50 Of The Most Creative And Beautiful Works Shared In This Crochet Lovers Community Interview

The moderator from r/crochet shared with Bored Panda that the story of how the subreddit was founded is actually shrouded in mystery. “No one currently on the moderation team knows how the sub began in 2008,” they said.

I was curious to learn about the link between crochet, knitting, and sewing, as well as just how beginner-friendly the former really is, overall. “Crochet is definitely the most beginner-friendly between crochet, knitting, and sewing. This is because, in part, it’s the easiest to rip apart (called frogging) and go back to fix a mistake,” the moderator told Bored Panda that one of the biggest upsides of crochet is the ability to start over if you feel like you’ve messed up a tad.

It’s not without its challenges, however. “Most beginners often find difficulty in knowing where to place the hook in each stitch and figuring out how to coordinate holding the yarn, hook, and work all at the same time!”

As for how similar crochet, knitting, and sewing are, the mod noted that there’s some crossover with knitting. “They’re both yarn crafts that create fabric. Other similarities include knowing how to count stitches and read written patterns. There is no real crossover with sewing, except perhaps that advanced sewers may have an advantage in understanding how garments drape and fit,” they were kind enough to explain to me.

Though you’ll have to put in the time and effort to get good at crochet, it’s actually a very easy activity to pick up and be on your merry way into the land of yarn. “Learning to crochet, like everything else, has a learning curve! Luckily, it’s pretty easy to get started—all you really need is a hook and a skein of yarn,” the mod said.

Like with most things, the internet holds a wealth of information that’s useful for anyone just starting out. “Most people find it easiest to learn from YouTube videos, and they are a fantastic resource for learning new stitches and patterns. There are also some wonderful books out there that can teach every conceivable stitch—you want to look for something called a ‘crochet stitch dictionary’ or similar. Other than that, have fun and don’t be afraid to experiment! And of course, visit the sub for help or advice!”

The r/crochet subreddit was founded way back in the September of 2008. Since then, it has become an important part of Reddit’s social fabric. Here at Bored Panda, we’re big fans of people sharing their artistic skills with the world. And even though crochet and knitting might seem incredibly similar to one another from an outsider’s perspective, the fact is, they’re not exact synonyms for one another. (Though, of course, there is quite some overlap!)

Roxanna Coldiron explains in a piece on ‘Martha Stewart’ that crochet and knitting are both methods of stitching together yarn. However, the styles differ. “In knitting, the stitches form a ‘V’ shape. In crochet, the stitches are more like knots,” she writes.

The tools of the trade are also slightly different. “Knitting uses a pair of long needles to form the loops, moving a set of loops from one needle to another; the stitches are held on the needle. Crochet uses a single hook to hook the loops together directly on the piece. It is this major difference that makes crochet much easier to work with than knitting,” Coldiron points out.

It’s this fact that crochet is easier to work with that makes it perfect for someone who’s new to yarn-work (or rather yarn-art) as a whole.

According to Coldiron, crochet is fairly straightforward, easy enough to pick up as a self-taught hobby, and doesn’t rely so much on a wide range of tools and techniques. The limits are then your imagination and patience. And with how imaginative you Pandas are, I don’t see you running out of inspiration any time soon.

However, knitting appears to be a step up in terms of technique, at least according to Coldiron. “The great benefit of knitting is that, it supports sophisticated designs in intermediate to advanced stages. Some projects combine techniques—such as our shawl in stockinette stitch and embellished with a crochet trim. And you could always consider Tunisian crochet, which many consider to be the best of both techniques,” she points out that there really are no limits. So feel free to dip into crochet, knitting, sewing, and anything else for your next project!