Knitting Vs. Crochet

Here we go again, I don't know why but there is a little bit of a rivalry going between crochet and knit. Only a bit and it depends where you are if you have ever seen this or not. But everyone wonders, especially when you are first getting into this, which one is worth learning?

The biggest thing is a 'which takes more yarn'? I've heard everything between there is no difference, up to 'oh crochet uses 42% more yarn' how they got that number I don't know. I've looked it over as I did so and I think I found how and why crochet does 'use up more' yarn then knitting.

It doesn't if you are just stockinette and single or double crochet. Some stitches are a yarn eater in crochet, like the popcorn stitch it uses a lot of yarn.

When it comes to crochet there are a lot of different possible stitches, single, half double crochet, double crochet, treble crochet, bauble versions of all of those, just a lot. When it comes to knitting you have knit, purl, and at best yarn over and decrease. What changes patterns is how you match up those different ways will make patterns. While crochet patterns can go from lacy to bulky it isn't the same as knitting, even when solid like just straight stockinette, has a lacy vibe.

Yarn has a S twist, the way it is twisted is meant for knitters. Some places like Lion Brand will make Z twist yarns which is perfect for crochet.

Right handed.

I'm a leftie so for me S twist is perfect for crochet and Z twist is perfect for knitting. Which may be why yarn splits more when I knit then when I crochet, but there is no real way to know. However most of the population is right handed and so everything really is meant for knitters.

Pretty much every store I went into has all different kinds of knitting needles with only a few crochet hooks. Crochet doesn't really have any notions that are fully crochet other then stitch markers as the lobster clawed ones are meant for crochet while the just circular one is for knitting. The thing that knitting needles have that crochet hooks don't need is point protectors, this you put on your needle points and it keeps your project from sliding off the needles.

I only ever went into one store where there was more crochet hooks then knitting needles and it was shocking but a pleasant surprise to me. The fact is there are just so many kinds of knitting needles, straight needles, circular needles, double pointed needles DPN, interchangeable needles. There are just crochet hooks, different brands sure but a Susan Bates hook and a Boye hook are the same kind just different things like a tapered or inline hook but they are still just simple crochet hooks. Same with aluminum, plastic or wooden hooks.

I take this as a plus for crochet, because you only need it to make a circle, to have all of your hooks in one place is easy. Plus you have fewer hooks to buy. In the end if you just have straight needles you aren't going to make a hat or a circular pillow. With just one crochet hook you can.

There are more patterns with knitting. Just is. Plus whenever someone sees you they think you are knitting, which is easy mistake to make especially since not very many people even know what crochet is. However it does get tiring and annoying to constantly have to explain to people 'oh no I'm not knitting, I'm crocheting. It's kind of like knitting but it's just one and instead of fully straight it is hooked.'

But the question of which is better? Knitting or crocheting?

Yes.

Now me being a bit wishy-washy, both are good. Just let me explain.

I think that they both have their place. Think of it like yarn, a lace weight yarn would be horrible to make a full blanket it, it would be forever and be expensive to make out of lace yarn. However to make a shawl it will be beautiful.

It is easier to explain it in the term of knitting, you can't do everything with DPN but when it comes to making a small circle it is good to have, while having straight for a scarf is perfect.

So I think knitting and crochet can both be wonderful depending on your project. To me both have a place with a fiber artist just like loom knitting. I think that no one should turn their nose up at either, if one doesn't jive with you then of course don't force yourself to knit or crochet if it doesn't work for you, but for me I go about making things in whichever way seems to work best for that particular project.

Also I tried to learn to knit for years, I am a graduate from the University of Youtube, but I couldn't knit until after I learned to crochet.

Baby Patterns

Making baby things are fun. They are small so it doesn't take a lot of time, and is so cute! Problem is, lots of people like doing it. However so many babies are born a day, so really it can help.

First things first, my favorite crochet baby booties.

https://jaydainstitches.com/resources/Baby_Slippers_Classic_Wrap.pdf

These I have found the recommended hook size is 5.5mm, I can not for the life of me a 5.5mm hook. I have searched. I have a 5.25mm hook  which for me makes a premie size baby booties which actually is perfect for me. I use a 5.75mm hook and it makes a slightly big baby booties but that's perfect for a big baby and a smaller one, will grow.

I don't put the pompom on the booties, I like how they look better without the pom and also I would worry about being a little girly for baby boys as well as just the practicality of washing.

Also if you go to Jayda Institches on Youtube you can find a video tutorial as well

Here is baby booties that are knit, they actually look extremely similar to the crochet ones.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7BK4OxBZEyM

I don't know if there is a written pattern here, but it is by Studio Knits so I think there may be.

