Today I attended my first ever “Stitch & Bitch” where I met a delightful and fun bunch of people. We laughed hard, shared stories and had a great time!
The conversation came around to the topic of the fact that I don’t knit, I only crochet.
So you don’t knit at all?
. . . Well I do know how to knit, I actually have knitted a scarf, but I didn’t enjoy it. I’m awkward with the position of the needles, and not great with the tension. But when I pick up a crochet hook, I thoroughly relish the whole process.
But I’m sure if you persisted you could get good at knitting.
. . . Yes, but if I can make everything I need with crochet (I can even do three types of ribbing with crochet), then why do I need to knit?
Whilst driving home, I pondered the fact that a knitter that doesn’t crochet would possibly never be drilled about why they don’t crochet, and yet its possibly because in Australia crochet hasn’t been as modernised as it is in the US.
So I decided to provide some pictures and links to patterns in this post to show what can be done with crochet. Please see pictures below . . (please ignore the info about “audio” until you visit their web page)
Copenhagen Jacket designed by Tammy Hildebrand
Go to : http://www.naturallycaron.com/projects/copenhagen/copenhagen_1.html for this pattern.
Aspen Neckwarmer by Kim Guzman
Go to http://www.naturallycaron.com/projects/aspen/aspen_1.html for this pattern.
Chakra Purse by Kim Rutledge
Go to: http://www.naturallycaron.com/projects/chakra/chakra_1.html for this pattern.
Lapa by Doris Chan
Go to: http://www.naturallycaron.com/projects/lapa/lapa_1.html for this pattern.
Waterlillies jacket by Wendy Knight
For information about this jacket, go to http://www.textandtextiles.com.au/?o=3
Hat and Neckwarmer by Cats Rocking Crochet
For information about this pattern, go to http://cats-rockin-crochet.blogspot.com/
Crochet by Faye Double Breasted Jacket
For these jackets at Crochet by Faye, go to: http://www.crochetbyfaye.com/
Crochet by Faye
Ultimate Crochet Socks by Dorothy Hardy
For this pattern go to: http://www.crochetme.com/ultimate-crocheted-socks
As you can see, there isn’t anything that can’t be crocheted. Add to this baby garments and booties, blankets, scarves, wraps, shawls and ponchos, gloves and wrist warmers, skirts, and even curtains, throws and pillows, stuffed toys, leg warmers, the list is endless !!
I already have a fibre art that can make any yarned item that I need, and quite stylishly. So the next time someone asks me “So why don’t you knit?” . . . . My answer will be . . . “Because I don’t need to.”
I have started a Crochet Lovers group on Ravelry.com, and since I am effectively a “crochet onlyist” (LOL) I am perhaps considered to be a little eccentric about my defense of crochet. Crochet has long been considered the ugly sister of knitting, a craft used occasionally for edgings or doilies, the fabric not considered to be as superior as a knit fabric. All I ask, especially after showing the amazing crochet designs above, is that you consider crochet as an equal craft, able to stand alone in the fibre arts world.
You’re being very hook-ist! I enjoyed all your pics & got quite a surprise to scroll down and see my waterlilies jacket.
Not sure if I mainly knit because I learnt it first, but curiosity to try other crafts would have got me anyway (still want to try bobbin lace, but don’t know if I’ll find time while the eyesight is still good enough)
I love the post. Good topic to write about, I think our entire country needs a shake up and wake up to the art of crochet and make more materials available to us, we are not on an equal par with knitting at all. I am an accomplished knitter and I will brag and say that I am a lovely knitter, but knitting takes sooo long, I end up lots of UFO’s. One may say crochet uses up more yarn, but I have wasted lost of yarn with my knitted UFO’s, frog them you say, well that’s not as easy as froggin a crochet garment.
I wonder how many Aussie’s knit the European style, if I was taught that way to knit, I would not have as many UFO’s as it is sooo much faster, but that is another story.
Loved your post, great to see one of my crocheted items pictured.
Cheers Cat.
Wow! I love this post! You picked some lovely crocheted items to showcase. I can knit just fine. And I knit fast. I just don’t enjoy the movements of knitting like I do crochet. Crochet meets all my fiberlicious needs. So, I’m like you – a crochet onlyist. LOL!
Oh dear, I wrote a lengthy comment here but I may not have pressed submit or maybe it’s waiting censorship.
GO CROCHET!
Crochet actually uses less yarn than knitting, for an in-depth look at this, see
http://ayarnifiedlife.blogspot.com/2008/07/crochet-uses-less-yarn-than-knitting.html
Its very interesting !
I can knit and only recently learned to crochet. I haven’t touched my needles since. I was never particularly good at knitting and I feel that in the short time that I have been crocheting I have been able to achieve and learn so much more with a hook.
I’m self taught in both crochet and knitting. I have turned more to knitting only because of lack of good patterns for crochet. Thank-you for displaying inspiring pictures of crochet items. It is encouraging to me and the hook will return with a vengence. It souldn’t be viewed as the ugly sister to knitting but a craft in itself!!
Like you, I only crochet. I can knit, but don’t particularly enjoy it – I find the motions awkward, and it takes ages. I just love to crochet! There are now so many lovely items around to crochet – the projects in Interweave Crochet are a great example – and it is only a matter of time before more and more stylish crochet patterns about. Go the hook!