I get asked this several times a week.
My response?
Crochet and knitting are peers, not denigrating mortal enemies.
One is not better than the other any more than water color paintings are better than oil paintings.
What do I mean by that? Here’s a quick synopsis.
Crochet and knitting do different things; they are not interchangeable.
On Crochet
Crochet generally has more structure. It’s not as stretchy as it’s counter part. That makes it great for tote and shopping bags, hats, slippers, shawls, scarves, afghans (from baby to adult!), lace, pillows, draperies and home decor, rugs, washcloths, hand towels, skirts, dresses, edgings, and all sorts of things that you want to hold shape. Crochet can be wonderful for tops and sweaters, but attention needs to be paid to the construction, style, and sizing.
Crochet is fabulous in that you are only working with one stitch at a time, using one hook! You can take your hook out, and you are not going to have your entire project fall apart. When (not if!) you have to frog part of your project out, you have far more control over the unraveling process, and don’t have to worry that the whole thing is simply going to come undone. Crochet is easy to free-form, a technique where stitches are added at random, changing directions and techniques at whim.
Since crochet is less stretchy than knitting, I find it less desirable for socks, and sweater sleeves. Because of the dense structure of crochet, the fabric is generally thicker than when knit with a comparable sized tools. This can lead to needing more yarn for a crochet project than a knit project (this is NOT an absolute though!).
On Knitting
Knitting is very stretchy. It’s great for items that are going to encase the body, such as socks, sweaters, dresses and hats. It’s also wonderful for shawls, scarves, lace and any sort of garment.
Knitting is often the first thing people think of when it comes to yarn crafting. It’s a great yarn craft because it can be faster for many people than crochet. All of your active stitches are live on your needles, which for some people makes it easier to see where they are in the process.
Since knitting is so stretchy, I don’t find it as suitable for bags in general. If (more likely when) you happen to mess up a stitch, or drop one, it can ravel down quickly, and trying to recover it can make things more of a mess, so starting over happens.
Final Thoughts
So, to wrap it up. One is NOT better than the other. They are different. Crochet and knitting do different things in the items they create,a dn in the way the stitcher interacts with the yarn.
I encourage people to do both so they can have choices about the overall effect they want in the final product, but choosing one is just fine!
Either way, I’m here to help you choose the right yarn to go with your pattern, OR the right pattern to go with your yarn!
Now.
Go make beautiful things!
Love, SuziQue