Now to a baby hat and sweater set. I have to admit I haven't found 'the one' for my set. I tend to find one kind of pattern for everything and it becomes my go-to for every time. Which means I do not have any idea to turn any of the baby hats or sweaters for a premie. If I figure it out I will come and edit this post. Or maybe make a new post. I don't know yet.

http://www.lionbrand.com/knitting-pattern-playground-sweater-hat-1.html

This is a pattern from LionBrand. It is a free download and you have to have an account but you don't have to worry about it because it is all free. This is knit and I do like it, it does take a bit of sewing and buttons as well. I'm looking for any patterns for a knit or crochet baby sweater and hat set if anyone has it.

Now a crochet hat and sweater pattern

Hat: https://thecrochetcrowd.com/crochet-baby-hat-pattern-tutorial/

Sweater (actually a jacket): https://thecrochetcrowd.com/crochet-baby-jacket-pattern-tutorial/

Now my favorite part; baby blanket. I have to admit that there are a million and one patterns for baby blanket. But here is my absolute favorite. It is a crochet pattern.

http://littlemonkeyscrochet.com/call-the-midwife-inspired-baby-blanket-free-pattern/

Like I said there is a million of patterns for baby blankets but I love this one, it is sweet and cute and can work well for a baby boy or baby girl. It gives some interest and also since each 'block' is a repeating pattern but every row is the different. So after like the second block you'll always know what you should do just by looking at the blanket and since every row is different you won't get bored but it isn't so different that you'll have to constantly look at the pattern.

Here is a knit pattern, this one is a pay for pattern but I do think it looks pretty so I'll put it here.

https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/snuggle-time-baby-blanket-2

But here is a free pattern for anyone who can't or won't buy it. I couldn't find any pattern that was free so instead I will just point out something simple.

Pick whatever stitch pattern you want, cast on whatever you need to make the size baby blanket. Here is a basic tutorial.

https://www.wikihow.com/Knit-a-Baby-Blanket

Finally a pattern for the baby to have something to cuddle and hold, a cute little toy.

The first thing is for a premature baby. This is kind of what got me into charity crafting in the first place. This is only for crochet and I don't know of any knitting patterns but I hope there is or if anyone is good enough to make your own pattern please do.

This is a charity in its own right and I think it deserves its own post so instead I will just give a link and cover this later.

https://octopusforapreemie.com/

Okay toys for the average baby first crochet.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uK-E5wCTM2s&t=16s

Now while the crochet here looks like an egg the knit is the same only in a more square shape.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QckaebMwhPw

The last thing isn't an actual baby thing as opposed to mom. A nursing shawl. Unfortunately a woman can not feed her baby without everyone losing their mind. So instead a shawl to hide it a bit, also gives mom a bit of privacy. For me a crescent shawl should work best for this.

For this it is just a tutorial on how to make a crescent shawl but this is basically my idea for a nursing shawl. I will add my own pattern when I figure it out.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WeWPN2g_Crk

I have to admit I like the bit I've figured out for knitting the crescent shawl. But here is a crochet patter if you want as well.

https://marlybird.com/free-crochet-patterns/rainbow-sprinkles-crescent-shawl/

Making A Diffrence; Lattes and Llamas

Okay this is just going to be a post of me praising Lattes & Llamas. If you don't want to hear me geek out about them then please just go check them out and leave here; https://lattesandllamas.com/

L&L (which I will now call Lattes & Llamas because it's faster) is home of the Geek-Along. The Geek-Along is a knit and crochet along (they have patterns for both crochet and knit, how awesome is that?!) that does geeky blanket squares. Everything from scientist like Tesla and Mandela, TV shows like Supernatural and Dexter's Laboratory, even molecules like DNA or the molecular for caffeine.

 Every year L&L makes their Geek-Along and then send the finished blanket to the Child's Play charity's winter gala to be auctioned off. http://childsplaycharity.org/?gclid=CjwKCAjw-7LrBRB6EiwAhh1yX3NAGvt0EMc1R3m0vbcOIhNlV4QonO3KPwkHK_PofSYo0Myfy8GS0hoCiRUQAvD_BwE

I do have to talk about Child's Play for just a second, Child's Play is a charity giving gaming systems and games to children in hospitals and domestic abuse shelters and such. I never think of that, true I have plans to make little stuffed toys for children in hospitals and shelters and such but in the end video games are very good for kids. I know the media wants to say that video games turn kids into violent psychopaths, it isn't true. (The fact that in the past the media claimed the same for TV, movies, music, and even plays and operas! But that is a rant for another day.) Gaming helps hand-eye coordination, helps with thinking on your feet and even have games that are meant for education. Is too much gaming bad? Of course. But answer this, what exists that too much isn't bad? I'll wait.

