Happen to know someone who crochets but doesn’t knit? Let me tell you what I’ve learned: that person is the perfect target for your next give-away knitting. Perfect. 

I really enjoy making a handknit something-something and giving to a person who only crochets. The only-crocheter understands the value of what you are giving them.

I’ve been burned on a good number of my give-away projects. Too many of the people I’ve given handmade stuff too didn’t appreciate it. That’s a real let down for me. Also, its a sure fire way to piss me off. I don’t know which is worse, the person who mutters thank-you and never wears/uses/mentions your gift again or the person who immediately asks you to make them something else.

You know who won’t do either of those things? Someone who makes their own stuff, like a crocheter.

There are some things that turn out better when you knit them then they would in crochet. Take socks for instance. Crochet socks are kinda sucky. I’ve made them and I don’t care for them at all. Handknit socks, however, are heaven for your feet. Make a pair of socks, or anything else, for your crochet-only friend, and you’ve given them something they couldn’t make for themselves and something they know took a lot of work.

Also… is it highly unlikely that a crocheter will put your handknit whatever into a washing machine, set it to the highest agitation possible and then wonder why it fell apart. They probably won’t put your handknits in the dryer with a load of jeans and old towels and act amazed when it shrinks. I bet you a zillion dollars they will never, ever leave it rumpled on their floor for when you come over so you can watch the family dog use it as a blankie.

Like I said I’ve been burned a few times. I’m still grumpy about each and every time too. Forgiveness is not my middle name.

The appreciation an only-crocheter shows makes it worth my time to make them something. I don’t care if its a bit crafty-incestuous. I like appreciation. I also like (I’m giggling just writing this) the way an only-crocheter always, ALWAYS likes the wrong side of the handknit.

In knitting, you try your best to hide the wrong side of the work. Most knit patterns are not reversible and so the knitter will work in the round or painstakingly shape their piece to keep the wrong side from flopping out into view. But when the knitter hands their work over to the crocheter this happens: the crocheter immediately turns it over/inside out and says “Oh! I really like the back side!”.

Come on. You can’t beat that. Any one who likes the ugly side of handknits is knit-worthy. Go make your crochet-only friend something!

None of this is a put down to the happy-hookers. I crochet. I started my crafty life as a crocheter. Next I learned to handspin yarn because I thought that would be fun. Then I learned to knit because (and only because) knitting uses less yarn than crochet and I could make my handspun yarns go farther. Before that I had no intention of ever learning knitting. Now I love it. I knit all the time. But I still crochet.

And so the reverse is true. I have given crochet to only-knitters. I did that this past Christmas. I gave a slouchy, bobbly crochet hat to a knitter. She gushed over it and made sure it was on her head and matched her outfit the next three times I saw her. It was so sweet.

And it is also true that some things are better crocheted than knit. After making a grand total of one handknit blanket I’ve decided to never make another. Oh my God was that a painstaking and slooooooow blanket. All future Jenn blankets will be crocheted, you can bet on that.

So if you’re reading this and you are an only-crocheter than I suppose you could offer to make a crochet something-something for your knit-only friend. That would be very nice and very generous. That’s not what I would do though. I think you should go ask that knit-only friend to make you a pair of socks.