Crochet v knitted

#1

i’ve literally learnt to crochet last week. im painfully slow at it and not quite at the enjopying stage totally when i go it alone (learnt it one of mitchie’s classes and thought iy was great in the class, now slugging off a bit).

i want to make a basic throw type blanket for ds’s bed ready for winter. knitted this is a big project for me. woud it be quicker to do crocheted please?

if yes can anyone recomend an idiot proof pattern please?

i’ve done decreasing sts inc in double stitch and single so far, im not proving to be a quick learner with crochetting (im better at klnitting lol)

anyone got any cluyes please

thank you

#2

It depends on how fast you knit compared to crocheting I guess… I’ve never had the patience to actaully make a blanket. :slight_smile: Good luck!

#3

I crochet quite fast but my knitting is slow .
Maybe it will be just a case of which you prefer and if you feel comfy doing it.

Not sure i have been of any help but good luck anyhow!

#4

Personally for my I am faster at crocheting. I seem to like it better. I am just learning to knit. I have mad 6 twin size blankets in 2 years time. My suggestion it to start with granny squares. make a granny square the size you want. it can be big or small. and then after you have 40 or 50 of them sew them together. Dawn

#5

I learned crocheting first, but am even slower at that than I turned out to be in knitting.
Basically, all I crocheted were ripple afghans - they use basic stitches and chains, and can be made any length/width you want. Time consuming (when you’re as slow as I am), but very simple!! And, it doesn’t require sewing anything together (another plus for yours truly. LOL!!!)
Try a search for either “ripple” or “wave” crochet stitches - they’re the basis of the afghan - read them and see what you think.
Good luck!!

#6

I think I would consider myself a novice at both crochet (something I’ve been doing for years, but just am not perfect with) and knitting (something I’ve only been doing for a couple of weeks).

The largest finished piece I’ve ever made was a crocheted blanket that I do really love. However, it is not perfect (there are a lot of visible knotted ends where I didn’t really switch the colors of yarn properly) and it took me a long time. I would work on it and then put it away for several months at a time, but I’d still say that if I worked on it straight through it would have taken me about a month.

Like some of the other folks have said here, I’d do whichever one you think you are faster at.

#7

V-stitch is easy and fast. There are a lot of free patterns out there, ranging from baby blankets to ultra-bulky. Another idea would be the one giant rectangular granny square “pattern”–I just picked up a Bernat free leaflet with one of those on it. I don’t have it handy, but see if it’s on the Bernat website. The “stair step” pattern (ch 6, dc in the fourth, fifth and sixth chains from the hook, ch 6, turn, do the same thing again then dc around the last dc in the first group, keep going until your eyes cross and you develop a loathing for all yarn products,then begin to decrease one “block” on every row) will also give you a soft afghan fairly fast, especially if you use a bulky yarn. One of my favorites is a mile-a-minute loop and lace afghan you can find on freepatterns.com. It’s a baby afghan, but all you need to do is make the strips longer and make more of them, after all.

Don’t sell yourself short, though–find a pattern you really like and run with it. You’ll surprise yourself.

#8

I learned to crochet first and am much faster at it than knitting. To be honest find crocheting more enjoyable than knitting. But I like the look of knitting more.

#9

nexstitch.com has great videos for stitches, and crochetpatterncentral.com has tons of patterns for squares, afghans etc. Good Luck!!

#10

If crocheting is new to you, then maybe knitting an afghan might be quicker. But, the suggestions for granny squares or V stitch are good ones. Also, if you use a larger hook (size J or larger), or use multiple strands and an N, P, or Q hook, it’ll work up fast.

Mile A Minute patterns are good too.

#11

I have been knitting and crocheting since I was 13 and I am close to 60 now. I haven’t knitted an afghan yet but I have made lots of crocheted ones. The patterns were all different from grannies to ripple to whatever stuck my fancy. I love a challenge and took the hard way. I would like to knit one but I know it will take me longer and I have just started the Great American Aran Afghan. I would say find a pattern you like whether knitted or crocheted and make it. If you need help then we are only a post away.:cheering:

#12

well the only way im going to get good at crochet is to do it. so an afghan it is then in crochet i think.

if i find a few patterns i like would you guys mind looking at them and saying if they are easy enough for me to have a go at please?

thanks you again for all your help

#13

Anytime you need help or an opinion I will gladly do it. There are so many patterns out there that are free good luck looking. I look forward to seeing your choices!!:slight_smile:

#14

also, consider trying a big granny squere of a scrap afghan (an afghan made using scraps of leftover yarn).
http://www.knitting-crochet.com/crochet/scrofbea.html
http://cache.lionbrand.com/patterns/70363AD.html (if you are registered with Lion Brand)
http://home.att.net/~susanBinKC/patterns.html?ripple.html
http://www.allfreecrafts.com/crochet/mile-a-minute-afghan.shtml

#15

I started out crocheting… and All I ever made were blankets… I only learned stitches from my aunt and never knew what they were called so I could not follow a pattern… I think if you were to crochet a blanket you will definately get the hang of it and get quicker as you go. Also with knitting I have never knitted a blanket but it seems it would be hard to keep all your stitches on a needle, and more awkward considering the size of your project. With crocheting you only work one stitch at a time and it is easy to put down and pick up again later. Hope this helped!! :x:

#16

Also with knitting I have never knitted a blanket but it seems it would be hard to keep all your stitches on a needle, and more awkward considering the size of your project.

i have knitted a few blankets, i used circular needles so i could squish the stitches up on the cable. i didnt find the size an issue, i wasnt so keen on the weight of it though (i have tendon problems in both wrists).

i am doing a knitted one, but ihave surcomed to the call of teh crochet hook now lol. im loving it, i am painfully slow, but as you said i should get quicker. i am getting better every row thankfully.

thank you all for your offers of help, i have alread asked as i am already stuck lol. im on row 2, its going well so far lol

#17

Hey How are you comeing along on your blanket??

#18

[FONT=“Comic Sans MS”][COLOR="#300090"]I started by learning crochet sometime around the age of 12; it was a hat and scarf set using a double ended hook in fact (but that’s for another story). My mom also taught me to knit and purl; my swatch used a red acrylic yarn in worsted weight (I don’t think I ever finished it off and it is now lost or recycled).

The advantages of crochet make it the better choice for large projects like blankets (or afghans). You can set it down and pick it back up at any time (event stuff it out of sight in a bag if you need) and with little thought to losing stitches. If you do lose a stitch or several they are super easy to see and redo.

For speed and size, I’d use a double crochet (dc) stitch and a simple zigzag pattern. It will give you fast results and a visually interesting FO. You can use a variegated color through out or choose several complementary colors and make it striped or banded (think like the Dr. Who scarf).

What is the total width and length of your project? You may want to plan way ahead on this. My mom made an afghan for each of her children as high school graduation presents. I’m the youngest of six and in my forties and all of us still have our afghans! (Don’t you know all our spouses requested their own afghans too!) :thumbsup:

Wave or ripple (or chevron) they go zigzag across the width ///// or up and down the length. You can make your own pattern or find one in a book or on the Internet. (I didn’t stop to check any that the others have posted, but I’m sure they are all good.)

Good luck and happy hooking! Crossed Fingers

– Jack[/COLOR][/FONT]

#19

Hello,
Have you chosen a pattern yet? How is it going if you have? I know we are all curious as to how you are doing.

#20

I too am curious to see what pattern you chose. Hope the move went well.