So Child's Play is a great charity, but how can I craft to help?

L&L figured it out!

Not only do they make their blanket that they send to the charity gala every year, but they also sell yarn and certain yarns they will donate to this charity for every skein they sell. But what really got me, what made me smile and fall in love with this as a place instead of just as a fun Geek-Along.

Every one of their blanket squares are a free pattern, what they ask you to do if you can is instead donate to Child's Play. That just warms my heart. I want to make a blanket and I plan to make it with luxury yarns so I have to wait to save up for them, (this blanket I plan will be a geeky heirloom) but I will once I do donate some amount. I am thinking somewhere between three and five dollars. I have over 100 squares I want to do so will be doing that one at a time as I make them.

There are so many charities and this is a nice reminder that even ones that don't seem like they can be part of the fiber artist world, it can. I just really love this.

Yarn Review; Caron Simply Soft

This used to be my very favorite of all favorite yarns. Not anymore but when I was first learning to crochet I went with Red Heart, which I will review later, and Caron Simply Soft feels so soft and silky to Red Heart.

Caron Simply Soft is a size 4 (worsted) weight yarn, that is 100% acrylic, the recommended crochet hook is 5 mm, and the knitting needles is 5 mm as well. Now the yardage is different, depending on if you get a solid (6 oz or 170 grams with 315 yards or 288 meters) or ombre (4 oz or 114 grams with 208 yards or 190.2 meters) both solids and ombres are the same price so you do get a bit more bang for your buck with solids but not by that much. It is machine wash and tumble dry, which I have used it and can tell you that I only ever put it in normal dryer and it comes out fine. Do not iron it or bleach it, again since it is completely acrylic I would guess that bleach would just bleed out the color, which yes wouldn't be as pretty but a bleached blanket will still be a blanket.

So technically normally if a label says something like that I wouldn't recommend it for charity knitting/crochet but I've noticed absolutely nothing changing throwing it in the dryer and would have no problem giving a gift to a love one and telling them 'oh yeah, just throw it in the washer or dryer' I try to always give people machine and dry yarns when I gift someone something unless they knew going in that I was going to make them something that is not able to be machine washed or dry, but that is a story for another day.

Just a quick note I've never heard of ombre referring to yarn until the last year or so. Basically an ombre is a self striping yarn but all in one color. So if you want some fun colors together; like purples, blues and greens or whatever you won't find it in a ready made yarn skein.

When it comes to how the yarn is used it lives somewhere between size 3 and size 4, it's too big to be a size 3 but a little too small to be size 4, but is closer to size 4. I honestly think it would be better to consider it an Arayen weight, which is the weight they made that exists between sport/baby (size 3) and worsted (size 4).

I have to say I love working with this yarn, it is soft and silky so glides along your hand, it does have a nice drape, it is not the most beautiful drape I've ever seen but for big box store I have to say it is up there. Even against some of the luxury yarns it can hold its own in drape.

It is not prone to split, maybe every now and then it might split a little bit but it isn't often, and since even the best of the best yarn can split every now and then I would say that it is good. I highly recommend it, I do have to say that when you make something it will not be as shiny as it is in the skein but not by much.

It is a tad slippery so if someone were just learning to knit or crochet it might be hard to keep the yarn on the hook or needle (for me I would not recommend touching this yarn as a knitter until you are at least easily comfortable with everything you are doing. But it was much harder for me to learn to knit then to crochet, and whenever a stitch falls of my needle I try to catch it but if I don't I have to pull the entire thing undone.

Now when it comes to pilling that is hard to answer. Some colors like a dark red (I lost the label long ago) can pill pretty badly, others like Country Blue and Lilac don't pill at all, Honestly I've got seven different colors of this yarn and only that dark red yarn pilled badly. But to be fair that it gets much better if you throw it into the wash. It will pill like any acrylic yarn but it isn't that bad.

So would I recommend this yarn? Yes. Unequivocally yes. It is a lovely yarn with some lovely drape, is enjoyable to work with, still having expanded my horizons with yarn I have to say it is one of the most enjoyable yarns to work with.

I might say if someone was just learning to crochet or knit that day hold off until they get the very basics. Just because it is the slightest bit slippery, not super slippery but it is a bit. Like if you can chain and single crochet and double crochet or cast on, knit and bind off then I would so recommend it.

The one bad thing is there aren't many colors and so I tend to use other yarns (like Red Heart) that have more colors. But when it is able to be used it is a joy to work with.