make life cozier for you and those your care about. I love to make shawls and scarves but I appreciate the utility of a simple cotton washcloth so I make those too.
I have tried many different forms of needlework and crafts over the years. In the past I have poured greenware in a ceramics shop, learned how to do western carving on leather, dabbled in tole or folk art painting along with sewing clothes, embroidery, the basics of tatting and quilting. I love needlework best of all the creative outlets I have explored. The work you will see here reflect that love and will be knitted or crocheted.
You can read more about Kathy from her Meet the Seller page. You’ll see her love for both crafts in her creations, which you’ll find in her Zibbet shop, Cozy. In Kathy’s shop you’ll find a great selection of scarves, shawls, headbands, kitchen/bath cloth, and market bags. It’s definitely that time of year when you want to feel warm and Cozy!


