Hobbies pass the time and can lead to projects of significant personal and potentially financial value. Needlework can be a rewarding endeavor. Some people may be familiar with knitting but less so with crochet and how it differs from traditional knitting.
Unlike knitting, which uses two needles to create items out of yarn, crochet utilizes a single hooked tool. This hook creates fabric from loops of yarn or even thinner embroidery flosses or string. Crochet can be used to make everything from blankets to clothing to hats to dolls to bags. Some social media posts even feature fences made from crochet.
Nobody is quite certain where crochet originated. Mother Knitter, a knitting and crocheting store in New Jersey, says origin stories trace crochet to anywhere from Arabia to South America to China. The popularity of crochet in North America can be attributed to European immigration in the early nineteenth century. Indeed, the word “crochet” is derived from the Old French word “croc,” meaning “hook.”
It’s easy to begin to crochet and minimal equipment is needed. All a person needs is a crochet hook and some yarn. However, delving a little deeper into crochet basics can help the finished project look and feel how a person wants it to. Yarn comes in different weights, colors and fibers. Heavier, thicker yarns work better with larger hooks. Yarn labels often recommend the coordinating hook size to get the ideal results. Many beginners find it best to start with a medium weight yarn, and a size H or I crochet hook (5 to 6 mm).
Crochet patterns feature various stitches. The stitches are formed by looping the yarn around the hook and pulling though the loop a predetermined number of times. Common stitches include single crochet, double crochet, half-double crochet, and treble crochet. Patterns feature abbreviations of these stitches, which beginners will have to learn to slowly master the techniques and patterns. Crochet recently has enjoyed a resurgence in popularity, with clubs gathering in cities and towns across the country. There also are plenty of online tutorials.
Crochet is typically faster than knitting, so people who want to see their projects completed more quickly can opt for this needlework. Keep in mind, however, that more yarn often is needed for crochet projects than knitting projects. Also, sometimes crochet fabric is less stretchy than knit fabric. Some people also find that crocheting might be easier than knitting. Since crochet works with one live stitch, it’s less likely to unravel accidentally than knitting, advises SarahMaker.com. Also, to fix a crochet mistake, one only has to remove a few stitches and redo the work.
