Knitting vs. Crocheting

I had a very productive day yesterday. I am ready for my sock class on Thursday night, and I made good progress on a crocheted Aran sweater that I have been working on for 2 years now. I started the day with the sweater in 4 pieces - front, back, and 2 sleeves. I now have the shoulders seamed together and the collar crocheted. Hopefully I will finish the seaming over the weekend.

Going back and forth between the two projects yesterday made me think about how I decide whether to use my knitting or crocheting skills when I start a project. Obviously, if I find a pattern I want to create, then I use the skills required by the pattern. For example, Dee brought this pattern (scroll down to Little Hearts Table Runner - I can't get a direct link to work - sorry!) to the attention of the Connecticut Crochet Yahoo group, and I would love to get started on it.

But the choice isn't always clearcut. Patterns for many items have been written for both knitters and crocheters. Sometimes it comes down to my personal preference. I really like to knit mittens (and crocheted mittens seem to require a lot of counting, making them harder to do). On the other hand, I really like to crochet hats, because I can crochet them so much faster than knitting them. I am still experimenting with scarves, but I tend to prefer to knit them because there is a real potential for too much bulk in a crocheted winter scarf. I have had better luck crocheting fashion scarves, probably because the yarn is drapier to begin with. So the fabric I will end up with also has an impact on my decision.

Sometimes the yarn I want to use is the deciding factor. For instance, I had a skein of Ritratto that I wanted to make into a scarf. I tried knitting with it, but ultimately I crocheted the scarf because the yarn and stitch just went together better. So the interaction of the stitch pattern and the yarn can also be an important factor.

I realize that this question only comes up if you know how to both knit and crochet. If you only do one or the other, then you create items with the skill you have. But if you know both skills, then I think it becomes an important question, particularly if you have any desire to design patterns. It then becomes the first of many choices you will have to make as you create your original design.