I sewed first, if I'm honest. As a small child it was sewing, macramé, finger knitting and embroidery – my sister and I grew up crafting alongside Mum, at the kitchen table, long before anybody thought to call it a hobby.
Knitting came next, and I had a real passion for it from about twelve. This was when the Anny Blatt patterns were everywhere and I made some gloriously mad things. There was a red halter-neck top with an enormous green monstera leaf worked in intarsia across the front. I'd have been fourteen or fifteen. I can still picture it exactly, and I'd give a great deal to have it now.
Crochet came at around fifteen, taught by Mum with scraps of yarn and a borrowed hook and a great deal of laughter. There was no YouTube. I sat with a book of tiny black-and-white stitch diagrams and more or less figured it out.
So I've stood on both sides of this question, and I get asked it every week.
Knitting or crochet first? The short answer is that there isn't one, and anybody who tells you otherwise is selling something. Most people arrive already leaning one way – follow that. And if you've tried one and it didn't gel with you, definitely try the other. That's the single most useful thing I can tell you.
What do you want to make?
This settles it more often than anything else, and it's the first thing I ask.
If you want to make amigurumi – the little crocheted toys – you want crochet, and an enormous number of people come in wanting exactly that. If you want to make garments, most people head for knitting. If you want a blanket, crochet is wonderful for it: granny squares, or those extraordinarily detailed blankets that look like they took a lifetime.
None of that is a rule. There are beautiful crocheted garments and beautiful knitted blankets and knitted toys. But if you already know what you want to hold at the end of it, that usually points you the right way.
The look of the fabric
You'll read a lot online about knitted fabric draping and crochet being stiff. Ignore it. Drape comes from your gauge, your yarn and your hook or needle size, not from the craft. You can absolutely make a floaty crocheted shawl – you work it looser, on a bigger hook, in a different yarn.
What people actually respond to is something simpler. Knitted fabric looks more like the clothes we buy. Most people have never really pictured a crocheted jumper, and crochet has carried a reputation for being a bit craftier.
That's changing fast, and it's lovely to watch. The trendy shops that teenagers actually shop in have spent the last few years putting out crocheted tops, bikinis and ponchos, and a whole wave of young people have taken up a hook so they can make those things themselves. Crochet is having a proper moment.
Either way, this is what really drives it: have a look at both fabrics and see which one you like more. Come in and handle the samples. Your eye will tell you.
Speed, and how much yarn you'll need
Here's a genuine practical difference. Crochet uses considerably more yarn than knitting for the same size of piece – but it's also faster. Those two things pull against each other, so which matters depends on what you're doing.
If you want a blanket, and you want it finished this winter rather than next, crochet. Knitting the same blanket takes noticeably longer. If yarn budget is the tighter constraint, knitting goes further.
That's often exactly why crochet leans towards acrylic and cotton – when a project eats more yarn, the price per ball matters a great deal more.
I'm not a fan of acrylic myself. I don't like the way it feels in my hands. So when I want to crochet on a budget, I lean towards cotton instead – it's still kind on the wallet, it wears beautifully, and it shows your stitches clearly, which is never a bad thing.
What about your hands?
This comes up constantly. It depends on you, and there are more factors than people expect.
The hooks help. Ergonomic crochet hook handles are genuinely good, and for a lot of people with sore hands or arthritis that alone makes crochet the kinder option. There's more on this in our guide to choosing a crochet hook.
It depends how you knit. English style knitting involves a lot of circular movement from the shoulder down, and some people find that hard on their shoulders and elbows. Crochet doesn't ask that of you – but it does ask more of your wrist, with that twisting motion, which can bite if you're working in a heavier yarn.
It depends on the yarn. Some people find a fine 4 ply much kinder on their hands than something thick. Others are exactly the opposite. There's no predicting it, which is why trying is better than reading.
And it depends on your needles. A lot of knitting hand pain is really weight – the project hanging off the ends of two straight needles. On circulars the weight sits in the cable in your lap, and the problem often simply goes away. Our guide to choosing knitting needles covers that.
For what it's worth: I knit continental, and my hands don't get sore knitting at all. They can get sore crocheting, because of the twist of the hook. So my own answer is the one I'd suggest to anyone – I swap. Different movements, so one hand motion gets a rest while I do the other. That is a much better answer than picking a side.
You'll probably end up doing both
Almost everyone who falls for yarn eventually adds the other one. It stops being a competition very quickly.
As I write this I have a knitted jumper on the needles, a little crocheted cardi that's nearly finished, and a crocheted blanket I've just started. No shawl at the moment, which is unusual for me – there's normally a knitted shawl somewhere. I like always having a crocheted blanket going, because it's the easiest thing in the world to pick up and put down again.
So where do you start?
Whichever appeals to you more. Truly. But if you'd like something concrete:
To crochet, start with a simple square or a dishcloth in a smooth, light-coloured yarn so you can see your stitches. Our beginner crochet kits and amigurumi kits are built for exactly this, and we run regular beginner crochet classes here in the shop.
To knit, start with something flat and forgiving – a scarf, a simple wrap, a baby blanket. Have a look at our beginner knitting kits or come to a beginner knitting class.
Either way, use a beginner-friendly yarn in a light colour. Dark yarn hides your stitches, and while you're learning you need to see exactly what your hands are doing.
Common questions
Is knitting or crochet easier to learn?
Neither, reliably. Some people find crochet easier because there's one hook and one live stitch to keep track of; others find knitting easier because the stitches sit safely on the needle. The useful test is to try the one that appeals, and if it doesn't gel, try the other.
Do I need to know how to knit before I can crochet?
No. They're separate crafts with different tools and different techniques. If you already knit, your yarn handling and tension will feel familiar, but that's about all that carries over.
Does crochet use more yarn than knitting?
Yes, noticeably more for the same size of piece. It's also faster to work, so a crocheted blanket will be finished sooner even though it eats more yarn.
Which is better for a blanket?
Crochet, if speed matters – granny squares and detailed motif blankets are a joy to make and grow quickly. Knitted blankets are lovely too, they just take longer.
Which is kinder on sore hands?
It depends on you. Ergonomic hook handles make crochet comfortable for many people with arthritis. But English style knitting can be hard on shoulders, crochet can be hard on wrists, and much knitting hand pain is really the weight of the project, which circular needles solve. Best of all is doing both and alternating, so one set of movements rests while you use the other.
Can you make garments in crochet?
Absolutely, and there are more crocheted garment patterns now than there have ever been. The recent run of crocheted tops, bikinis and ponchos in mainstream fashion has brought a whole new generation to it.
Come and have a look
The fastest way to decide is to hold both. We have knitted and crocheted samples all over the shop – pick them up, feel the fabric, see which one makes you want to start immediately. Ask us anything. Between us we all do both, and we all have opinions.
Debx
