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I can crochet and am trying to teach myself to knit and it appears to be much more difficult and involved? Is knitting harder or is it just because I don't know what I am doing yet?
Candee
It could be because you're just learning. I don't think inherently one is any harder than the other, but some people are going to say one's easier and some will say the other, all depends on personal experience. But it's always harder when you're first learning, so I would definitely give yourself time to learn before you decide whether it's harder or not. Personally, I can do them both and consider them about equally difficult in most cases, but some types of yarn make it easier to do one vs the other. For example, if I have a really fluffy fuzzy/furry yarn, I have a lot of trouble crocheting with it because I can't really tell where the yarn is vs the fluff, but I have no problem at all knitting with it. And some really fine skinny yarns I have more trouble knitting because I tend to knit it too tight, but I have no trouble crocheting with it.
Good point, I tried to crochet with the fuzzy yarn and thought I was going to go completely blind. Will keep practicing as I am sure you are right. Just seems more difficult cause it is new to me.
I taught myself to knit, after having been a crocheter for many years. Personally, I think knitting is much easier. I found a really good place to learn to knit online. It has videos for both continental and english knitters and it sure made learning that much easier.
My mom use to say if you learned to crochet first - you'd never learn to knit (meaning you'd never have the patience for knitting) - but she wasn't right about everything! I learned to crochet at a young age - but just started knitting the last few years. LOVE knitting. I've not made many "things" = but I love just trying out stitches and patterns and just the doing of it. It's not easy to learn, but one day you'll get the hang of it and that will be all she wrote...!
Marcia, I am much like you, learned to crochet and have made so many things over the years. Stopped doing any of the needle work for about 25 years and then started crochet again.
I started teaching myself to knit and got lots of assistance here on DG. Like doing it but seems a bit more tiring to my hands and fingers than crochet. That could be because I was making a baby pattern, very tight knit, small yarn, small circular needle and now BAD EYES at my age. But have not given up, will continue when I get the chance.
Candee
I think that ecrane3 has given good advice above. I do both, but I tend to do more crochet. However, I like the flexibility of knitted things better. Crochet is inherently more portable if you are doing piece work like afghan squares - just one hook, generaly not too long. With knitting, the needles are generally longer. There's a possibility of stitches coming off the end unless you take steps to prevent it, it's possible to get going the wrong way if you have to stop mid-row. I had good success last summer taking plastic crochet hooks and fingernail clippers with me on airplanes and getting a lot done. Probably couldn't do that with knitting needles.
If you are just learning, in addition to avoiding the fuzzy yarn, try to get one that is tightly wound so that you don't split the ply's too easily. That will also help.
knitaddict06 - thanks for the link. Might be able to figure out what I'm doing. A former neighbour made me learn continental when I was in university, but I do elements of it left handed. It will be interesting to look at those videos. If I can figure that out, I might be able to teach my granddaughter who is left handed.
Ann
PS just posted a pic. of crocheted Santa Claus mits on another thread. For next year I will try to figure out a similar knitted pattern.
