I finally learned to crochet and I have mixed feelings about it.
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| My first two crochet projects: A basic square and a Woobles mini briefcase. |
Durability
It's interesting because it allows for a thicker product made faster than double knitting. And thicker means sturdier, which is excellent for things like toys or objects. The difference in thickness seems to be because of working with each stitch more than once or at least that is how it feels in comparison to knitting.
Counting
I rarely have to count beyond cast on with knitting unless I need to do a decrease or increase somewhere. I don't mean the basic counting like knit one, purl one. I mean, counting the whole row out to be sure I still have the number of stitches I started with. I've literally never needed a stitch counter in the 15 or so years I've been knitting.
Crochet, though? I regularly feel like I'm going to lose my shit due to the constant need to count. Even with all the counting, somehow, my stitches can get off kilter and I'll find myself with the same number of stitches, but they have shifted over by one somewhere along the way. This has never happened to me with knitting. I find it easier to notice if I've dropped a stitch or accidentally increased, long before I get further up in the project, so I never have to rip back as far as I've constantly had to with crochet.
Now, it's possible that I have another issue going on specific to math skills and counting. In other words, it might be a me problem. It's extra frustrating if I'm trying to watch TV, a Twitch stream, or listen to music, which are all things I commonly do while knitting. The level to which this frustrates me means I'm unlikely to ever want to crochet anything large like a blanket unless it's a small square at a time.
Stitches
A number of the textures I find most interesting are found in knitting, like seed stitch, which I'm currently using as part of a scarf I'm making myself.
Given how difficult I find the basic crochet stitch, I'm in no hurry to try others.
With knitting, all the stitches are on the needles at once. In crochet, one works with 1-2 stitches at a time. This means it's easier to put the project down for a break and not worry about it getting totally messed up when crocheting.
Turning
There's a special stitch called a turning chain and I figured out its purpose. Yes, in the simplest sense, it helps you turn the project, but what it is actually doing is allowing you to move the yarn you need to make new chains with back to the best position for adding new chains. Otherwise, you end up with a bunch of weird looking lumps rather than a nice, uniform pattern. Compared to knitting,
Knitting simpler patterns doesn't really have this, though it is recommended to keep some knit stitches on the edges of a stockinette stitch pattern in order to prevent rolling edges. This can also result in a nice border on the project. Speaking of borders, I think one might be able to add a border to a knitted project using crochet, though I haven't tried it.
Anxiety
I find knitting way more helpful for my anxiety due to the issues with counting and because I can't just get into a flow and not have to think about what I'm doing.
It taxes me mentally to crochet and I'm often looking to wind down after being mentally taxed all day at work.
I can bring my knitting anywhere and know I'm unlikely to completely fuck up my project if I have a drink or two while I'm doing it.
Woobles
After learning with actual yarn, I find I don't like the "yarn" they have in their kits. I'd rather work with real yarn as it hurts my hands far less. But I suppose a benefit of crochet in that it may be easier to work with some less traditional cords and such that may be better for items like small purses.
Dark Colours
Knitting with dark colours isn't any more difficult than it is with light colours.
Crocheting in dark colours magnifies every challenging aspect of it because it's already much harder to finish rows since it's easy to lose track of the end stitches.
As a goth, black is life, so I prefer to knit in dark colours.
Gifts
If you're making gifts in light colours, it might be faster to complete them in a timely manner with crochet. It could depend on the thickness you're looking for. I can see myself making things like potholders in crochet with a cotton or wool yarn as those are better for contact with heat.
Overall
I'm unlikely to replace my knitting with crochet. I do think it has some specific uses that I want to take advantage of, but it's not for most of the projects I have in mind today. I think blankets and clothing are more likely to be a knitting thing for me, but objects might be better done in crochet. I can see making certain home items like potholders and dish cloths with crochet.