Do you know anyone who makes their own clothes? When we buy most of our clothes in stores, we take for granted the work that goes into making them. There are many people, though, who still appreciate — and practice — the art of making their own unique pieces of art out of fabric and yarn.
Some people prefer to knit, while others like to crochet. What's the difference? Read on!
Crochet can be used to make a wide variety of clothes and decorations for the home. All you need to crochet is a continuous strand of yarn and a single crochet hook.
To start, you make a slip stitch and then continue to make loops — called chains — to create a foundation row. Additional rows can then be added on to your foundation row. You can continue to crochet in flat rows, or you can join your stitches to create a ring.
Crochet stitches are made by making loops and wrapping yarn around the crochet hook. When the loops are drawn through the wrapped yarn, you've made a stitch!
One popular crochet pattern is the Granny Square. Granny Squares can be made in squares or circles. When joined together, they can be used to make beautiful blankets and vests.
Knitting, on the other hand, is often used to make sweaters, since knitting allows you to create very detailed and colorful patterns. Knitting requires two knitting needles and a continuous strand of yarn.
To knit, you start by making a slip knot on one needle. You then “cast on" the number of stitches you need for your foundation row on the needle.
The two basic knitting stitches — knit and purl — can then be created by wrapping the yarn around one needle and pulling it through loops on the other needle. These two basic stitches can be done alone or together. They can be combined to form a wide variety of designs.
When you knit, you keep a whole row of stitches active at the same time. When you crochet, though, you usually only have one live stitch on your hook at any one time. Knitting can also be done by special machines, while crocheting can usually only be done by hand.