just out of curiousity, is there a difference between yarn for crocheting and yarn for knitting? i’ve noticed some of the other auctioneers on listia specifying a ‘crochet yarn’ with no mention of knitting. they’re still in skeins, cakes, balls, bonbons, hanks, etc and aren’t for rug making. and they’re still made in the array of fibers, from acrylics and cottons to wools and llamas…
No, they are the same thing. You can crochet with any yarn you knit with. There is a type called crochet cotton that can be very fine. No reason you couldn’t knit with it though. I only use it for lifelines though.
You can knit with any yarn or thread, and crochet with any yarn or thread. I’ve never noticed a difference, but marketing departments obviously do. :lol:
You’re probably too young to remember this. But in the 60’s and maybe early 70’s, every living room had crocheted doilies. Doilies on the coffee table. Doilies on the arms of chairs. Doily table runners. Doily tablecloths. Doily bedspreads. Then people started crocheting coffee table doilies with…gasp…yarn. That was considered really tacky and lazy. They were granny square ones with hideous colors. TG those days are gone. There are a few ladies who still take the time to putz with fine crochet threads and yarns. But they’re getting to be few and far between. Another big thing in the early 60’s was tatting with fine crochet thread. It was a great skill that young ladies and old grandmothers took pride in. These days, most crocheters use plain yarn, the same type that’s used for knitting. Worsted and sport weights are the most popular.
LoL . . .this discussion comes up pretty often.
I learned to crochet first. What I love about crochet is the simplicity. You need a hook and you need yarn. I appreciate the durability of crocheted things and I also like the fact that there is much more room for mistakes so I’m much more adventurous and creative. I love to crochet things like blankets and also use finer weight yarns to make clothes for babies and children because they will be laundered more frequently. Bags and hats are also faves of mine for crochet.
With knitting, you need a lot of implements. Want to make a hat or socks? You need DPNs. What about a sweater knitted in the round? You need circulars. You cold learn magic loop and cut down on the need but that can be fussy. And, oh good grief, there is nothing worse than needing to frog something back a few rows. Live stitches strike fear and dread in my heart and I don’t seem to be able to (correctly) follow any methods for frogging that would avoid live stitches. So, I’m very afraid to make mistakes (and therefore experiment) in knitting. That being said, I really like the way knitted garments look . . . to me, the stitches for knitting are more “delicate” if you will and so clothes accomodate the curves of a body better. Plus, knitted things are a lot more stretchy and have more give which I think makes that craft better suited to clothing.
As you can see, I love both disciplines and frequently combine the two.