One of the most common questions beginners ask is whether they should learn crochet or knitting first. Both are beautiful fibre crafts with a long history, but they work very differently and feel very different when you’re learning.
Crochet uses a single hook to create stitches one at a time. Knitting uses two needles and keeps many stitches live at once. That one difference changes how the entire craft feels, especially when you’re just starting out.
Neither craft is better than the other, but crochet tends to feel more approachable for many beginners.
Table of Contents
How Crochet and Knitting Work Differently
Tools Used
- Crochet uses one hook
- Knitting uses two needles
With crochet, you’re typically working with one active stitch at a time. In knitting, many stitches remain live on the needles, which can feel overwhelming when you’re new to yarn crafts.
Stitch Structure and Visibility
Crochet stitches are generally taller and more defined than knitting stitches. This makes it easier to see:
- Where your hook needs to go
- How stitches are formed
- Whether you’re working into the correct place
For beginners, being able to clearly see each stitch makes learning much less frustrating.
Fixing Mistakes
Mistakes happen when you’re learning, and how easy they are to fix matters.
With crochet:
- You can pull back a few stitches and continue
- Dropped stitches are easy to spot and correct
- Mistakes rarely unravel your entire project
With knitting:
- Dropped stitches can run down multiple rows
- Fixing errors often requires more steps
This forgiving nature of crochet helps beginners stay confident and keep going.
Why Crochet Feels Faster Than Knitting
One of the biggest differences I noticed when I switched from knitting to crochet was speed.
As a beginner knitter, I enjoyed knitting scarves for my kids, but they were long, time-consuming projects. Progress felt slow, and it took a long time to see results.
When I learned to crochet, I couldn’t believe how quickly projects came together. Crochet stitches are taller, fabric builds faster, and you can finish projects in a fraction of the time.
That speed matters, especially when you’re learning.
Completing something quickly gives you that sense of accomplishment that motivates you to start the next project, and then the next one. That momentum is incredibly important in the early stages of learning.
With practice, you naturally become faster at crochet. While it’s absolutely possible to become a fast knitter too, for me personally, crochet was the craft where speed came more quickly, which made learning more enjoyable.
Crochet for Visual Learners
I’m a visual learner, and crochet worked beautifully with my preferred learning style.
Watching someone crochet and seeing exactly where the hook goes helped everything click far faster than written instructions alone. That’s why I eventually turned to YouTube when I was learning.
I still see this all the time now. Many people are comfortable following a video but feel intimidated by written crochet patterns. That’s completely normal.
One of the strengths of crochet is that it works very well with both:
- Written instructions
- Video tutorials
When you use them together, you build understanding and confidence much faster. Throughout this course, I encourage you to follow along visually while also becoming familiar with reading crochet patterns.
Is Crochet or Knitting Better for Beginners?
This really comes down to personal preference, but from my experience teaching and watching thousands of beginners learn, crochet often feels easier at the beginning.
Crochet tends to be a great choice if you:
- Like seeing progress quickly
- Prefer visual learning
- Want a forgiving craft
- Enjoy making usable items early on
Knitting is a wonderful craft as well, and many people enjoy learning both over time. If you’re deciding where to start, crochet is a great place to build confidence and foundational skills.
Can You Learn Both?
Absolutely.
Many crocheters also knit, and many knitters eventually learn crochet. The skills you build in one craft often help with the other.
Starting with crochet gives you a strong understanding of yarn behaviour, tension, and stitch structure, which can be helpful no matter where your yarn journey takes you.
Learn to Crochet with MJ Beginner Basics
What’s Next
Now that you understand the key differences between crochet and knitting, the next step is choosing the right yarn to make learning easier and more enjoyable.
Helpful Resources
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This lesson is part of the Learn to Crochet course by Michelle Moore of MJ’s Off The Hook Designs Inc, based in Lakefield, Ontario, Canada.
Thank you for learning with me at MJ’s Off The Hook Designs. I hope this lesson encourages you to keep practising and enjoying the process of crochet.
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