If someone asked me which I prefer: crocheting or knitting, I would tell them without batting an eye, crochet, every time. Let me tell you why.

The differences between the two are like comparing a manual transmission vehicle to an automatic. In a manual car, you use two feet to drive. Automatics use only one.

Some people swear by manual transmissions, loving the control they give and the extra power that comes along with that.

Let’s just say, I never learned to drive a stick.

I prefer using only one foot to drive, as much as I prefer to use one hook to crochet instead of the two needles it takes to knit (sometimes more if you are working with double-pointed needles in the round).

Crocheting is just easier for me. If my hook falls out of the loop, and a stitch is dropped in the process, I can pick back up the previous loop on my hook and begin working into the next stitch again. No harm done. No hearts need to stop or breath needing to be held, while I search for my lost stitch.

When I knit, a dropped stitch could be disastrous! The little buggers can easily get eaten by the tangled web of stitches from the previous row. If I had done a purl stitch instead of knit stitch, as the pattern had called for, in a previous row, trying to go back to correct the visible error my mistake created, wouldn’t be as easy as it would be if I’d been crocheting the same piece.

In knitting, my fixes would consist of attempting to reverse knit in order to backtrack to the error in question; I could also take the stitches off the needles completely and unravel the working yarn until the row with the error is found. Once I reach the row with the error, I can pick up the prior rows stitch loops one-by-one onto my knitting needle, as I unravel the final stitches leading to the problem area.

Both options prove difficult.

With crocheting, especially when making amigurumi, all you have to do is pull the working yarn to unravel each row, backing the stitch marker to the prior rows start each time you reach it. Once you’ve back-tracked far enough, you can just pick up the one loop available and begin crocheting into the next stitch again.

With the stitches being worked one-by-one instead of having them all active on a knitting needle, crocheting is so much simpler in my eyes.

Not to say that I haven’t spoken to many people who find knitting an easier feet than crocheting. I even have friends that feel this way, who are avid knitters. They acknowledge the annoyance that happens when you drop a stitch, but they would choose knitting over crocheting any day.

Having told you my difficulties with knitting and admitting that I would pick crochet as my favorite any day of the week, I will say this: I still knit. I love knitting.

Will I be making my own patterns up in the near future? Probably not.

I don’t have that large a grasp of the medium to create something never been made before. For pattern-making, I will stick with making up crochet amigurumi patterns (see post for Making Patterns). I will still make other crafter’s knitting patterns as gifts for people. I love making slippers, ever since my mom passed the slipper-making torch over to me when her hands needed to give up knitting. My dad has had the same homemade slippers made for him since as far back as I can remember; made with tassels every time. I’m not going to be the one to stop that tradition.

I’ve made a shrug and blanket in the past as well. Knitting is very relaxing to me if the pattern is fairly simple. Someday, when there’s more time, I hope to make myself a sweater (preferably with pockets). A scarf would be nice too and maybe a pair of fingerless gloves. When it comes to making clothes, I would pick knitting over crocheting any day.

For my amigurumi though, just leave me with some yarn, a stitch marker, and a size E crochet hook, and I’ll be good to go. Oh, and a pair of scissors would be nice! Thanks.

Which do you prefer: knitting or crocheting? Why? What is your favorite thing that you’ve ever made with yarn?

Enter to win the A to Z Challenge Giveaway (amigurumi crocheted dog) here.