Should I Learn to Knit or Crochet?

Should you learn to knit or crochet? The short answer. Yes. But which one? That's a little more complicated.

As both a knitter and a crocheter, (and I feel like there should be a word that conveys that you can do both) I've been asked this several times by people interested in taking up a fiber art.

I have a lot of thoughts on this - so here's my best attempt at comparing the two so you can decide which craft is for you.

All Crafting is Great

First of all, whether you knit, crochet, quilt, sew, or anything in between, crafting is awesome. See the next post in this series about crafting for your mental health.

But if you're thinking about knitting or crochet, here are the things I love about each, and some drawbacks you may consider.

What do you want to make?

Let's start here because we're in it for the goods, right? I'd break down all handmade items into wearables and decor (loosely).

Wearables

*Most* of the time if I'm making wearables like sweaters, hats, scarves, cardigans, headbands, etc, I prefer knitting. This is for two reasons: 1) usually knit items have better drape (the way they hang/lay on the body), and 2) I prefer the look. Knit stitches are what we're used to seeing in store bought items because it's easily replicated by machinery. Very often a store bought sweater will be in the stockinette stitch, which is made by knitting one row and purling the next.

These wool blend beanies have a knit ribbing to provide stretch. The rest of the beanie is knit in stockinette.

Knit ribbing on sweaters and hats also looks and feels better than crochet, in my opinion. That's not to say that crochet garments can't be awesome, but I almost always prefer knit garments and accessories.

Winner: Knitting

Housewares/Decor

If you're looking to craft home decor and other housewares, I typically lean toward crochet. Crochet is dense and can provide structure to items like crochet pumpkins, washcloths, trivets, plant hangers, bags, etc. These items benefit from the lack of drape that makes crochet less desirable for garments.

Crochet stitches almost always feel denser than knit stitches meaning that they're great for providing the kind of durability and strength you might want out of a hot pad or a bag, but not as much for a sweater.

This crocheted bottle bag provides a sturdy fabric capable of holding a full 26 oz water bottle.

If you're thinking about making toys, or other characters or animals, a craft called amigurumi you'll want to pick up a crochet hook because these patterns are widely available. Knitting characters is definitely possible, but there aren't as many patterns, and you'll probably do more sewing than in crochet.

Winner: Crochet

Which one is easier?

This is probably personal preference for the most part. My grandma taught me crochet and knitting around the same time, but I could not get the hang of knitting and became frustrated. I picked up crochet first, and later something finally clicked with knitting.

My daughter knitting her first scarf.

Crochet involves one hook instead of the two needles knitting requires, but as I learned when I was teaching my daughter to knit and crochet, it really just depends on how it feels for you. My daughter was frustrated with how to get the yarn tension right in crochet and she picked up knitting first.

There are other details that may sway you, however. Crochet is more forgiving when you make a mistake. If you miscount, miss a stitch, or otherwise have an error, you can pull back the stitches one by one without worrying about where to start. There's only one live loop at all times.

In knitting, when you make an error, it can mean removing all the live stitches from your needles and trying to get them back on the needles without stitches unraveling.

As easy as it is to unravel an error in crochet and start back up, there's another issue to consider. Because there's only one live stitch in crochet, it's not abundantly clear where you should crochet next.

Upon ending a row in knitting, you know you're done because there's no more stitches o your left needle. With crochet, there are plenty of places that may look like a stitch. I spent years making "rectangular" items like blankets and scarves that grew in width because I did not know where to stop each row or how to turn properly.

Winner: Sorry...it's up to you!

Which stitches are easier to master?

Crochet has a lot of variations. I got by just fine with just single and double crochet for years. They are basic and easy to complete, but when you're ready for more complicated ideas you'll need to start learning the treble crochet, how to crochet in the round, etc.

Knit fabrics too can be shaped into cables, ridges, eyelets, and so much else. However, you can get very, very far with just two stitches: knit and purl. These are the absolute building blocks of knitting, and I've made multiple garments that only include variations of these two stitches along with decreasing and increasing stitches.

Knitting and crochet both build off basic ideas, and there are a multitude of beginner patterns that can help you develop new skills a little at a time so you can grow as a fiber artist with each project.

Knit bubble stitch, an amazing texture.

Winner: Tie

Which one has a lower cost to start?

Now, finally an easy answer: crochet.

I bought a set of nice crochet hooks for less than $14 on Amazon, and it included every size hook I've needed, stitch markers, tapestry needles, and a carrying case.

You can't beat that. On the other hand, I've bought a single pair of premium Addi knitting needles that cost a little over $20. While there are lower-cost needles, even a cheap set will likely run you at least $5. If you're not sure if you'll love it, buying an inexpensive set of large needles is a good place to start.

Either hobby can cost you plenty of money as you become more obsessed and find more patterns, yarn varieties, and add more items to you to-make list, but crochet is the easy less expensive start.

Winner: crochet

Final decision

Just start! Ultimately, what you want to make will be the biggest factor in which craft you should begin with. If you are looking to give a perfect handmade gift, start with a small project, and tag #stitchsowscribe to share your crafting adventure.